These baked turkey meatballs are loaded with herbs and surprisingly, mushrooms, to make them a little healthier. I kind of stole this recipe from my mom, who urged me that you can’t put enough dried herbs in these turkey meatballs. The first time I made them I didn’t put nearly enough parsley. I was wondering why they lacked a little in flavor. She knew what she was talking about because they turned out much better the second time.
I still wasn’t completely satisfied, though. I had used dried basil the first couple times because I thought meatballs are Italian, so basil should go great. My third time making them I used dried mint instead and it made such a difference. I’m not going to lie, I’ve never really been a fan of dried basil anyways. I just find it has such a different flavor than fresh basil. Trust me, the dried mint works best in these turkey meatballs.
You’re probably wondering why I used minced mushrooms in this turkey meatball recipe. Ground turkey is leaner than ground beef so I needed to add some moisture. The mushrooms add moisture and help hold the meatballs together without having to use breadcrumbs. There are also eggs which add moisture and help hold them together as well.
There are two keys to this recipe. One, form small ping pong sized meatballs so they cook very quickly. The beauty of these meatballs is that they’re easy to prepare and quick to cook. Two, baking them at a very high temperature, 425 F to be exact. You shouldn’t even need to flip them because they cook quickly enough.
I originally created these baked turkey meatballs as an appetizer to dip into Bill’s recipe for Loaded Tzatziki. You should definitely try that if you love tzatziki. If that doesn’t float your boat then we have a healthy new way to use them. Try them with Bill’s new recipe for Baked Zucchini Noodles! Spiralizing the zucchini and baking it quickly on a sheet pan with a little extra virgin olive oil is a delicious base for these meatballs. Use some of your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce to bring it all together. Such an easy and healthy meal!
30 Minute Baked Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 portobello mushroom or 4 baby belas, finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried mint
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- In a mixing bowl, add the ground turkey.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix very well with your hands.
- Form the meatballs into ping pong sized meatballs and put on an oiled baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until internal temperature of meatballs is 165 degrees F.
LOVE this meatball recipe. It’s my go-to favorite recipe for meatballs.
Thank you for the comment! Glad you love it so!