Easy oven baked turkey meatballs baked in a muffin pan. Make a few batches and freeze these healthy meatballs for quick dinners in less than 30 minutes!
Meatballs come in all shapes and sizes. Some are tiny perfect mini appetizer bites dressed in chipotle sauce or barbecue sauce. And some are perfectly sized circles baked in a muffin pan instead of prepared stove-top. Related: Turkey Meatloaf Recipe Packed With Veggies.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes at 350 degrees F
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 meatballs
- ⚡ Calories: 52kcal per meatball, with 9 grams of protein
- 🥣 Ingredients: 11, starting with extra lean ground turkey and pantry seasonings
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Juicy Italian-seasoned turkey with a savory beef rub and a splash of apple cider vinegar
- ✋ Difficulty: Mix in one bowl, roll 12 balls, bake in a muffin pan. No frying
Quick Answer
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a silicone muffin pan or muffin tin with cooking spray. In a large bowl add 1 lb extra lean ground turkey with ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons beef rub seasoning, ½ teaspoon Himalayan salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and knead with your hands until well combined. Roll the mixture into 12 balls, place them in the muffin cups, and bake for 20 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley. Each meatball has 52 calories and 9 grams of protein, and they freeze well for quick dinners.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why Baking Meatballs in a Muffin Pan Works
- Why You'll Love These Meatballs
- Key Ingredients
- Ways to Use Turkey Meatballs
- How to Make Oven Baked Turkey Meatballs
- Expert Tips
- Make-Ahead Meatballs for Busy Nights
- Oven Baked Turkey Meatball FAQs
- More Ground Turkey Recipes
- Healthy Oven Baked Turkey Meatballs
Wow, are you excited and ready for the big Turkey Day!?! I sure have turkey on my mind lately and have been stoked to share this recipe with you because it is so easy! Stove-top meatballs are so nice because it leaves the stove open for cooking just noodles and sauce. And no slaving, frying or wondering if the center is cooked through.
If you are like me, just when you start to wonder what is for dinner your brain goes into brain-dump mode and shuts down. I mean REALLY shuts down like it freaks out like a robot going into overdrive and has sparks flying about everywhere!
I feel like this all the time when dinner should be ready in less than 30 minutes and the closest, easiest thing that comes to mind is pasta. Pasta is great and all, but so much better with thick juicy meatballs piled high on top! While the pasta cooks just mix, grind, roll and bake these Italian meatballs for dinner in less than 30 minutes!
Pinterest has so many vegetarian meatball recipes that are exquisite! Quinoa meatballs, grain-free meatballs, cauliflower meatballs, and zucchini meatballs.... just to name a few. But sometimes there is no comparison as to biting into a meaty oven baked turkey meatball!
Why Baking Meatballs in a Muffin Pan Works
Click to see why it works
- No frying oils needed. Mixing these meatballs in one bowl then baking them in a muffin tin means no frying oils, so oven baked turkey meatballs are lower in fat than stove-top meatball recipes.
- Each cup holds its shape. The muffin cups keep every meatball perfectly round and evenly sized.
- Fewer dishes. Frying meatballs in a sauce pan uses too many extra dishes when you are already cooking pasta and sauce on the stove. The best solution is to bake them!
- The center cooks through. No wondering if the center is cooked through, the oven does it evenly in 20 minutes.
- Oil goes on after. Drizzling olive oil or avocado oil over them after baking gives these healthy baked meatballs an earthy divine taste, and oil is better for you not cooked anyways.
- Kneading binds them. Using your hands to knead the meat mixture combines the seasonings evenly.
Why You'll Love These Meatballs
- Dinner in less than 30 minutes, start to finish.
- 52 calories and 9 grams of protein per meatball.
- Freezer friendly. Make them ahead and freeze them; when it is pasta night they can defrost as the tomato sauce simmers.
- Lower in fat than fried stove-top meatballs.
- Part of the ground turkey family with my ground turkey stuffed peppers, turkey sweet potato chili and Thai peanut ground turkey bowls.
Key Ingredients
- 1 lb extra lean ground turkey meat - the lean, high protein base.
- 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons organic ketchup - listed on the recipe card.
- Onion powder and garlic powder - savory depth without chopping.
- Beef rub seasoning - 2 teaspoons for a meaty flavor.
- Italian seasoning mix - 2 teaspoons for classic meatball flavor.
- Himalayan salt and black pepper - simple seasoning.
- Apple cider vinegar - 1 teaspoon brightens the meat.
- Olive oil and fresh parsley - drizzled and sprinkled on after baking.
See recipe card for quantities.
Ways to Use Turkey Meatballs
There are so many ways to make meatballs! And here are a few suggestions to fun ways to eat these oven baked turkey meatballs (because they WILL knock your socks off!):
- Make them as an appetizer with fresh fruit and vegetable skewers, next to more gluten-free dairy-free snacks for kids.
- Freeze them for easy weeknight dinners with pasta.
- Dip them in hummus for a delicious HANGRY protein snack-attack!
- Stuff them in a roll and top with sauce and melted cheese for meatball subs.
- Serve on a slice of bread as open-faced meatball sandwiches.
How to Make Oven Baked Turkey Meatballs
1Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a silicone muffin pan or muffin tin with cooking spray.
2Mix. In a large bowl add all the ground turkey, onion powder, garlic powder, beef rub, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning mix and apple cider vinegar. Using your hands mix together and "knead" the meat mixture until the ingredients are well combined.
3Roll and bake. Roll the mixture into 12 balls and place in the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes.
4Finish. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley before serving.
5Freeze extras. Store in the freezer for a quick meal!
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Knead with your hands so the seasonings spread evenly through the turkey.
- Spray the muffin cups well so the meatballs release cleanly.
- Add the oil after baking, not before; it tastes better and is better for you uncooked.
- Batch and freeze. Make a few batches and freeze them for quick dinners.
- Defrost while the sauce simmers for a speedy pasta night.
Make-Ahead Meatballs for Busy Nights
If you want a super speedy dinner make them ahead of time and freeze them. That way when it is pasta night they can defrost as the tomato sauce simmers to finger licking perfection!
How are they lower in fat? Thanks to making these meatballs in one bowl then baking them in a muffin tin there is no frying oils needed. But I do suggest drizzling olive oil or avocado oil over them if eating them as mini appetizers, or adding your favorite dipping sauce.
For more weeknight ground turkey dinners, try my healthy hamburger helper or a turkey meatloaf packed with veggies.
Oven Baked Turkey Meatball FAQs
Bake them for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F in a sprayed silicone muffin pan or muffin tin.
Each cup keeps the meatball round and evenly sized, there is no frying oil needed, and you skip the extra pan and dishes while the pasta and sauce cook.
Yes. Oven baked turkey meatballs are lower in fat than stove-top meatballs, and each one has 52 calories and 9 grams of protein.
Yes. Make a few batches and freeze them; on pasta night they can defrost as the tomato sauce simmers.
Serve them over pasta, as an appetizer with fruit and vegetable skewers, dipped in hummus, in meatball subs, or as open-faced meatball sandwiches.
Drizzle olive oil or avocado oil over them after baking rather than before. It gives them an earthy taste, and oil is better for you not cooked.
More Ground Turkey Recipes
More ground turkey favorites: Turkey Meatloaf, Open-Faced Meatball Sandwiches, Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers and Turkey Sweet Potato Chili. I hope these oven baked turkey meatballs make dinner easier at your house! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Healthy Oven Baked Turkey Meatballs
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Plus get latest recipes and emails.
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra lean ground turkey meat
- 1 egg large
- 2 Tablespoons organic ketchup
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons beef rub seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning mix
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- fresh parsley garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Spray silicone muffin pan or muffin tin with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl add all the ground turkey, onion powder, garlic powder, beef rub, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning mix and apple cider vinegar. Using your hands mix together and "knead" the meat mixture until the ingredients are well combined.
- Roll the mixture into 12 balls and place in the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley before serving.
- Store in the freezer for a quick meal!
