Easy Turkey Meatballs without Breadcrumbs
Turkey meatballs that are flavorful, juicy and made without breadcrumbs (you really don’t need them!).
Making turkey meatballs is so easy, I don’t know why I don’t do it more often. It’s one of those dishes that sounds like it could be complicated or time consuming but it’s totally not. Just a few simple Italian seasonings (garlic powder, dried basil, oregano, lemon zest, parsley), ground turkey, a cookie scoop and 30 minutes stand between you and a batch of delicious turkey meatballs. And as the title suggests, yes these are gluten-free turkey meatballs! Let’s make them!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs without breadcrumbs
- Ground turkey
- Egg
- Lemon zest
- Onion
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Garlic powder
- Fresh parsley
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional if you don’t want any spice)
- Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
These meatballs are pretty flexible. You can use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, all fresh herbs instead of dried or leave out the parmesan. I’ve made all these changes depending on what I had and they still turned out great!
How to make Turkey Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs
I use my trusty cookie scoop (#commission earned) to make sure the meatballs will all be the same size and it works like a dream every time. But if you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can just use about 1.5 tbsp of the meat mixture per meatball.
Scoop and roll all the meatballs and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. You can either pop them straight in the oven like this or you can cook them in a skillet on the stove.
To bake
Place portioned meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes until the internal temp reaches 165F, as measured by a meat thermometer. The nice thing about baking is once you scoop and roll, it’s a pretty hands-off process.
Cooking on the stove
To cook the meatballs on the stovetop, start with a large cast iron skillet and a coat of olive oil. Heat over medium. Once heated, add the meatballs. Turn the meatballs every 2 minutes or so to get them browned on all sides. Cook until internal temp is 165F. A meat thermometer comes in really handy here!
Looking for a delicious homemade marinara to serve with these?
My favorite store-bought marinara sauce
By far the best store-bought marinara sauce I’ve ever had is Rao’s. If you don’t have time to make your own marinara sauce, Rao’s will definitely not disappoint!
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Tried these Turkey Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs?
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Easy Turkey Meatballs without Breadcrumbs
Flavorful and juicy turkey meatballs ready in 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 18 meatballs 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 white or yellow onion (grated or minced)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg
- olive oil for the pan if cooking on the stove
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except turkey in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to beat the egg and combine with seasonings. Add the turkey and use your hands to mix the turkey with the seasonings until fully combined.
- Scoop 1 1/2 tbsp of the meat mixture to form each meatball. Roll each ball with your hands until smooth and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet with about 1 inch in between each meatball.
To Bake
- Preheat oven to 400F. Bake meatballs for 15 minutes and check for doneness (internal temp reads 165F on a meat thermometer).
To Cook on the Stovetop
- Heat a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Place meatballs in the pan and turn them as they brown on each side. Use tongs to gently turn to brown on all sides until internal temp reaches 165F.
Notes
Notes
Instructions are included for baking or cooking the meatballs on the stovetop.
Substitutions/Omissions
Garlic powder: sub 1 clove of garlic for garlic powder
Dried basil: sub 1 tbsp fresh basil
Dried oregano: sub 1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano
Crushed red pepper flakes: omit if you don’t want any spice
Parmesan: you can leave the parmesan out and still have a delicious meatball
I’m really surprised there are no reviews on this, and I rarely post reviews but I had to for this! This is the most amazing turkey meatball recipe I’ve ever tried! So simple and easy. I had to substitute the fresh parsley for dried chives because I didn’t have any, but it still turned out great! This is going to be my go to recipe for turkey meatballs from now on.
Well thanks so much for being the first review! I’m so glad you love the recipe ❤️ It’s a favorite in our house for sure!
Delicious. So easy and flavorful.. I ate mine with a baked sweet potato. My husband ate his on a hoagie|/sub roll. I used a Moroccan style meatball sauce (Al’fez)Thank you for sharing!
Hi Cece! I’m happy to hear you loved this recipe. Moroccan style meatball sauce sounds delicious! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
– Becky
These were sooooo delicious! My meat eater boyfriend sticks his nose up at ground turkey, but thought these meatballs were beef! The lemon zest is super refreshing! I didn’t feel like chopping an onion to use just a 1/4 of it, so I used dehydrated onions. I baked them and added it to my homemade sauce which just made them more tender! I’m making them again right now and I’m going to eat them with rice or mashed potatoes and a veggie. I like that they can be gluten free without a substitute. Tried that before and they just taste…weird. Totally bookmarking this recipe! Thanks!
Woot! So glad you (and your boyfriend) loved these, Jenn. Thank you for your review!
This was surprisingly really good for how simple it is! I pan fried mine and they were delish!
Yay! Thank you for your review, Katie!
So simple and delicious! I had 3 pounds of ground turkey I needed to use up, and these hit the spot. Will absolutely make again!
Hi Katherine, so happy to hear! This one is a keeper for sure 🙂
Love this recipe. These meatballs have become a must have on my weekly menu.
Hi Pati! I’m so glad to hear! Thank you for the review 🙂
So yummy!
Very easy to make and delicious! Will definitely make again
Hi Ella, thanks so much for the review! I’m glad you enjoyed these 🙂
Loved how easy these were, and used little equipment so cleanup is easy too! I juiced the lemon and mixed the juice with some plain Greek yogurt and dipped the meatballs in this. Tasted great, will definitely keep these in the rotation.
Hi Nicole! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
I don’t usually eat beef so I had to try making these. They were so tender with my grammy’s spaghetti sauce recipe. Always a treat to find a recipe that works the first time. 🙂