The BEST Turkey Meatballs can be on your table in less than 30 minutes! These baked turkey meatballs are perfectly seasoned and exceptionally delicious. Topped with a simple herbed gravy, they’re impossible to resist. An amazing dinner made even better when with some of my Nana’s green beans and the BEST dinner rolls.
The BEST Turkey Meatballs
If you’re looking for a delicious, healthy meal that you can prepare in under 30 minutes, well, you’ve come to the right place. I’m a sucker for quick and easy dinners and, over the years, I’ve shared so many of my favorite dinner recipes with you all. Today, I’ve got an incredibly easy turkey meatball recipe for you today that’s going to knock your socks off. Loaded with unbelievable flavor and texture, it’s a Thanksgiving meal in a meatball!
There’s truly nothing better than turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing together, smothered in a delicious gravy. I mean, that’s why we all love Thanksgiving so much, right? Well, if you don’t have hours to make a meal, and are really craving that combination of flavors, these easy turkey meatballs are for you!
What Makes These Meatballs Extra Amazing?
Instead of using bread crumbs in this recipe, I used seasoned corn bread stuffing. It’s already got a ton of flavor and if anything goes together with turkey and gravy, it’s got to be stuffing!
I used a few traditional stuffing ingredients like chicken broth (or turkey broth), celery, and onion to keep the flavors authentic. I grated the onion so it really just disappears into the meatball but still gives tons of flavor.
How Long Do You Bake Turkey Meatballs?
This question has come up quite a bit in the comments. The issues is that it is hard to “see” when ground turkey meatballs are fully cooked due to the lighter color. If you follow my directions below, your meatballs will be fully cooked but you can always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. You want the internal temperature to be 165°F.
Turkey Meatballs and Gravy
Instead of making the gravy from scratch, I used McCormick’s Simply Better Turkey Gravy.
I’ve never used store-bought gravy before because it just doesn’t have the depth of flavor that homemade gravy does. Not to mention it’s usually loaded with stuff I don’t want my family to eat. Not so with this gravy. Excellent flavor, texture, and seasoning. Gluten free, NO added MSG, and no artificial flavors. It’s just simply better.
Because I added fresh herbs to the meatballs, I amped up the flavor of the gravy with some fresh herbs as well. Thyme, rosemary, and sage. You could use anything you have on hand. Even a little parsley would be great. A sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and no one will be able to tell that this gravy took a few minutes in the microwave to prepare.
If you prefer a homemade turkey gravy, check out my recipe here.
Tips for Making the Best Turkey Meatballs
- Do not over handle the ground turkey. You really just want to get the seasonings, turkey, and other ingredients nicely combined without crushing the ground turkey.
- Use a cookie scoop. It keeps them all roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- Wet your hands when forming the meatballs. A little water goes a long way in keeping the stickiness at bay.
My kids took one look at their plates and dug right in. Couldn’t blame them. These simple turkey meatballs were the easiest and tastiest meal I’ve made in a long time and it will be in our regular rotation from now on – per their adamant request 🙂
Can You Freeze Turkey Meatballs?
Yes. Absolutely! This is a great recipe to double or triple for future meals.
- Follow the directions below to bake the meatballs making sure to keep meatballs similar in size.
- Let the turkey meatballs cool on the baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer for an hour to flash freeze.
- Transfer frozen meatballs to a freezer bag or freezer safe container and store for up to 1 month.
- Meatballs can be reheated in a 350°F oven. Simply place on a baking sheet, cover with foil and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or just heated through. You can also add them to a sauce and heat over medium heat until heated through.
What You Need To Make Turkey Meatballs
- A rimmed baking sheet is perfect for baked turkey meatballs. They don’t have a lot of fat so you’re not going to get too much grease, but a rimmed baking sheet is always a safe choice.
- I use a cookie scoop when I make meatballs. It keeps the meatballs are roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- A large bowl to mix everything together.
The next time you’re in the mood for a turkey dinner, give these baked turkey meatballs a try! They truly are the BEST turkey meatballs I’ve ever had!
More Dinner Time Favorites
- Homemade Mac and Cheese
- Tater Tot Casserole
- The Ultimate Chicken Fried Steak
- Crockpot Chili
- The BEST Chicken Marinade
How To Make Turkey Meatballs
The BEST Turkey Meatballs with Herbed Gravy
Ingredients
The BEST Turkey Meatballs
- 16 oz lean ground turkey
- 1 1/2 cups seasoned cornbread stuffing
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 small onion grated
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 eggs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Herbed Gravy
- 12 oz McCormick Simply Better Turkey Gravy 1 container
- 1 tbsp fresh herbs chopped - thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley
- pepper to taste
Instructions
The BEST Turkey Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place stuffing in a resealable ziploc bag and crush lightly with a rolling pin or mallet. I ended up with one cup of stuffing crumbs.
- In a large bowl, combine stuffing crumbs and chicken stock and stir to combine.
- Mix in onion, celery, parsley, eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Add ground turkey and mix gently just until combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out mixture. Use your hands to gently form into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or just until cooked through.
Herbed Gravy
- In a small bowl, combine gravy, herbs, and pepper.
- Heat according to package instructions.
- Serve with meatballs and mashed potatoes.
Video
Nutrition
Recipe originally published October 20, 2017.
Looking for more ground turkey recipes? Try these amazing recipes from friends:
Ground Turkey Green Chili Tacos | Chipotle Ground Turkey Chili | Healthier Stuffed Jalapenos
More easy family-friendly dinners!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Crescent Rolls
One Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Barbecue Beans
Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
For all appetizer recipes, go HERE.
For all dessert recipes, go HERE.
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Disclosure: McCormick has provided me with the products used within this project. I was compensated for this blog post. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Mom On Timeout possible!
Pamela says
Made these Turkey Meatballs yesterday and they are fabulous! I used a box of herbed stuffing mix and we really enjoyed this new dish. I froze half of them for another day. So glad I tried this recipe!
Kathy says
Made this for dinner and everyone loved the meatballs. The gravy mixed with the added spices over the meatballs with mashed potatoes, yum.
Thank you for sharing this!
Deborah Yeaple says
Made this tonight. So comforting and delicious! Ground up some chicken breasts (instead of turkey) and used regular chicken Stove Top stuffing mix (not cornbread style). Made the Slow Cooker Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes (https://www.momontimeout.com/slow-cooker-garlic-buttermilk-mashed-potatoes/) and my own homemade chicken gravy. Served it with a salad. Everyone loved it and went back for seconds. One of my new faves!
Diane says
I made this tonight for dinner and everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Jennifer says
This is probably a silly question, but do you make the cornbread stuffing or are you using the dry ingredients from a box of cornbread stuffing mix?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I used a stuffing mix for this recipe Jennifer!
nancyb says
I had leftover cornbread stuffing and was super happy to find your recipe. Luckily I had all the needed ingredients so I made your recipe tonight with mashed potatoes and a gravy recipe I found. My family and I loved these meatballs so much and I’ve already passed it on to my sister who’s planning to make it soon. Thanks for your creative approach to meatballs resulting in a tasty alternative reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinner.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I appreciate this so much Nancy, thank you!
paul Aziz says
It’s unfortunate that your site, like so many others are dripping with embellishments and stories to get more scrolling for even more clik-bait ads. Too much work just to get to the recipe.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Feel free to not come back Paul. Thanks for you feedback!