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!
Josee Marchessault says
I am making this again today for the third time since last year. I maka the following modifications: I very finely chop carrots celery and onion and a TON of sage and rosemary. I cook in some butter until very tender. I add crushed cornbread stuffing and chicken broth. I let this cool then add eggs and turkey, and make into meatballs. I serve this with herb gravy as per the recipe and mashed potatoes, roasted squash and cranberry orange relish. My family said they like it better than thanksgiving turkey! I have shared this recipe with lots of friends and family. Thank you so much for this creative recipe’
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
So glad you are enjoying the recipe so much and making it your own!
Nancy J Lester says
I just made the turkey meatballs and they were scrumptious! I almost cooked them longer because they are so light colored and I wanted to make sure the turkey was cooked but I used my thermometer instead and that made me feel more comfortable that they were thoroughly cooked. Great recipe – thank you so much!!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Good call with the meat thermometer! I know exactly what you mean. Ground turkey can be tougher to tell visually when it’s cooked through. Thanks so much for the review! Have a great weekend!
Lucy says
These should have a ton of comments! They’re a super great way to get turkey and dressing flavor in a much easier preparation. I don’t use the same gravy, already have one we love and when I happen to have cranberries, I made a quick sauce and mashed potatoes and it’s a majorly tasty meal. There’s only two of us at home these days, but we love the leftovers and I freeze some for another meal. Thank you for sharing such a great idea.
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
Drooling just thinking about these!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
So good Ashley! I hope you give them a try!
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
Adding to my dinner list next week!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Awesome! Thanks Lori!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
I love that this is so quick and easy to make! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Super easy Toni – great for busy weeknights for sure!
Jennifer Farley says
Delicious! I need to make these for dinner tomorrow.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Yes you do! My boys LOVE them!
Joanne says
The meatballs have SO much flavor. Great with the gravy on top too!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Truly delicoius! Thanks Joanne!
Christi says
This is amazing, my kids aren’t fans of meatballs in marinara sauce so this is a great alternative, and so easy! Thanks!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
It sure is! We eat them by themselves too – delish!
Aysegul Sanford says
My husband loves turkey meatballs and I make them quite often. I usually go for breadcrumbs but I love the idea of using cornbread stuffing.
So yummy.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Yes! It’s a great alternative and a fun way to add even more flavor.
Melissa Sperka says
I love the idea of serving these on mashed potatoes!! True comfort food.
KalynsKitchen says
Your meatballs look delicious! Thanks for the shout-out for my turkey green chile tacos!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks so much Kayln!! And those tacos look AMAZING!
Sheila says
I love making these I use any seasoned suffing mix great recipe. I have family making them and friends.Thank you
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
That’s so great to hear Shelia – thank you!
Katie says
I made this last night for my family and they LOVED it! The gravy was amazing! The whole thing was amazing! Thank you! This weekend I’m going to make your Popper Bites. I’m looking over your site now for a recipe for tonite.
Keep up the most amazing recipes!!!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You are the SWEETEST Katie! So glad you enjoyed the meatballs and those popper bites are DELISH 🙂
Kirti says
Could I use stove top stuffing as opposed to cornbread?
Nancy Long says
I think she probably means stovetop cornbread stuffing
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
That is correct! Thank you!