Healthy Turkey Meatballs are juicy while being low fat! Made without breadcrumbs, they’re keto, Whole30, paleo, gluten free and dairy free! A nutritious twist on a classic dish. Made with lean turkey and fresh herbs- they’re the perfect dinner! I love pairing with tomato sauce and zucchini noodles.
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Whether you’re Italian or not – there’s no denying that there are few better things in life than a big bowl of pasta + meatballs. Especially when they’re gluten free, dairy free, paleo, whole30 AND taste just like what you grew up eating!
These Healthy Turkey Meatballs are loaded with flavor, packed with lean protein and super easy to make.
Plus.. they have no breadcrumbs! Yes, it’s possibly to make meatballs with out breadcrumbs, I’ll show you how!
When I tell you that my Gram could easily win awards for her cooking – I’m not joking.
There is always something going on in her kitchen – whether it be a Banana Cake (another one of her famous recipes, which I made healthier in this Healthy Banana Bread recipe), chicken cutlets, or dessert of some sort.
Another thing that she makes that are SO delicious are her meatballs.
When I did my first Whole30… I knew I was going to have a big problem with giving up pasta and meatballs. It’s something we eat almost every week, and it’s one of my favorite meals.
I was determined to come up with a Whole30 meatball recipe that tasted amazing + wouldn’t leave me feeling left out on Sunday dinners.
Nothing can compare to my grandma’s recipe – but these Healthy Turkey Meatballs are a close second.
Ingredients for Turkey Meatballs
To make these healthy turkey meatballs you’ll need:
- ground turkey
- fresh herbs
- salt, pepper
- coconut flour
- almond flour
- garlic
- onion
- an egg
- olive oil
- milk
There are many substitutions you can make with these healthy meatballs – I’ve included instructions below!
How to make Healthy Turkey Meatballs:
To make healthy turkey meatballs:
- Add all of your ingredients into a bowl.
- Mix together until combined.
- Roll into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake + enjoy!
We love to make a big batch of these and freeze half of it. That way you can have dinner for another night all ready go, or a simple snack waiting for you in the freezer.
These clean eating turkey meatballs are perfect with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper on top, or they are great when cooked in our Healthy Crockpot Tomato Sauce low and slow for hours.
The longer you cook them in sauce for, the better they taste and the more tender they are!
How to make turkey meatballs on the stovetop: You can easily make these turkey meatballs on the stovetop. Heat a pan with olive oil. Add the meatballs to the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning every 3 minutes until all sides are browned
How to make turkey meatballs in the air fryer: To make turkey meatballs in the air fryer. Air Fry at 400 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown, allow to cool + enjoy!
How to make turkey meatballs in the instant pot: We don’t recommend making these meatballs in the instant pot but it is possible. Place meatballs on top of trivet, stacking as needed.
Cover instant pot and make sure the pressure release is set to sealing. Set instant pot to pressure cook for 7 minutes.
Substitutions for Turkey Meatballs without Breadcrumbs:
Nut free: sub almond meal with breadcrumbs (this will make the meatballs non-whole30)
Coconut/Almond Flour – If you don’t have coconut flour or almond meal you can sub whole wheat breadcrumbs
Herbs – If you don’t have fresh herbs you can used dried (but fresh have so much more flavor!)
Meat- You can sub chicken or beef for the turkey. This Rosemary Chicken Sauce is also a nice recipe for a lighter sauce.
WW Freestyle Note: Points calculated using 99% fat free turkey
Extra Veggies –You can add in chopped spinach or kale for extra veggies. I actually like to pulse in the food processor so it get’s super find. You can’t even taste it!
Tips for making the Best Healthy Turkey Meatballs
Use fresh herbs! Dried herbs will work in a pinch, but these are SO much better when you use fresh herbs!
Make a full batch or double batch and freeze some of these clean eating meatballs. It will make your life SO much easier. These freeze perfectly in a big ziploc bag and then you can just defrost them as you need them!
Cook the meatballs in sauce after baking them. They’re delicious on their own, but so yummy when you let them cook low and slow!
Add things in! These Caprese Meatballs or Greek Turkey Meatballs have fun add ins and are SO yummy!
Pro Tip: Use a large cookie scoop for forming ‘balls’ for even, equal meatballs!
How to serve Healthy Turkey Meatballs
Over zoodles (zucchini noodles)– If you don’t have a spiralizer
you have to get one! As much as I love eating a bowl of pasta – it’s nice to have a lighter alternative and a spiralizer is key for getting through Whole30. The zucchini noodles are a great swap when you’re craving pasta. They are also great if you are gluten free or paleo.
Over pasta– My favorite gluten free pasta is Modern Table.
Over a salad
With our Healthy Crockpot Tomato Sauce (If you’re still buying jarred sauce PLEASE try this!!)
Turkey Meatball FAQ
The healthiest meatballs are high in protein and low in carbs/fat. These meatballs are made from lean ground turkey and use almond flour instead of breadcrumbs to make them lower in carbs!
Turkey meatballs are healthier than beef for a few reasons. Ground turkey is lower in calories and fat than ground beef – making turkey meatballs a healthier choice than beef meatballs.
Yes, Trader Joe’s turkey meatballs are healthy! They’re high in protein, made with no artificial ingredients and low in calories.
These turkey meatballs have roughly 70 calories per meatball.
Can you freeze these Turkey Meatballs?
YES! And you totally should. I like to double the batch and freeze half of them after they have been baked
Then you can quickly defrost for busy nights or a simple lunch! I recommend allowing them to cool completely and putting in a container or freezer size ziploc bag.
When you’re ready to eat you can microwave them or heat in a pan!
You can freeze them raw, but we don’t recommend it.
Other healthy turkey recipes:
We love ground turkey! It’s so versatile and delicious. We have a whole list of the Best Ground Turkey Recipes but here are some of our favs!
- Turkey Mushroom Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Paleo Turkey Chili
- Whole 30 Turkey Bolognese Stuffed Zucchini
- Spicy Ground Turkey Stir Fry
- Paleo Turkey Taco Stuffed Delicata Squash
Healthy Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 3/4 cup onion (finely chopped, I pulse mine in a food processor)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Optional if not paleo/whole 30:
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
Oven Instructions:
- Spray a lined baking sheet with olive oil. (Or use nonstick foil/parchment paper).
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined
- Roll into approximately 1.5 inch balls and place on cookie sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 10-15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes on the other side.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until combined. Roll into approximately 1.5 inch balls and place on cookie sheet.
- Freeze meatballs for 10 minutes to make them easier to handle.
- Once meatballs have been frozen, place trivet insert into Instant Pot. Pour 1 cup of water into bottom of pot.
- Place meatballs on top of trivet, stacking as needed.
- Cover instant pot and make sure the pressure release is set to sealing. Set instant pot to pressure cook for 7 minutes.
- Allow pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes. Release any remaining pressure and remove with tongs.
- See Notes for additional tips/tricks for cooking meatballs in instant pot.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined
- Roll into approximately 1.5 inch balls and place in greased air fryer basket
- Air Fry at 400 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown, allow to cool + enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Nut free: sub almond meal with breadcrumbs (this will make the meatballs non-whole30)
- Coconut/Almond Flour – If you don’t have coconut flour or almond meal you can sub whole wheat breadcrumbs
- Herbs – If you don’t have fresh herbs you can used dried (but fresh have so much more flavor!)
- Meat- You can sub chicken or beef for the turkey
- Extra Veggies –You can add in chopped spinach or kale for extra veggies. I actually like to pulse in the food processor so it get’s super find. You can’t even taste it!
- WW Freestyle Note: Points calculated using 99% fat free turkey
- Cook time does not include time to come to pressure (about 14 minutes).
- Freezing meatballs isn’t necessary but will make the meatballs easier to handle and they won’t cook together in the pot.
- If you want the meatballs to be browned, you can either saut̩ them before cooking. In the Instant Pot you can use the saut̩ method Рbe sure to scrape off any bits of food on the bottom of the pan before cooking or you may get a burn notice.
- You can also sauté or broil meatballs after cooking to brown them.
GiGi Eats
Meat balls are something I DO not make often but I LOVEEEEEEE them so I must! They’re just so so so easy!
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I love em’ too, girl!
Cassie
I used to smash meatballs in my face like no other! They were absolutely addictive 🙂
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They’re sooo good!
Renee @ The Mind-Body Shift
Sounds tasty! I’ll have to tinker around with this to see if I can find a lower carb substitute for breadcrumbs that won’t compromise texture and flavor.
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You could swap the bread crumbs for almond meal! 🙂
Birdie
Sub oatmeal quick oats for breadcrumbs still very tasty
The Clean Eating Couple
I’ve never tried quick oats as a sub in this recipe so I’m not sure if it would be successful. I have tried almond meal which is a lower carb option!
Madison | A Joyfully Mad Kitchen
These meatballs were SO good! We used fresh basil and you’re so right, definitely makes a big difference! We’ll be making these OFTEN!
The Clean Eating Couple
You’re the sweetest!! I’m so glad you like them!
Molly
The first time I made these I was skeptical because there’s no cheese and no breadcrumbs. I wanted meatballs without the dairy and the extra carbs, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they would actually taste good. THEY DO. THEY TASTE SO GOOD. When I tasted them for the first time, I actually said out loud (to no one by myself and my dog), “Holy (beep beep), these are amazing!!!” (I’m censoring myself so you can keep your blog PG.) Now whenever I’m making them, I double the batch. I make them every 2-3 weeks and always have these delicious and healthy meatballs in my freezer for those nights I don’t want to or don’t have time to cook!
The Clean Eating Couple
Even I was skeptical about making a cheese and breadcrumb free meatball, but they really ARE delicious!! Love that you double batch them – I do the same thing!!
Courtney
These turkey meatballs are my go-to meal prep item. I love that they’re Whole 30 friendly, simple ingredients and can eat them for any meal. My personal fave is over zoodles with a good tomato basil marinara!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Courtney!! I’m with you on the zoodles and marinara.. that’s the best!
Linda
I have a granddaughter who LOVES meatballs, but I haven’t been able to make them for her since her family began eating grain-free. I am super excited because there isn’t anything in these she can’t have! So, even though I haven’t made them yet, I am giving them 5 stars, because there is hope! Woohoo!
The Clean Eating Couple
You are so sweet, Linda! I can assure you – grain free meatballs ARE possible!! I grew up in a big Italian family. When you cook these in sauce all day on the stove they get SO tender – your grandaughter will love them!
Kaitlyn Woods
Probably my favorite go to quick dish! I like to add some greens into the mixture and freeze the turkey when they’re cooked.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Kaitlyn! We always freeze these too – they’re great to be able to defrost for a quick meal!
Kimberly Mowdy
I made a batch of these to freeze so I would have meals for surgery recovery. There’s so many things you can do with these and they taste amazing!
The Clean Eating Couple
Yay!! Totally agree- they’re perfect for stocking your freezer/fridge with! So easy and yummy!
Alyssa Maas
These are my favorite go-to meal prep recipe!! I love them. So good with pasta or on their own.
Gigi Lee
so good!! i froze half of it and they were super easy!!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked them, Gigi!
Kim
One of my favorite go-to recipes on this site! Gluten free and packed with so much flavor, I always make a double batch with intention to freeze but we end up eating all of it in two days. It’s so good you can eat with or without sauce.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you like them! They’re great plain.. in a salad.. with sauce.. possibilites are endless 🙂
Savannah
These are awesome for meal prepping! Super easy and this recipe makes a ton! So they will last all week. Also delicious.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thanks Savannah! We love to meal prep them too 🙂 Glad you enjoy them!
Courtney
I made these with dried herbs because my grocery store didn’t have any of the fresh ones that I needed and the meatballs were still absolutely delicious!! I added a jalapeño because I love spice but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Served them with whole30 compliant marinara sauce over zoodles. Going to be a weekly dinner for us! Thank you Liz!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked them, Courtney! Love the addition of jalapeño
Kim
I make these all the time, but this time made them with my favorite gluten free italian breadcrumbs and added some fresh parm like suggested – I honestly didn’t think it was possible to love them more but I’m OBSESSED. My only regret was not making more because they didn’t last more than two days!
The Clean Eating Couple
Yay! So glad you like them. We always double the batch and put a bunch of them in the freezer!
Lindsey
These meatballs are so good. I was nervous I would be able to taste the coconut flour, but I didn’t even notice with sauce on them. This is definitely a new staple in my house.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Lindsey! You really can’t taste the coconut flour at all 🙂
Jessica
Made these for dinner tonight and they came out amazing! Definitely a family favorite! (Even my picky 3 year old loves them)
The Clean Eating Couple
This makes me so happy to hear, Jessica! So glad you both enjoy them!
BY
YUM!!!!! These are amazing ! Even by themselves full of flavor, the fresh herbs make a difference.,
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked them!!
Amanda
We make these all the time for our lunch meal prep! So delicious!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Amanda! So glad you like the meatballs!
Kim
Obsessed is an understatement. I meal prep these every week because they’re so easy and so delish. I’ve tried making them a variety of ways with substitutes mentioned and every time it’s absolutely amazing. My favorite on the site
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you Kim!! I’m so glad you like the meatballs 🙂
R
Thank you for this. My doctor placed me on keto for blood sugar issues/pcos/weightloss and I have a daughter allergic to dairy/beef/pork and my kids really wanted meatball subs for Christmas dinner and I had searched the internet for a while before I found this recipe that could give everyone what they want/ need. You saved Christmas!
The Clean Eating Couple
So happy you liked them, Rachel! We have lots of Keto friendly/dairy/beef free recipes on our site – hope you find some more you can enjoy!
Heidi
These look great – I am going to make them tomorrow. How long should I put them in the crockpot with the sauce in the slow cooker? Thank you.
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Heidi- I cook the meatballs completely per the directions in the post and then add them to the tomato sauce. I usually cook them for 8 hours, but any amount of time will be fine. The longer they cook the more tender they are!