Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs

These easy Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are ready in just 20 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients! Perfect for those busy weeknights, they’re a super easy way to throw together a healthy, delicious meal the whole family will enjoy!

These homemade meatballs are a true family-pleaser. Serve them with your favorite sauce and pasta for a classic Italian dinner, pair them with roasted broccoli or zucchini noodles for a lighter, healthier option, or tuck them into toasted rolls with melted mozzarella for the ultimate meatball subs. Tasty and versatile, they’re also great as an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick and Easy: Ready in under 20 minutes, making it a great option for a quick weeknight dinner.
• Healthy and Customizable: Made with lean ground turkey, these meatballs are a good source of protein. You can also use ground chicken, pork, or beef  if preferred.
• Meal Prep Friendly: These meatballs freeze beautifully, making them ideal for meal prepping or batch cooking.

Ingredients You Need

These air fryer meatballs come together with only a few ingredients.

• Ground Turkey –  Lean ground turkey works wonderfully for this recipe, offering less fat and fewer drippings to clean up. but you can also use ground beef, ground chicken, or even a mix of ground meats for equally tasty results.
• Breadcrumbs – Use regular, Italian, or gluten-free options to match your taste or dietary needs.
• Parmesan Cheese – Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds flavor.
• Egg – To help keep the meat mixture together.
• Salt – This recipe keeps it simple by using salt to enhance flavor.

More Flavor – Add more flavor by using fresh or dried herbs, such as parsley, oregano basil, or seasonings such as garlic powder or Italian seasoning.

Equipment Needed

This recipe uses a standard air fryer. Use one with at least a 4 quart capacity.

No air fryer, no problem! If you don’t have an air fryer, you can easily bake these in the oven. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer.

Steps to Make Turkey Meatballs in the Air Fryer

1.  Preheat Air Fryer: Set your air fryer to 350°F for 5 minutes.
2.  Mix Ingredients: Combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and seasonings in a large bowl. Use a spatula or your hands to mix until just combined.
3.  Shape Meatballs: Use a cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons to form round, evenly-sized meatballs. This recipe makes about 14 meatballs.
4. Prepare Air Fryer: Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil spray or wipe basket with your preferred baking oil.
5. Cook Meatballs: Place the meatballs in a single layer
    in the air fryer basket, ensuring they’re not touching. Cook for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, checking that the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Expert Tips and Variations

• Make meatballs the same size. Roll the meatballs into the same size to ensure even cooking.
• Add flavor with fresh herbs and spices. I kept the recipe simple, but feel free to mix it up! Toss in some fresh or dried herbs like parsley, garlic, oregano, or basil, or try a dash of Italian seasoning or garlic powder in the meatball mixture. A  tablespoon of chopped herbs makes more flavorful meatballs.
• Mix up the flavor. Try tossing in some finely diced onion or some finely chopped veggies to mix things up for.
• Add oil to the air fryer. The meatballs will stick to the bottom if you don’t use an oil spray.  Another solution is to wipe the bottom of the air fryer (where the meatballs will sit) with olive or avocado oil.
• Don’t crowd the air fryer basket. Spread the meatballs in a single layer out in the air fryer and ensure that they are not touching.
• Meal prep. You can double the recipe for a double batch and freeze leftover meatballs for a quick dinner later.

Storage and Freezing

Refrigerator: Store cooked meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Place cooled meatballs on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Reheating: Thaw frozen meatballs overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the air fryer, oven, or slow cooker for best results.

Easy Air Fryer Dinner Recipes

If you love using the air fryer, try a few of our favorite air fryer dinner recipes.

• Lemon Cod
• Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
• Carrot Fries – the perfect side dish!
• Orange Chicken
• Zucchini
• Green Beans

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