Healthy Turkey Meatballs are flavourful, veggie-packed bites, oven-baked to perfection. Freezer-friendly, low carb and healthy too!
Serve them on their own as an appetiser or party food snack, or as part of a meal with vegetables or salad. Don't forget to add your favourite dipping sauce on the side...
There's just something about finger-food that makes it an easy favourite with kids. And when it's also something that you can dip into a sauce, you definitely have a winner!
These simple turkey meatballs are ideal for lunchboxes. These, along with loads of other freezer-friendly lunch box recipes, like Chicken Sausage Rolls and Healthy Zucchini Fritters, can go straight from the freezer into lunchboxes and they'll thaw and be ready to eat at lunch time. And who doesn't want to make lunchbox prep on school mornings that little bit easier!
While these might be great lunchbox snacks, they also make delicious party appetisers or a light family dinner.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
This 10 minute healthy turkey meatballs recipe is sure to become a family favourite in no time!
- Simple - this turkey meatballs recipe needs a handful of budget friendly ingredients, and they are super simple to make.
- Healthy - baking the turkey meatballs in the oven reduces the amount of oil you may otherwise need to use, and keeps them moist, tender and better for you!
- Freezer-friendly - you don't have to worry about leftovers going to waste, as these meatballs freeze and defrost well. You can pack them into lunchboxes straight from the freezer and they're just as tasty served cold or hot!
- Versatile - perfect as finger-food, these healthy turkey meatballs with zucchini and carrot are easy to make into a main meal. Serve them with a fresh salad, or with quinoa and vegetable fritters, or substitute them into your favourite meatball and spaghetti recipe!
- Conventional and Thermomix recipes - you can choose either the Conventional or Thermomix method for making the healthy turkey meatballs, I have included both for your convenience.
What You Need
Baked Turkey Meatballs are great for toddlers and kids as a healthy snack or as part of a meal. Adding these low calorie turkey meatballs to a grazing board gives adult guests a delicious homemade option to choose from.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method
- Carrot - are a vegetable that is always available, and are therefore a budget friendly ingredient that adds flavour, texture and a veggie boost to the meatball.
- Zucchini - Countries such as the UK and NZ know these as courgettes. They are a popular squash and are in season in summer and autumn here in Australia.
- Onion - a medium sized brown or yellow onion, finely diced.
- Turkey mince - is lower in saturated fat than other minced meats, but these healthy meatballs have much the same protein and iron content as beef mince does.
- Breadcrumbs - use regular or homemade breadcrumbs made from slightly stale bread. This acts as a binder for the meatballs.
- Egg - when using eggs in a recipe, it is best to have them at room temperature before you start.
- Salt and Pepper - to season.
- Olive oil cooking spray - using an Olive Oil Cooking Spray allows you to add a very fine layer of oil on the meatballs, to give them a browned, slightly crusty finish without burning.
- Sesame seeds - these small white seeds have a mild, nutty flavour and add a slight crunch to the meatballs.
Step By Step Instructions
No more than around 10 minutes to prepare these simple turkey meatballs and then they're ready for the oven!
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method
Step 1 - Prepare The Ingredients
Grate the vegetables and strain any excess liquid from them.
Add the grated vegetables, diced onion, turkey mince, breadcrumbs, egg and seasoning into a large mixing bowl.
Step 2 - Combine The Mixture
Mix all the meatball ingredients together well.
Step 3 - Roll And Bake The Meatballs
Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls, and place onto a baking paper lined oven tray.
Spray meatballs with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven or until cooked through.
Expert Tips and FAQs
I specify fan-forced oven temperatures in my recipes, so if you have a conventional oven, increase the temperature by between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius.
I strongly recommend lining all trays with baking paper, as this makes cleaning up easier, and reduces the risk of food sticking.
Apart from the onion, the current advice about needing to peel vegetables before cooking them is that as long as you wash them thoroughly, you don't need to. The skin often contains essential nutrients and fibre and can also contribute extra flavour!
Finely grating the vegetables will make them less visible in the meatballs, as will peeling the zucchini!
Yes, this recipe will work with chicken, pork or beef mince as well, however the nutritional information below the recipe will differ.
Store meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Leftover meatballs can be frozen, in an airtight container in the freezer, for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
Who can resist a batch of bite-sized, flavour-packed meatballs!?
These simple appetisers are so versatile and make the perfect party food, light dinner or lunch box snack...
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Healthy Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 120 g carrot grated (approx 1 large)
- 200 g zucchini grated (approx 1 large)
- 1 medium brown onion finely diced
- 500 g turkey mince
- 70 g breadcrumbs (¾ cup)
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper to season
- olive oil cooking spray
- sesame seeds to sprinkle
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
- Place the grated carrot and zucchini into a sieve and strain out any excess liquid.
- Place the strained vegetables into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the finely chopped onion, turkey mince, breadcrumbs and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.
- Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and place onto the prepared trays.
- Spray with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
- Place the carrot, zucchini and onion into the Thermomix bowl and chop for 10 seconds, Speed 5. Place grated vegetables into a strainer and remove all excess liquid before placing back into the Thermomix bowl.
- Add the turkey mince, breadcrumbs and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Mix for 20 seconds, REVERSE, Speed 3-4 or until well combined.
- Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and place onto the prepared trays.
- Spray with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Notes
- Oven temperatures - I specify fan-forced oven temperatures in my recipes, so if you have a conventional oven, increase the temperature by between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius.
- Baking trays - I strongly recommend lining all trays, including non-stick trays, with baking paper, as this makes cleaning up easier, and reduces the risk of food sticking.
- Peeling vegetables - apart from the onion, the current advice about needing to peel vegetables before cooking them is that as long as you wash them thoroughly, you don't need to. The skin often contains essential nutrients and fibre and can also contribute extra flavour!
- Veggie smuggling - finely grating the vegetables will make them less visible in the meatballs, as will peeling the zucchini!
- Substituting the mince - yes, this recipe will work with chicken mince as well, however the nutritional information below the recipe will not be relevant.
- Storing - store meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing - leftover meatballs can be frozen, in an airtight container in the freezer, for up to 3 months.
Fiona
these are a massive hit... for both small and big members of my family. so much so my eldest ate 12 in one go...
would love some more recipes and guidelines from you about dinners and lunchbox ideas
Lucy
That's fantastic!
Dan
Could I make and roll them a day ahead the. store them in fridge to bake the next day do you think?
Lucy
Absolutely!!!
Lou
So easy..my little 3yo helps make these... makes at least 30...great recipe! We love your website...has become a firm fave in our kitchen 🙂
Lucy Mathieson
Oh thank you so much!!!!!! xxx
Annabel
Do you pre-cook the turkey before adding it to the mixture? Thank you!
Lucy Mathieson
Hi Annabel, no you just cook them at the end. xx
Hannah
Just wondering if there is anything you recommend to use as an egg substitute?
Lucy Mathieson
Hi Hannah, I'm sorry but I haven't made these without egg before. xx
Hayley Coath
Any luck finding an egg replacement?