Tender and juicy Zucchini Turkey Meatballs are oven baked for less mess and less fuss. They’re the perfect protein option to serve with salads, pasta, dip, on a sub and more!
Don’t leave turkey in the corner with these delicious Zucchini Turkey Meatballs! Not only do they taste SO good but they have extra veggies squeezed in and are quick and easy to throw together. Perfect to add to your meal prep routine or to add to your freezer stash for when you need a quick protein option. These turkey meatballs are a great addition to school and work lunchboxes, served as an appetizer or enjoyed for dinner with spaghetti and your favourite sauce. You might also like to try my Beef Meatballs.
What’s To Love About Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
- lean & healthy – made using turkey breast for a leaner option. Zucchini adds more fiber to these meatballs.
- contains tryptophan – turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which is needed to make serotonin, our feel-good hormone.
- oven-baked – baking the meatballs means less oil, less mess and less fuss. Reducing the cleaning up is always a win!
- easy recipe – these healthy turkey meatballs are a quick and easy recipe to throw together, ready in a total time of 40 minutes, with 25 minutes of prep time.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
This simple sheet pan recipe is so easy to make and all comes together using just a handful of ingredients. Here’s everything you will need to make this turkey zucchini meatball recipe, including any possible swaps.
- turkey breast fillets – I’ve opted to make my own mince by throwing some turkey breast fillets into a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use turkey breast mince instead or lean ground turkey. You could definitely make these using chicken breast fillets or chicken breast mince as well or even pork mince!
- shredded zucchini – I’ve used one medium zucchini and grated it on the fine side of the box grater. You then need to squeeze out the excess moisture from the zucchini.
- brown onion – the onion is also grated but on the regular side, not the fine side. The excess moisture needs to be squeezed out of the onion as well. I wouldn’t recommend swapping for onion powder as the fresh onion gives the meatballs enough moisture to make them nice and juicy.
- fresh garlic
- gluten-free breadcrumbs – if you’re not gluten intolerant like me then you can use regular breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs, it’s totally up to you!
- large egg – if you need to make these egg free then you can swap the egg for a tablespoon of tapioca flour to help bind the mixture.
- sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper
- fresh parsley – parsley can be swapped for other fresh herbs like fresh coriander (cilantro), mint or basil. My preference is parsley.
- dried thyme – other dried herbs that can be used are dried oregano.
- Dijon mustard – dijon mustard adds a delicious flavour to these turkey meatballs. You could also use wholegrain mustard.
How to Make Zucchini Turkey Meatballs
Follow the step-by-step instructions to make the perfect meatballs every time, but trust me, it’s not hard!
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F. Line a large baking sheet / baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. You may need two baking sheets depending on their size.
First, add the turkey breast fillets to a food processor and blend until you reach a mince / ground turkey texture. Transfer the mince to a large mixing bowl. If you’re using turkey mince just add it straight to the bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the large bowl and use clean hands to mix and squish everything together until it’s well combined.
Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop the mixture out and roll into large golfball sized meatballs. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all of the mixture has been turned into meatballs. I recommend using damp hands to stop the meatball mixture from sticking to your hands. Also, you want the meatballs in a single layer and spread out with a few centimetres between each one. This allows enough space for the air to circulate around them.
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Place the tray into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
If you really wanted to you could fry the meatballs in a large skillet with about a tablespoon of olive oil until browned all over and cooked through. Once cooked transfer the browned meatballs to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator or serve straight away.
You could even use this mixture to make burgers – just make larger meatballs and flatten them out.
Storage
Store the meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven before eating if desired. These meatballs freeze really well. Freeze batches in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 4 months.
What to Serve with Turkey Meatballs
There are so many ways to dish out these yummy meatballs. Here are some of my favourite ideas:
- as an appetizer served alongside a yogurt dip like tzatziki, with some sour cream and sweet chilli sauce, tomato sauce or with your favorite sauce of choice.
- in a salad and then drizzled with yoghurt sauce.
- served alongside my Roasted Butternut Squash Salad.
- with a marinara style sauce and spaghetti or pasta.
- plopped into a warming soup.
- served alongside a hummus bowl (as pictured).
Zucchini Turkey Meatballs
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Chopping Board
- Sharp knife
- cookie scoop or spoon
- Seive or cheese cloth
Ingredients
- 1 medium brown onion, grated
- 1 medium zucchini, finely grated
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 kg turkey breast , or turkey breast mince
- ½ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- Cracked black pepper , to taste
- Small handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F (fan forced). Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
- Place the grated onions into a sieve or cheese cloth, hold over the sink and squeeze the excess liquid from the grated onions. Add the onions to a large bowl. Repeat this process with the grated zucchini and add the grated zucchini to the bowl.
- Add the turkey breast to a food processor and pulse until you reach a mince consistency. Place the turkey breast mince into the bowl as well as the minced garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, finely chopped parsley and dried thyme.
- Use clean hands to mix the ingredients together until well combined.
- Take a spoonful of meatball mixture and using damp hands, roll into a ball about the size of a large golf ball. Place the meatball onto the first tray. Repeat this step until all the meatball mixture has been turned into meatballs and placed on the trays.
- Place the baking trays into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove from the oven and use as desired.
Notes
Make Egg-Free
- Swap the egg for a tablespoon of tapioca flour for binding.
Storage
- Store in a glass airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat before eating.
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