Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are a quick and delicious meal you can get on the table in less than 30 minutes. These meatballs are juicy, hearty, and ready to be added to your favorite tomato sauce, noodles, or even eaten as a sandwich.

Air Fryer Meatballs

Ground turkey makes for a nice change of pace from traditional meatballs made with ground beef. Mixed with the usual meatball suspects like breadcrumbs, onions, seasonings, and some parmesan cheese, these meatballs turn out soft, juicy, and super flavorful.

Preparing these meatballs in the air fryer ensures they cook up quickly and evenly with a slight crunch on the outside and tender meat on the inside. I guarantee you’ll find this is the easiest method to foolproof meatballs.

Turkey Meatballs Recipe

Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, a family get-together, or even as a party appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce, these air fryer turkey meatballs are great to have on hand. You can prepare the meatball mixture and store it in the fridge for a day or two, or you can easily cook them up and store them in the fridge until you are ready to eat them if meal prep is your thing.

If you love this recipe for ground turkey meatballs, you are sure to love these meatball recipes too: Swedish Meatballs or Sticky Asian Meatballs.

Air Fryer Meatballs

Easily customized to suit your taste preferences, you can add other seasonings to spice them up or throw in fresh or dried herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary. For gluten-free meatballs use gluten-free breadcrumbs or use gluten-free oats instead. Or, stir in finely diced peppers, mushrooms, or any of your favorite vegetables which is a great way to get more nutrients into your meatballs.

Ingredients for turkey meatballs

For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card.

Ground Turkey (turkey mince)- Use lean ground turkey for healthier meatballs. You can also use a mix of white and dark meat for more flavor. Turkey makes for a great source of lean protein.
Onion – Any type of onion, finely diced is good.
Olive oil – Extra virgin is best but any kind of olive oil will work.
Parsley – Use chopped fresh parsley.
Seasonings – Use a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, dried rosemary, paprika, salt, and black pepper to add flavor to the meatballs. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.
Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated parmesan adds a natural saltiness to the meatballs.
Panko – Panko bread crumbs help bind the meatballs together. You can use regular breadcrumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Egg – A lightly whisked egg acts as a binder to hold the meatballs together.

How to make this easy turkey meatball recipe

This easy meal comes together quickly.

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl.

Mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated and well combined.

Scoop the meat mixture out and roll it into balls. Use about 2 Tablespoons of mixture per meatball.

Place the meatballs in a single layer in the air fryer basket and air fry for 8 minutes then flip the meatballs and air fry for another 4-6 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with pasta sauce and spaghetti and garnish with freshly chopped parsley for a burst of freshness and color. Try my recipe for Easy Homemade Marinara!

Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. In the freezer, frozen cooked meatballs will keep for up to 3 months.

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Air Fryer Recipes

We love using our air fryer, how about you? It makes everything so simple. Here are a couple of our favorite air fryer meals: Air Fryer Sausage and Potatoes, Sweet & Sour Brussels Sprouts in the Air Fryer, or my Air Fryer Chicken Fried Steak. Check out all of my air fryer recipes.

FAQs about this air fryer turkey meatball recipe

How do you know when air fryer turkey meatballs are done? The best thing to do is use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature.
How do you keep turkey meatballs from falling apart? Make sure to measure the breadcrumbs accurately and don’t skip the egg. Both of these will help hold the meatballs together. When shaping the meatballs press firmly so they hold their shape while cooking.
Why are my turkey meatballs mushy? If your meatballs turn out mushy it could be because the turkey was too finely ground. You could ask your butcher to grind fresh turkey for you specifically for making meatballs.

Substitutions

Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!

Change up the dried herbs and use those of your choice such as basil, oregano, or thyme. Or mix in your favorite fresh herbs.
If you’ve run out of breadcrumbs you can use rolled oats.
Substitute Italian seasoning for the seasonings listed here. Or throw in a pinch of red pepper flakes or chili powder for a touch of spice.
Try ground chicken or ground pork instead of turkey.

Tips & Tricks

If you find food tends to stick in your air fryer, lightly spray the meatballs with cooking spray or brush them with a small amount of oil before placing them inside the air fryer.
Take the guesswork out of ensuring the meatballs are fully cooked and use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C).
Air fryer model cooking times may vary so watch the meatballs carefully so they don’t overcook.
To ensure accurate cooking time, make sure to preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
Use a small ice cream scoop to make sure all the meatballs are the same size.
Change up the flavor slightly and stir in a touch of soy sauce or coconut aminos for Asian turkey meatballs.

More Turkey Recipes to Love

We eat a lot of turkey here at our house. I have lots of turkey recipes for you to choose from, whether you are using leftover turkey from a holiday meal; Try my Mexican Style Leftover Turkey Soup or my Turkey Pasta Bake, or deli turkey for a Turkey Reuben or my Turkey Ranch Baguette Sandwiches, you can’t go wrong!

These easy air fryer turkey meatballs make the ultimate quick dinner. With just a few simple ingredients you get flavorful meatballs the whole family will love. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce, tomato sauce, pasta noodles, and zucchini noodles, or eat them as they are.

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