Turkey Meatballs That Aren8217t Dry
Turkey Meatballs That Aren8217t Dry

Best Turkey Meatballs Ever! Made with ground turkey, mushrooms, onions and a touch of mayo, they’re tender, flavorful and not dry at all!

Turkey Meatballs You’ll Love

My dad stopped by to say hello the other day. I offered him lunch which he declined, but he accepted my offer of trying one of those turkey meatballs.

One bite and two big eyes later: “Wow, why didn’t you tell me it was them Well?” Lunch served.

Video: how to make turkey meatballs

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Turkey Meatballs

How to make turkey meatballs that aren’t dry

I love ground turkey but it can be dry. With turkey meatballs, we often do things to compensate for the dryness, like adding moistened breadcrumbs or egg. Grated zucchini is also an option.

For these turkey meatballs, we forgo breadcrumbs and instead get extra moisture by adding lots of chopped mushrooms and some mayonnaise.

The mushrooms add a meaty flavor to the turkey meatballs. The mayonnaise, which is just an emulsion of oil, egg, and vinegar, not only adds some needed fat, but also some egg to help as a binder.

This way the meatballs are more tender, have more flavor and are also gluten-free!

Serve these easy turkey meatballs with or without sauce. They’re great both ways.

A flexible meatball recipe

This Turkey Meatballs recipe is wonderfully flexible. You can form small meatballs for appetizers or larger ones for a main course. You could even flatten them to make turkey burgers.

How to freeze meatballs for later

You can freeze both cooked and uncooked meatballs. After cooking, allow the meatballs to cool completely before freezing.

For both, place them on a parchment-lined sheet so the meatballs don’t touch each other. Freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer container or plastic bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Freeze for up to three months.

Thaw the meatballs in the refrigerator overnight. Cook uncooked meatballs according to recipe directions. Cooked meatballs can be gently reheated in the tomato sauce over medium-high heat.

Looking for more meatball recipes?

  • swedish meatballs
  • Turkey meatballs with tomatoes and basil
  • Pressure Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
  • Sausage balls with ricotta in tomato sauce
  • Classic spaghetti and meatballs

Turkey Meatballs (that aren’t dry!)


preparation time
15 minutes

cooking time
40 minutes

total time
55 minutes

portions
16
to 24 meatballs

If you want a more pronounced mushroom flavor, add a few more chopped shiitake mushrooms to the mix.

ingredients

meatballs

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 1 big shallotchopped (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 1 clove garlicchopped (about 1 teaspoon)

  • 6 ounces Mushrooms (a mixture of shiitake and cremini), finely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon herbs of Provence

  • 1 lb ground turkey Meat (we prefer thigh meat)

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsleyplus more to sprinkle when serving

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

  • 1/4 teaspoon Lemon peel (optional, if you have it, use it)

  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil

Optional marinara sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 Cup chopped Onion

  • 2 cloves Garlic, chopped (2 teaspoons)

  • 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

  • Salt and pepper, taste

method

  1. Cook shallots and mushrooms:

    Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the chopped shallots and cook gently until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

    Stir in the chopped garlic and mushrooms. Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are tender and have released some but not all of the moisture.

    Stir in the Herbes de Provence. Remove from stove. Pour into a bowl and let cool quickly.

  2. Make the Meatball Mixture:

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, parsley, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest if desired, mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, and the cooled mushroom and shallot mixture.

    Using your clean hands, gently mix the turkey and other ingredients together until well combined. Don’t overmix.

  3. Shape meatballs:

    Form into 1 to 1 1/2 inch wide meatballs, depending on your preference. Smaller meatballs are easier to serve as a one-bite starter, larger meatballs as a main course. Place meatballs on a tray.

  4. Fry the Meatballs:

    Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the meatballs in the pan, leaving space around each meatball.

    Don’t overfill the pan; If your pan isn’t big enough, cook the meatballs in batches. Gently cook the meatballs until cooked through, turning them frequently so they are lightly browned on all sides. If the meatballs are not browning, increase the burner heat a little.

  5. Optional sauce. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

    While the onions and garlic are cooking, puree the canned tomatoes in their juice in a blender or food processor until chopped up but not entirely smooth.

    Add the tomatoes to the onion and garlic mixture. Boil ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

    Put the meatballs in the sauce. Simmer for a minute to warm the meatballs through. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley to serve.

nutritional information (per serving)
67 calories
5g Fat
1g carbohydrates
5g protein
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Recipes Team
Hello everybody, Even if you're limited on time and money, I believe you can prepare wonderful food with everyday products. All you have to do is cook cleverly and creatively!

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