These juicy and flavorful turkey meatballs are so easy to make. They're ready in less than 30 minutes!
Well-seasoned and pan-fried in olive oil, they are so good, whether freshly cooked or served as leftovers.
These delicious meatballs are a huge hit whenever I make them. My kids love them, but it's not just the kids - the adults enjoy them, too.
Seasoned with garlic, onion, smoked paprika, and parsley and fried in plenty of olive oil, these flavorful meatballs are a nice variation when I tire of making meatballs in tomato sauce or lamb meatballs.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these meatballs. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Ground turkey thighs: These should be marked as 93% or 94% lean. Ground turkey breast (99% lean) is too dry.
- Mayonnaise: I like to use avocado oil mayonnaise.
- Dijon mustard: You can use yellow mustard, but Dijon mustard is better. It's thick and creamy, and its flavor is less vinegary and more mustardy.
- Seasonings: I use kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
- Chopped fresh parsley: If you don't have fresh parsley, you can use 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, oregano, or thyme instead. But the fresh herb does add a nice flavor.
- Olive oil for frying: I use ¼ cup even though about half of it stays in the skillet after frying. Being generous with the oil helps the meatballs brown.
Variations
- You can make this recipe using ground chicken thighs.
- Add ½ teaspoon of cumin to the mixture. I love the warmth it adds.
- Cook the meatballs in ghee (clarified butter) instead of olive oil. I like ghee's nutty flavor and richness.
Instructions
Making these meatballs is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Simply mix everything (except for the oil) in a medium bowl. Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to divide the mixture into 16 portions. Wet your hands and shape the portions into round meatballs.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers and smells great, about 2 minutes. Use a very large skillet - at least 12 inches - and make sure it has a lid. If none of your skillets have a lid, you can use aluminum foil.
Add the meatballs to the skillet in a single layer. They'll be a bit crowded in there, but I'm frankly too lazy to cook in two batches. However, if your frying pan is smaller than 12 inches, you'll need to cook in two batches. Brown the meatballs all over, turning them frequently, for about 5 minutes.
The meatballs are nicely browned now, but they are not yet fully cooked. Add a bit of water to the bottom of the skillet, cover it with a lid (or foil), and cook for 3 more minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. An instant-read thermometer inserted into one of them should read 165°F.
Serve the meatballs immediately, with a dipping sauce if desired.
Expert Tip
The mixture is quite sticky, so when forming the meatballs, it helps to lightly moisten your hands. This helps prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands and will help you create smooth meatballs.
Recipe FAQs
No. Make sure you use ground turkey thighs (93% lean) and not ground turkey breast (99% lean). Turkey breast is very dry, and the meatballs won't be as good if you use it.
Yes. Instead of pan-frying, you can arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet (use high-heat-resistant parchment), spray them liberally with olive oil, and bake them for about 15 minutes in a preheated 400°F oven. Check to make sure they are cooked through.
When combining the ingredients and forming the meatballs, work gently and handle the mixture as lightly as you can. Overworking it will result in tough, gummy meatballs.
See the image below - these meatballs were handled lightly, and you can see how tender and fluffy their inside is. 
Serving Suggestions
Turkey meatballs are truly versatile. You can serve them with anything! Here are a few ideas:
- Serve them on top of mashed cauliflower.
- Serve them with microwave spaghetti squash and marinara sauce.
- Stuff them in a lettuce sandwich with some mayo, sliced tomatoes, and pickled red onions.
- Or just serve them all on their own with a side dish such as roasted Brussels sprouts or broccoli and cheese sauce.
If you'd like to add a dipping sauce, you can use marinara or pizza sauce (as shown in the photos on this page), harissa, tahini sauce, or ranch dip.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power, or do as I do and snack on them cold!
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Recipe Card
Juicy Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey thighs - 93% lean; ground turkey breast is too lean
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup parsley - chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil - for frying
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and parsley.
- Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, measure out even portions of the mixture onto a plate. I usually end up with 16 meatballs.
- With wet hands for easier handling, shape each portion into a round meatball.
- Heat the olive oil in a very large (12-inch) lidded skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook them uncovered, turning frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add ¼ cup of water to the bottom of the skillet. Cover with the lid and cook until the meatballs are cooked through (their internal temperature should be 165°F), about 3 more minutes.
- Remove the meatballs from the skillet to a serving plate using a slotted spoon. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Half of the oil will remain in the skillet after cooking, but I like to use the entire amount because it helps the meatballs brown.
- If you don't own a lidded skillet, you can tightly cover the skillet with foil. Please wear oven mitts when doing it.
- If your frying pan is smaller than 12 inches, you'll need to brown the meatballs in two batches
- I don't recommend using ground turkey breast. It's too lean.
- The mixture is quite sticky, so when forming the meatballs, it helps to lightly moisten your hands. This helps prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands and will help you create smooth meatballs.
- If you'd like to serve these meatballs with a dipping sauce, you can use marinara or pizza sauce (as shown in the photos on this page), harissa, tahini sauce, or ranch dip.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power, or do as I do and snack on them cold!
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Yael
A nice alternative to beef just to switch things up! Impressively juicy for poultry which can often be dry.
*Please note I am Vered's daughter, but this is my honest opinion!*
Vered DeLeeuw
Thank you, Yael. ❤️