These Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are a quick, easy, and healthy dinner. The air fryer ensures the meatballs are crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, and cooked in no time. After they’re cooked you just toss the healthy turkey meatballs in your favorite BBQ sauce and ta-da! A great way to get a healthy dinner cooked in 15 minutes.
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These air fryer turkey meatballs are such an easy recipe to make on a busy weeknight! I love making these on those nights when I don't feel like cooking, but still want a healthy, filling meal. With just a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes from start to finish, this simple recipe makes a delicious, healthy, easy dinner.
The best thing about these air fryer meatballs is how versatile they are! You can serve them like I do, in a BBQ glaze with zucchini noodles, or toss in your favorite pasta sauce and make quick meatball subs or healthy spaghetti and meatballs. Lastly, serve this easy meatball recipe with salad or roasted broccoli or for a meal that's sure to be a hit with the whole family.
INGREDIENTS FOR AIR FRYER TURKEY MEATBALLS
- Lean Ground Turkey: I use a 93/7 blend because it's lean but still has a nice amount of fat for turkey
- Panko Breadcrumbs: If you don’t have Panko you can use regular bread crumbs. This recipe can also be made with gluten free Panko or regular bread crumbs
- Egg
- Salt, Pepper, Paprika, & Garlic Powder
- BBQ Sauce: I like using Primal Kitchen BBQ Sauce, but use your favorite brand!
INGREDIENT SUBSTUTIONS
Ground turkey: Lean ground beef or ground chicken
Panko bread crumbs: Gluten free Panko, roughly ground oats, or plain breadcrumbs
BBQ sauce: Marinara sauce, buffalo sauce, vodka sauce, alfredo sauce, teriyaki sauce, or your favorite sauce
HOW TO MAKE TURKEY MEATBALLS IN THE AIR FRYER
- In a large bowl combine ground turkey, panko, whisked egg, and seasonings
- Use your hands to gently mix the meatball mixture until everything is just combined
- With a small cookie scoop, scoop out the meatball mixture and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mix
- Place the rolled meatballs in a single layer to the basket of your air fryer. Make sure not to crowd the basket.
- Put the basket into your air fryer, set the temperature to 350 degrees F, and cook meatballs for 5 minutes
- Use tongs to pull the cooked turkey meatballs out of the basket and place them into a large skillet. Set that aside while you repeat step 5 with the remaining uncooked meatballs. ( I usually have to cook them in 2 batches)
- Place the second batch into the skillet, turn the heat to low and gently toss the cooked meatballs in the BBQ sauce
- Turn the heat off, serve, and enjoy!
RECIPE VARIATIONS
- Add in 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- Toss in marinara sauce and make easy meatball subs
- Serve over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles for great low carb side dish options
- Season with taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, or ranch seasoning
EXPERT TIPS
- Read the entire recipe before you begin
- Don’t over work your meatball mixture or they will get rubbery
- Make sure to wash your hands after dealing with raw ground meat
- Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop the meat mixture and get consistent size meatballs
- Leave space between the meatballs when you put them into the air fryer basket so the hot air can circulate. I usually cook mine in two batches
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce! I personally like Primal Kitchen, but any kind will work
- Double the recipe for a great meal prep option
- Freeze cooked meatballs for a healthy, 10 minute dinner- perfect for busy weeknights
- This air fryer method also works with beef meatballs
STORING, FREEZING, AND REHEATING
You can store and leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, just pop them into the air fryer and cook at 320 degrees F for 3-4 minutes.
Additionally, you could also freeze these homemade meatballs once they're cooked to make for a quick dinner at any time! Just place cooked, cooled meatballs into a ziploc freezer bag and put into the freezer for up to 2 months. When you want to reheat these, the best way is to place frozen meatballs into the air fryer and cook at 310 degrees F for 8-9 minutes until they're warmed through.
FAQs
You'll know they're done when the center of the meatball reaches an internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You can use a meat thermometer to check and make sure they're cooked through.
I like to serve mine with regular pasta, zucchini noodles, or cauliflower rice. Check out this post for 25 easy side dish recipes!
If they're rubbery, that means that the meat mixture was overmixed. You only want to mix until the spices, egg, and bread crumbs are just combined with the meat.
Did you make my easy air fryer turkey meatball recipe? If you did, I would greatly appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below. Additionally, you can follow me on Instagram and tag me if you make these or any other of my easy air fryer recipes.
PrintBBQ Glazed Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
These 15 minute Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are a quick, easy, and healthy dinner. The air fryer ensures the meatballs are crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, and cooked in no time. After they're cooked you just toss the meatballs in your favorite BBQ sauce and ta-da! Healthy weeknight dinner done in 15 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air-fryer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound Lean Ground Turkey- I use 93/7
- 1 Large Egg- Whisked
- ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Paprika
- ½ cup of Your Favorite BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine ground turkey, panko, whisked egg, and seasonings
- Use your hands to gently mix the healthy turkey meatball mixture until everything is just combined
- With a small cookie scoop, scoop out the meatball mixture and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mix
- Place the rolled meatballs into the basket of your air fryer, being sure not to crowd the basket
- Put the basket into your air fryer, set the temperature to 350 degrees F, and cook meatballs for 5 minutes
- Use tongs to pull the cooked turkey meatballs out of the basket and place them into a large skillet. Set that aside while you repeat step 5 with the remaining uncooked meatballs. ( I usually have to cook them in 2 batches)
- When the second batch is cooked, use the tongs to place them in the same skillet as the first batch and then pour the BBQ sauce over the meatballs.
- Place the skillet on the stove and turn the heat to low. Gently toss the air fryer turkey meatballs with a rubber spatula to coat them entirely in the BBQ sauce
- Turn the heat off and enjoy!
Notes
- Calories calculated are an estimate
- Read the entire recipe before you begin
- Don't over work your meatball mixture. They will be rubbery if they get over worked
- Leave space between the meatballs when you put them into the air fryer basket, you don't want to overcrowd the basket. I usually cook mine in two batches
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce! I personally like Primal Kitchen, but any kind will work
- Store leftover meatballs in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5-7 days
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 230
Keywords: air fryer turkey meatballs, quick healthy dinner recipes, dinner for when you don't want to cook, healthy weeknight dinner
Lauren says
Another winner of a recipe! Can we make meatball Monday a thing?
★★★★★
Nicole Radcliffe says
I wholeheartedly agree that meatball Monday should be a thing. Glad you enjoyed them!