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Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are healthy and easy to make in just 15 minutes in the air fryer. These gluten-free meatballs are perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner everyone will love!
I love turkey meatballs and these air fryer turkey meatballs have become my family’s favorite recipe.
We’ve made other similar meatball recipes like these air fryer chicken meatballs, and turkey zucchini meatballs that you may also want to try.
If you are short on time you can always cook up some frozen meatballs in the air fryer. Which I do make, on occasion.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Nutritious and flavorful
- It only takes 15 minutes!
- Simple ingredients
- Great for meal prep!
- The best gluten-free meatballs
- Easy air fryer recipe
Recommended tools
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Rubber spatula
- Olive oil spray
- Air fryer
Ingredients you will need
*You can find a complete list of recipe ingredients with measurements and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Ground turkey – I used 93/7 organic ground turkey but any ground turkey will work in this recipe. If you are using a leaner ground turkey then you may need to add a bit of oil (about 1 teaspoon) to the meatball mixture if it looks dry. You can also add some chicken stock or turkey stock.
- Breadcrumbs – any breadcrumbs will work in this recipe. I used gluten-free breadcrumbs. You could also use cooked, cooled quinoa or brown rice.
- Grated parmesan cheese – this gives the meatballs a slightly salty, cheesy flavor with a nice golden outer layer.
- Egg – one large egg to help hold the meatball mixture together.
- Olive oil – to help them get nice and golden when they cook.
- Worcestershire sauce – to give the meatballs a nice umami flavor that is so good!
- Dijon mustard – for a little zippy taste to the meatballs.
- Seasoning – garlic powder, chili powder, dried parsley, salt, and pepper.
- For the sweet and spicy sauce – chili sauce + apricot preserves.
How to make turkey meatballs in the air fryer
This is a quick and easy 10-minute ground turkey meatballs recipe your whole family will love!
- Make the meatball mixture: Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl and mix well to combine.
- Form the meatballs. Use a small ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon to equally measure the meatballs into 1.5-inch balls. This recipe will make 15-17 homemade meatballs.
- Cook. Working in batches, add the meatballs in a single layer to a preheated air fryer and cook them for about 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Per the recipe card below.
- Mix up the sauce. Add the chili sauce and apricot preserves to a small mixing bowl and stir well to combine into a crazy good sweet and spicy sauce.
- Serve. When the meatballs are done cooking, transfer them to a large mixing bowl, pour the sauce over them, and toss them in the sauce. Serve warm cooked rice and veggies.
These air fryer meatballs cook so well and brown up nicely in minutes. They taste just as good as beef meatballs but are much healthier.
Tips for making the best air fryer turkey meatballs
- Use good quality ground turkey meat. I used organic 93/7 lean ground turkey for this recipe, which was perfect.
- Roll the meatballs a little smaller than usual. Rolling these meatballs into 1.5-inch balls or smaller will allow them to cook faster and not dry out. Using a small ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoon to portion the mixture will really help create even size meatballs that will all cook at the same time.
- Use a little bit of olive oil in this recipe. There is a little bit of olive oil in this recipe which allows the meatballs to get nice and crispy when cooked in the air fryer. It still ends up being much less oil than what is used to make traditional meatballs.
- Make sure to spray the air fryer basket with non-aerosol olive oil cooking spray before you add the meatballs so that they don’t stick to the basket. You could also use a parchment paper liner, which also makes clean-up a breeze.
- Flip the meatballs in the air fryer basket halfway through the cooking time to get them nice and gold on all sides.
- Toss the meatballs in the sauce right after they are done cooking, while they are still hot so the sauce sticks to them better. You can also serve them with your favorite tomato sauce.
Can I use a different type of ground meat to make these meatballs?
Yes, you can use a different type of meat to make these turkey meatballs. Ground beef, ground chicken, or even ground pork would all work great in this recipe. You may need to adjust the cooking time based on the type of meat you use, so watch them closely.
How can you tell when turkey meatballs are done?
Cooked turkey meatballs will be golden brown and firm on the outside and nice and juicy with no visible pink in the center. To ensure the meatballs are fully cooked, you can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meatballs. Once it reaches 165 degrees F, it is done.
Ways to serve turkey meatballs
These meatballs work great as an appetizer or complete meal paired with some other easy healthy side dishes. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve these turkey meatballs.
- Layered on top of this Simple Sautéed Spinach With Garlic.
- Pile them onto some cooked brown rice topped with herbs and chopped green onions as I did.
- Enjoy them with some healthy easy Roasted Broccoli.
- Lay them on top of this insane Mashed Butternut Squash.
- Pair them with these Butternut Squash Noodles for a lower-carb spin on spaghetti and meatballs.
- Serve them with a hearty, healthy salad like this Easy Kale Salad, this Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad, or this Roasted Beet and Butternut Squash Salad.
Storing and reheating tips
- Storing: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I recommend storing the meatballs cooked, but not rolled in the sauce.
- Reheating: you can reheat these meatballs right in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 3-4 minutes, then roll them in the sauce. Reheat them in the microwave until warmed through if they have been covered in the sauce.
How do I freeze turkey meatballs?
After you have cooked the meatballs, before you toss them in the sauce, let them cool then place them onto a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for at least 1 hour. Then transfer them to a freezer-friendly container and keep them in the freezer for up to 1 month.
To reheat from frozen, place them right into the air fryer straight from the freezer and cook them at 380 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Then toss them in the sauce or your favorite tomato sauce.
Other healthy meatball recipes
More easy air fryer recipes
- Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
- Easy Air Fryer Turkey Meatloaf
- Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
- Easy Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
Questions? Leave a comment below!
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
Made this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!
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Healthy Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs – Gluten Free
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 15–17 meatballs 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound (16 oz) ground turkey – I used 93/7
- 1 large egg
- ¼–⅓ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper
For the sauce
- ½ cup chili sauce
- ¼ cup apricot preserves
Instructions
Make the meatballs
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- While the air fryer is preheating you can mix up and form the meatballs. Add all meatball ingredients to a medium size mixing bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula or use your hands. Use a small ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoon to form and roll the meatballs into about 1.5-inch balls and place them onto a clean plate.
- Spray the air fryer basket with non-aerosol olive oil spray. Working in batches, place the meatballs in a single layer in the basket about 1 inch apart. Lightly spray them with olive oil spray then close the basket and cook for 7-10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time. This took about 8 minutes in my air fryer.
Mix up the sauce
- While the meatballs are cooking, mix up the sauce. In a small mixing bowl combine the chili sauce and the apricot preserves. Mix well to form the most delicious meatball sauce.
- Once all of the meatballs are done cooking, transfer them to a large mixing bowl, immediately pour on the sauce, and toss the meatballs to coat all of them in the crazy good sweet, and spicy sauce.
Serve
- Serve warm with a sprinkle of fresh parsley over cooked rice.
Notes
- Use good quality ground turkey meat. I used organic 93/7 lean ground turkey for this recipe, which is perfect.
- Roll the meatballs a little smaller than usual. Rolling these meatballs into 1.5 inch balls or smaller will allow them to cook faster and not dry out. Also using a small ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoon to portion the mixture will really help create even size meatballs that will all cook at the same time.
- Use a little bit of olive oil in this recipe. There is a little bit of olive oil in this recipe which allows the meatballs to get nice and crispy when cooked in the air fryer. It still ends up being much less oil than what is used to make traditional meatballs like this, making this a healthier meatball recipe.
- Make sure to spray the air fryer basket with non-aerosol olive oil cooking spray before you add the meatballs so that they don’t stick to the basket.
- Toss the meatballs in the sauce right after they are done cooking so the sauce sticks to them
- To store these meatballs: let them cool completely but do not roll them in the sauce. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To reheat these meatballs: Reheat them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees F. Then mix up the sauce and coat the meatballs.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main dishes
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Just made these ! They are soooo good. Hubby ate half before I could take a picture. Sauce is great with these. I only had sugar free apricot jam and I loved it with the chili sauce. Thanks for a great recipe, Amy. Served it with stuffed mushrooms and cooked broccoli!
I accidentally broke my air fryer last week, can I make these in the oven? What would be the best settings for that?
Hi Sarah, Yes you can cook these at 400 degrees for about 15-17 minutes on a baking sheet in the oven, then just toss them in the sauce when they are done cooking. Thank you for asking. I will add this to the recipe card.
These are delicious! My kids just love them. Great recipe, thanks so much!
If I don’t have apricot jam could I use grape jelly or another jam with the chili sauce to coat the meatballs?
Hi Marie, yes you can use grape jelly or another jam. I have tried it with apricot jam as well as fig preserves and both were great!
Is it hot chili sauce or sweet chili sauce?
Hi Leslie, it is just plain chili sauce. I linked to the one I used. You can use sweet or hot if you prefer that.
Does anyone know how many WE points?
Hi Judy, I do not do weight watchers but I would think there is some type of online calculator you can use to plug in the ingredients and determine how many point the recipe is.
These were amazing! I made this twice and both times it came out great. I served the meatballs with brown rice and a green veggie. The meatballs are tender and really tasty.
Hi Valerie! I am so glad you enjoyed them.
Oh.My.Word…these were so delicious!!!! Been trying to clean up my diet a bit. I wasn’t super excited about meatballs with no ground beef. However these were phenomenal!!! They were crispy, moist & so flavorful. Made exactly as written. Will be making these often.
Thank you, Christina! I am so happy you liked them! They are one of my favorite recipes!
Fantastic. We have learned to leave them in the air fryer until nice and crispy. Served with rice or alone — both are fantastic.
Hi, Meg! I am so happy you liked them!
I made these tonight and the only difference is that I used a 20oz package of ground turkey instead of a 16oz and I didn’t make the sauce – used them with marinara sauce and pasta. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. My husband and son both loved them. They were so easy to make and I will definitely make them again.
Hi Sherra, I am so glad you liked them.