Turkey zucchini meatballs are a quick and easy, healthy meal you can make in less than 20 minutes right in the air fryer. These juicy, golden, flavor-packed meatballs are a crowd-pleasing recipe everyone will go crazy for!
These turkey meatballs with zucchini come together quickly by mixing up some hearty ground turkey and shredded zucchini with some herbs and spices. You can make them in the air fryer or bake them in the oven. Theses turkey zucchini meatballs are the best healthy weeknight dish that even the kids will love!
My kids don’t even question the green specs of zucchini in this turkey meatballs recipe. They are just so perfectly golden and flavorful especially topped with some zesty tomato sauce.
You may also love these healthy greek meatballs.
What more could you want in a turkey meatball? Plus these meatballs are so good for you since they are Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Whole30, Low-carb and Paleo.
Another great option for using up that leftover zucchini are these Zucchini Pizza Boats. We also love this Air Fryer Zucchini.
What makes these zucchini meatballs healthy?
- These meatballs are loaded with nutrition like protein, vitamins A and C, and healthy fat.
- This recipe contains no eggs, no dairy, no breadcrumbs, and almost no carbs. Which makes it a light and healthy recipe you are going to want to make over and over again.
- These meatballs are air-fried using little added oil, so they are crispy and delicious without extra calories but still juicy and so good!
- You only need a few simple, whole ingredients to make them!
- Perfect healthy meal prep recipe.
Ingredients for turkey zucchini meatballs
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these healthy turkey meatballs. Here is what you’ll need:
- Ground turkey – I recommend 93/7 lean ground turkey. You can also use ground chicken in this recipe, although the meatballs will take a little less time to cook.
- Zucchini – fresh shredded zucchini with the water squeezed out. More on that is below.
- Olive oil – this gives the meatballs a nice crispy outer layer and keeps them moist while they cook. You can also use avocado oil.
- Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, Chili Powder – the combination of these spices provides some Italian flavor to these turkey zucchini meatballs that are amazing.
- Salt & pepper – just kosher salt and ground black pepper to bring out all of the wonderful flavors of the meatballs.
How to shred Zucchini
The best way to shred zucchini is to use a box grater. For this recipe, I like to use the smaller grated side so the zucchini is easier to mix in with the ground turkey and other ingredients.
How do you remove extra water from zucchini?
This is fairly easy to do. After you have shredded the zucchini, place it in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the excess water over the sink or over a bowl. Then combine the zucchini with the rest of your ingredients.
How To Make Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
Get the complete list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Make the meatball mixture. Add all of the meatball ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well to combine.
- Roll into balls. Use an ice cream scoop to roll the mixture into even size meatballs, about 2 tablespoons each in size. This recipe makes about 20 meatballs.
- Cook. Air fry the meatballs at until they are crispy on the outside and cooked through. The time needed to cook will vary based on how big or small you make the meatballs. Per the recipe card below.
- Serve. Remove the zucchini meatballs from the air fryer basket and roll them in your favorite tomato sauce and serve over cooked pasta or with roasted veggies.
How good do these look? It’s hard to believe they are good for you too! Not to mention the fact that they are also a great meal-prep recipe as well as freezer-friendly. See freezing instructions below.
Recipe Tips
- Use good quality ground turkey that is 93/7. I have found that the quality of the turkey really matters when you are making turkey meatballs. I prefer to use organic since I feel like it has the best flavor.
- Shred the zucchini and make sure to remove excess water as suggested in this post. This will ensure your metaballs come out golden and juicy and not watery.
- Space the meatballs out in the air fryer so they are not touching. This will allow them to get nice and golden brown on all sides.
- Cook the meatballs until the internal temperature reaches 165° F.
- Serve warm over cooked spaghetti and tomato sauce.
Serving Suggestions
We like to enjoy these easy turkey meatballs over some gluten-free pasta, with Zucchini Noodles or Butternut Squash Noodles. Here are some other healthy ways to serve this recipe.
- Enjoy them with a side of Oven Roasted Potatoes and Carrots or with some yummy Sautéed Spinach with Garlic.
- Serve them with some delicious Crispy Roasted Broccoli or crazy good Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts.
- Pair them up with a crisp and fresh salad like this Easy Kale Salad or this Italian Chopped Salad.
How to meal prep turkey zucchini meatballs
I love a good meal prep recipe and these turkey zucchini meatballs are perfect for your weekly meal prep since they store easily and reheat nicely.
To store these meatballs in the refrigerator: cook them and let them cool completely then transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating these zucchini meatballs: remove them from the refrigerator and cook them in the air fryer at 350° F for 4-5 minutes. Then remove them, roll them in some sauce and serve.
How to freeze zucchini turkey meatballs
To freeze these turkey zucchini meatballs: mix up the meatball mixture then form the meatballs and place them on a lined baking sheet or clean plate. Freeze for about 1 hour then transfer them to a freezer-friendly bag or container and keep them in the freezer for up to 1 month.
To cook them from frozen: place them frozen right into the air fryer and cook them as directed in this recipe or defrost them in the refrigerator overnight and then cook them. To bake them from frozen: Bake them right from the freezer on a lined baking sheet at 400° F for 20-25 minutes.
Note: If you cook them in a frozen state then they may take 1-2 minutes longer to cook all the way through.
Can I bake these meatballs in the oven?
Yes, you can! To bake these in the oven: roll them and place them onto a lined baking sheet and cook them at 400° F for 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked through and golden brown.
More Meatball Recipes
- Baked Eggplant Meatballs
- 10-Minute Healthy Turkey Meatballs
- 20-Minute Healthy Greek Meatballs
- Air Fryer Ground Chicken Meatballs
- Easy Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
- Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs
Other zucchini recipes to try
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins
- Zucchini Patties With Sweet Potato
- Best Zucchini Banana Bread
- Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Did you try this turkey zucchini meatballs recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how yours turned out!
Print
Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 15–20 meatballs 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
You are going to love these juicy, golden turkey zucchini meatballs. You can make them in the air fryer or bake them in the oven and they come out perfectly tender and packed with flavor every time! Ready in 20 minutes, gluten-free, and paleo.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs 93/7 ground turkey
- 1.5 cups shredded zucchini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil – optional for extra crispy meatballs
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the zucchini. Shred the zucchini using a box grater, or you can cut it into chunks and pulse it a few times in the food processor. Then place the shredded zucchini onto a clean towel and squeeze any extra moisture out of it over a bowl or the sink. Discard the liquid.
- Mix up the meatball mixture. Add the zucchini, ground turkey, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper to a large bowl and use your hands or a fork to combine the ingredients.
- Form the meatballs. Use your hands or a small ice cream scoop to roll the mixture into 20 even-size meatballs.
- Cook. Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. Add a parchment paper liner or some foil to the bottom of the air fryer basket and spray it with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place half of the meatballs into the air fryer basket in an even layer, about 1-inch apart. You will probably need to cook them in batches. Cook the meatballs for 9-11 minutes until they are nice and golden and cooked through. You want to cook them until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Continue until you have cooked all of the meatballs.
- Serve. Serve warm with some pasta or topped with some zesty tomato sauce.
Notes
- Use good quality ground turkey that is 93/7.
- Make sure to squeeze the extra moisture out of the zucchini before you add it to the meatballs mixture.
- Cook the meatballs until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Store these meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the air fryer or the microwave.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: Healthy dinner Ideas
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Italian
These came out so perfect! I appreciate that they are low in Weight Watchers points too.