Turkey zucchini meatballs are the perfect way to add lean protein and extra veggies to your next meal! Mixed in a single bowl then popped in the oven, these meatballs are perfect for meal prep and freeze beautifully.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Moist turkey meatballs filled with zucchini, simple spices, and parmesan cheese for a mild, savory flavor.
Easy to make ahead: Keep a batch of meatballs in the freezer for quick meals or lunches throughout the week.
Yield: About 24 meatballs
Great for: Meal prep, freezing, reheating for quick weeknight meals.
Serve with: Zucchini Pesto Pasta or Vegetable Pasta Sauce
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground turkey - These meatballs can be made with your favorite ground meat, like ground chicken, beef, or pork.
- Shredded zucchini - Zucchini adds moisture and structure to your meatballs. This helps them stay moist while baking in the oven. Finely shredded zucchini works best because it doesn't add a noticeable texture to your cooked meatballs.
- Parmesan cheese - Adds salty, cheesy flavor and moisture to your meatballs. I don't recommend omitting the parmesan cheese.
- Panko breadcrumbs - Adds structure to your meatballs. Regular panko or gluten-free panko will work in this recipe.
- Egg - One egg helps add moisture and structure to your meatballs. I don't recommend omitting the egg.
- Seasoning - Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, onion, powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes add depth of flavor to your meatballs.
How to make meatballs
- Add meatball ingredients to a large bowl.
- Mix until evenly incorporated.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion mixture evenly and roll with your hands to create meatballs. Place on a baking sheet about an inch apart.
- Bake until meatballs reach 165F in the center.
Tips and tricks
Don't omit or substitute any of the moisture-adding ingredients - This includes the egg, shredded zucchini, and parmesan cheese. These ingredients help keep your meatballs moist.
Don't omit the breadcrumbs - They add structure to your meatballs and help prevent that 'rubbery' texture.
Don't overcook your meatballs - Overcooked meat will be dry. This is the most common reason why meat turns out dry.
Use a meat thermometer - Ground turkey is cooked through at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Removing your meatballs from the oven at this temperature guarantees that they turn out perfectly cooked, not dry.
Freezing and reheating
Turkey zucchini meatballs, whether raw or cooked, can be frozen for up to 3-4 months in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container.
To freeze raw - Prepare meatballs as directed and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze baking sheet until meatballs are frozen solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer frozen meatballs to a freeze-safe container and store until ready to bake. Meatballs can be baked from frozen, but may take up to an extra 5 minutes of baking time to cook through (test with a meat thermometer for best results).
To freeze cooked - Allow your cooked meatballs to cool completely to room temperature. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and store until ready to enjoy. Frozen meatballs can be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 20 minutes, or until warm in the center. Or, transfer meatballs to the refrigerator to thaw overnight, then reheat in the microwave.
Frequently asked questions
Meat turns out dry from overcooking. Use a meat thermometer to test the doneness of your meatballs. Turkey is done at 165F. Cooking for longer will cause your meatballs to turn out dry.
I use a medium 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out my meatballs.
The nutrition estimate below calculates about 6 meatballs per serving. Depending on what else you're serving, you could stretch this recipe further by serving fewer meatballs per person.
📖 Recipe
Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound (453 g) ground turkey
- 1 cup (135 g) finely grated zucchini, liquid squeezed out after measuring
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (28 g) panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup (50 g) grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add ground turkey, shredded zucchini (with excess liquid squeezed out first), egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Mix until completely and evenly incorporated.
- Using a medium (1.5 tablespoon) cookie scoop, or your hands, form mixture into meatballs and place onto prepared baking sheet. Recipe should make about 24 meatballs of this size.
- Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (use a meat thermometer to prevent meatballs from drying out due to overcooking).
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Browning: Cooked turkey meatballs will look pale across the tops when cooked (since ground turkey is a lean white meat), and golden brown on the bottom. Turkey meatballs will not look dark brown like traditional beef meatballs.
- Storage: Leftover turkey meatballs will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Turkey meatballs (raw or cooked) can be frozen for 3-4 months in a tightly sealed freezer-safe container.
- Nutrition: estimate shown is for ¼ of the recipe, or 6 meatballs (when recipe makes 24 meatballs).
I baked these as the recipe describes and I've put them in Italian wedding soup, both ways were delicious!!!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!