Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs

Once you make these juicy, flavorful air fryer turkey meatballs, you’ll always want to keep them around! They only use a few simple ingredients and spices, 10 minutes to cook, and are a perfect protein for a huge variety of meals. Turkey meatballs in the air fryer are great for meal prep, stocking the freezer, and are gluten-free and low carb!

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Why This Recipe Works

• Making turkey meatballs in the air fryer means that there’s very little clean up, no need to heat up the oven, and a fast cook time.
• Air fryer turkey meatballs are gluten-free, low carb/keto, and only use 5 ingredients plus some simple spices!
• These turkey meatballs are made with no breadcrumbs and no eggs for binder!
• They can be used in many different types of meals, from pastas, sandwiches, meal prep bowls and more. Because of that, they’re ideal for meal prep or to keep frozen in individual portions being they’re freezer friendly.

Looking for more meatball recipes?

• Curry Chicken Meatballs
• Air Fryer Pork Meatballs
• Easy Greek Meatballs
• 5 Minute Instant Pot Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients in Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs

The ingredients needed to make these juicy air fryer turkey meatballs couldn’t be easier. You will need 1 pound of ground turkey, grated parmesan cheese, half of a yellow onion, minced garlic and mayo. There’s a few spices you’ll add into the ground turkey mixture, and those include dried parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. The ingredient list is short but packs in a ton of flavor!

I use and recommend Primal Kitchen’s Whole30 Approved avocado oil mayo. Adding mayo into meatballs is the key to juicy turkey meatballs! They don’t dry out thanks to the added fat, and the mayo can’t be tasted at all. Primal Kitchen mayo is the best for this, and we always keep it in stock in our fridge and pantry. It’s never made with any sneaky additives, and it’s Certified Gluten Free, Keto Certified, and made without any sugar or canola oil!

You can get Avocado Oil Mayo as a part of the Whole Kitchen Sink bundle (all of my most favorite Primal Kitchen sauces!), or on it’s own on their website! Use the code PALEOBAILEY for a discount!

How to Make Turkey Meatballs in the Air Fryer

What’s so great about these meatballs is that not only is there only 5 ingredients, but there are only 4 easy steps to making them and they’re done in 10 minutes! The cooking process is straightforward and quick, so everything comes together for your meal in under 20 minutes with the prep time.

Step 1

The first step to making turkey meatballs in the air fryer is to preheat it to 400 degrees F. if your air fryer is one that requires preheating. If not, begin by adding all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Be sure to grate the onion directly into the bowl to retain all of the juices.

Step 2

The second step is to use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together into the bowl until they’re well combined. Stop once everything is incorporated to avoid over-mixing. Over-mixing the meat can cause it to dry out, and when you’re using a lean protein like ground turkey that can be prone to that, not mixing too much is one way to prevent that from happening.

Step 3

Once the turkey is combined, use a meatball scoop or a tablespoon and roll meatballs that are about 2 tablespoons of turkey mixture each. Try to make them roughly the same size so they cook evenly.

Step 4

The final step in making turkey meatballs in the air fryer is to place them into the air fryer basket or tray and cook them for 5 minutes. Once the first 5 minutes is up, flip them over and cook an additional 5 minutes. They shouldn’t need any longer than 10 minutes if they’re rolled into that 2 tablespoon measurement, but if yours are slightly larger, you may need to add a minute or two of cooking time.

How to Serve Turkey Meatballs

Once your meatballs are done cooking you’ll have many options on how to serve them! They’re very versatile and can be served as an appetizer, with pasta or veggie pasta such as zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash, in sandwiches, wraps or added to casseroles or soups. They’re perfect to serve up along some vegetable sides, or to add to meal prep bowls.

Side dish ideas or meal prep combinations:

• Butternut Squash in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
• Instant Pot Couscous
• Black Bean Couscous Salad
• Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
• Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Storing Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs

To store leftover turkey meatballs, you will first let them cool completely. Then store them in an airtight container, which is really important so that they don’t dry out and are still nice and juicy once they’re reheated! These turkey meatballs are good in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing Instructions

Turkey meatballs are super freezer friendly and thaw really well for making dinners in the future easier! I like to double the batch and freeze half in 8 meatball portions. The key to freezing meatballs is to first put them on a flat baking sheet or plate, spaced out so they are not touching, and put in the freezer for about an hour. Then you can combine them in bags or containers.

By doing this you will make it so that each ball freezes individually instead of all of them freezing together in a large chunk without being able to be separated. If you’re freezing them together, this is really helpful so that if you only want to thaw a portion or two, you’re able to remove the amount you need or want. These are good in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Expert Tips:

• Try to make the meatballs about the same size. Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to get about 2 tablespoons per meatball. This will ensure that they cook evenly and take the same amount of time.
• Grating the onion directly into the bowl really does make a big difference, so try not to skip it! The onion juices aren’t lost on a cutting board and help keep the turkey juicy and tender, along with adding lots of flavor.
• If you’re reheating leftovers in the microwave, it’s helpful to add a slightly damp paper towel into the microwave with the meatballs and whatever else you’re reheating with them. This is true for all meatballs as it adds some moisture into the air so they don’t get dry on the second go-round of being heated up.

Other Easy Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love:

• Air Fryer Meatloaf
• Buffalo Chicken Thighs
• Air Fryer Mahi Mahi
• Sausage and Peppers in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
• Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

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