Ground Turkey Meatballs with Zucchini

Easy and healthy ground turkey meatballs with shredded zucchini! Perfect, juicy, and delicious, baked turkey zucchini meatballs are great for dinner, to make ahead for the freezer, or to meal prep for the week. It's a WHOLE LOTTA YUM!

 

Turkey Zucchini Meatballs are so good!

Our ground turkey meatballs are very similar to our popular air fryer Italian meatballs made with beef. We made them leaner by using low-fat turkey and increased the nutrition by mixing in shredded zucchini. No one will notice you snuck in extra veggies ~ even the kids!

We also love to serve the healthy ground turkey meatballs with spaghetti squash, pasta, zucchini noodles, and palm noodles. They're so flavorful and can be eaten without sauce, but they'd also be delish with a marinara sauce, your favorite spaghetti sauce, or a dollop of pesto sauce too.

Are you a fellow meatball lover? Then you'll want to also make our air fryer Italian meatballs or low carb Swedish meatballs.

• Super healthy!
• Sneaks in veggies
• Very moist - the addition of shredded zucchini makes these turkey meatballs with zucchini super moist and juicy.
• Leftovers are great for meal prep or double them to freeze some for later
• Easy to customize - you can leave the zucchini out, use other grated veggies instead, or change the protein source. Or why not mix in a little feta or parmesan cheese?

Ingredients you'll need

• zucchini
• ground turkey
• panko breadcrumbs
• minced garlic
• minced onion
• egg
• parmesan cheese
• Worcestershire sauce
• dried parsley
• dried basil
• dried oregano
• fine sea salt
• ground black pepper

** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **

Supplies

• Cheese grater to shred the zucchini
• Large bowl to mix everything together
• Cookie scoop or ice cream scoop helps for making perfectly round balls but is not essential
• Sheet pan for baking the turkey meatballs on

Variations

• Skip the zucchini!- If you want a simple baked turkey meatballs recipe without the zucchini, just leave it out! It's that easy.
• Change the protein - You can use this same ground turkey meatball recipe and swap the ground turkey for chicken, beef, or pork. Combine two kinds of ground meats is super flavor too!
• Use spaghetti squash in place of zucchini.

Dietary swaps

• Dairy free - leave out the parmesan cheese
• Whole30/Paleo- use Whole30/paleo compliant bread crumbs
• Gluten Free- use gluten-free breadcrumbs or gluten-free crackers
• Keto/Low carb- use keto friendly bread crumbs or make your own from keto bread. Or use ¼ almond flour instead of bread crumbs.

How to Make Ground Turkey Meatballs

Prep & Assemble

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Wrap the zucchini in multiple layers of paper towels and squeeze out as much of the zucchini moisture as you can.
2. In a large bowl combine the zucchini, ground turkey, garlic, onion, beaten egg, parmesan, Worcestershire, dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
3. Form the meatballs into 2 tablespoon size balls and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.

1. Bake the ground turkey meatballs for 18-20 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 165 F when checked with a digital meat thermometer.
2. Serve as is or toss with your favorite pasta sauce. Serve with pasta, zoodles, or spaghetti squash strands. Enjoy!

Recipe notes

• Instead of panko breadcrumbs, you can use crushed crackers (gluten-free works great too!), or for low carb/keto meatballs use crushed pork rinds or low carb packaged bread crumbs.
• The dried basil and oregano can be substituted for Italian seasoning.
• Instead of ground turkey meatballs, you can also make them with ground chicken or beef meatballs.
• To keep hands clean, a medium size cookie scoop does a great job at shaping meatballs.
• These freeze well! Why not double them and save some for later? Freeze for up to 3 months.

Meal prep for the week

Our baked turkey meatballs with zucchini make the best meal prep lunch or dinner! The recipe makes tons of meatballs for leftovers or you can even double the recipe to freeze them for later.

1. Let the turkey meatballs cool. They can be served with or without marinara sauce.
2. Add 3-4 meatballs to a meal prep container.
3. Add vegetables and a starch on the side or add a starchy vegetable like spaghetti squash in place of higher carb options.
4. The turkey meatball meal prep can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, you can also freeze individual meal prep portions in freezer safe containers for lunch or dinner.

Common Questions

What to serve on the side?

1. Pasta: Serve turkey meatballs with your favorite pasta, such as spaghetti, fettuccine, or penne. Toss the pasta with marinara sauce or a light olive oil and garlic sauce.
2. Spaghetti Squash: Use roasted spaghetti squash as a healthy alternative to pasta. Top it with the turkey meatballs and your choice of sauce.
3. Roasted Vegetables: Roast a medley of vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and bell peppers. The flavors and textures of roasted veggies complement turkey meatballs nicely.
4. Salad: Prepare a fresh salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and any other desired vegetables. Toss with a light vinaigrette or dressing of your choice.
5. Steamed or Sautéed Greens: Serve turkey meatballs with a side of steamed or sautéed greens such as spinach, kale, or Swiss chard. Season them with garlic, olive oil, and a sprinkle of lemon juice.
6. Ratatouille: Pair turkey meatballs with a classic French dish like ratatouille, which consists of sautéed eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

What to do with leftovers?

1. Meatball Subs: Slice the leftover heated meatballs and place them in a sub roll or even lettuce wraps. Top with marinara sauce, cheese, and any desired toppings.
2. Meatball Pizza: Use the leftover meatballs as a pizza topping. Slice the meatballs and arrange them on a prepared pizza crust along with sauce, cheese, and other desired toppings.
3. Meatball Pasta: Toss the leftover meatballs with cooked pasta, zoodles, or spaghetti noodles and marinara sauce for a quick and easy meatball pasta dish.
4. Meatball Salad: Slice the meatballs and use them as a protein topping for salads. Combine with mixed greens, your favorite vegetables, and a dressing.
5. Meatball Stir-Fry: Cut the leftover meatballs into smaller pieces and stir-fry them with vegetables like bell peppers, onions, and broccoli. Add your favorite stir-fry sauce and serve over rice or noodles.
6. Meatball Soup: Add the leftover meatballs to a pot of simmering soup, such as tomato-based or vegetable soup.
7. Meatball Appetizers: Serve the leftover meatballs as bite-sized appetizers at parties or gatherings. Spear each meatball with a toothpick and serve with dipping sauces like marinara, barbecue, or honey mustard.

How to store?

Store: Turkey zucchini meatballs can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freeze: Freeze extra meatballs by first individually freezing them on a parchment paper covered sheet pan. Once they're frozen, add them to a Ziplock bag or freezer safe container. Frozen homemade meatballs will keep for up to 3 months.

More Ground Turkey Recipes

• Ground turkey sweet potato skillet
• Turkey taco stuffed sweet potatoes
• Air fryer turkey burgers
• Turkey taco bowls

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