Oven Baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
These juicy oven-baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs are a great healthy recipe for an easy and comforting meal! They are perfect for a mealprep or to serve with some Marinara sauce and spaghetti for a quick weeknight dinner.
Servings: 7 people
Calories: 148kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup zucchini grated, juices squeezed
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup onion grated with juices
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add 1 pound ground turkey, 1 cup of grated and squeezed zucchini, ½ cup of bread crumbs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, ½ cup grated onion with juices, 1 egg, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Using your hands or a spatula, mix everything together until well combined.
- Using a 1 ½ tbsp ice cream scoop, scoop out the mixture, roll it into a ball, and transfer to a baking sheet with parchment paper. Repeat the same with the rest on the mixture.
- Bake them at 400°F for about 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- You can serve the meatballs as they are, or add to the marinara sauce.
- Preheat a large skillet with marinara sauce, then lower the heat to medium/low. Add cooked meatballs and stir them in. Cover with a lid and let cook for about 7-10 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Turkey. When I use ground turkey, I always buy dark meat, because it has more flavor than lean white meat.
- Onion. I love adding grated onion with juices instead of chopped onion, as it adds more aroma and moisture.
- Bread crumbs. I prefer to use seasoned bread crumbs, because they are already mixed with the spices. Although you can use regular plain panko bread crumbs.
- Red Pepper Flakes. I always like to have a bit of “heat” in my meatballs. If you don’t like spicy food or are making this for kids, you can easily skip this ingredient.
- How to store. You can store them with or without tomato sauce in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- How to freeze. I prefer to freeze them without the tomato sauce, as they will keep better and will be easier to defrost. First, cool them on the baking sheet that they’ve been cooking on. Then transfer the baking sheet with the meatballs to the freezer for about 30 minutes. Once they are frozen, transfer to an air-tight container or a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The reason you want the meatballs to freeze separately before putting them together in a container is so they don’t stick to each other.
Nutrition
Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 286mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 163IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 1mg