Veggie-Packed Healthy Turkey Meatballs
I love a good meatball, and even better I love a healthy dinner recipe that my kid will eat and my husband and I will also enjoy. These healthy turkey meatballs are among my favorite easy dinner recipes that are healthy.
These healthy turkey meatballs pack an extra nutritional punch with the addition of some shredded veggies. Any chance to sneak some extra veggies in with toddler is a win. Besides, we could all use more veggies, right? Best of all you don’t taste them, and they help add a delicate texture and juiciness to the meatballs.
6 reasons I love this healthy turkey meatballs recipe
- It’s ready in under 25 minutes!
- It’s HEALTHY with lean ground turkey, shredded veggies, and whole-wheat breadcrumbs
- They meatballs are baked in the oven vs. on the stove. This means no oil, no messy stove, and no tedious flipping/tending to your meatballs. You can pop them in the oven and move on to prepping the rest of your meal.
- It’s an easy meal-prep meal because it’s quick, it’s easy to double the batch, and the meatballs reheat great. You could make a batch on Sunday night and eat them throughout the week.
- It’s great for kids of all ages (even picky ones like mine!). I usually make a double batch and have half for dinner and put the other half in the freezer for a quick and easy toddler meal.
- Meatballs are so versatile! You can have them on pasta, in a sub, or on their own as an appetizer.
Let’s talk about the veggies
Ok so let’s talk about the veggies for a minute. You can make these healthy turkey meatballs with really any shredded veggies you want. I use zucchini and carrot in my recipe because they don’t significantly alter the flavor. If you really want a neutral flavor palate I’d recommend just doing zucchini or a yellow squash. You could also use beets, sweet potatoes, other squashes, or even chopped spinach. I recommend that whatever you do you use a fine grate vs. the larger grate for best incorporation. You can also skip the veggies altogether if you want just plain turkey meatballs. No other alterations are needed to the recipe if that’s the case—simply leave the veggies out.
Forming the meatballs
A few notes on forming the meatballs. If you’re new to making meatballs, the key is not to overwork your mixture because it will make the meat tough and tight. Most recipes recommend you combine the mixture by hand for quickest incorporation without overmixing. Now, I love to cook, but I HATE touching meat. I know, it’s weird. But I avoid it at all costs. I usually mix mine with a spoon. Occasionally I will use food prep gloves and mix by hand.
When it comes to actually forming the meatballs, I use a cookie scoop for three reasons:
- I hate touching meat, like I mentioned above
- It helps me make sure my meatballs are the same size
- It’s quick and easy
You can form your meatballs by hand or with a cookie scoop, whatever works best for you!
Leave a comment and let me know how your healthy turkey meatballs turn out.
Veggie-Packed Healthy Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- ¼ tsp onion powder or swap for ½ small grated onion
- 1 clove crushed or minced garlic
- ½ tsp Italian Seasoning Blend or sub for 2 Tbs fresh chopped parsley
- ½ cup finely grated zucchini
- ¼ cup finely grated carrot
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Gently combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl until just mixed (do not overwork!).
- Form mixture into 1 ½" balls with your hands or a cookie scoop and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 11-13 minutes until cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.