Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
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These air fryer turkey meatballs are juicy, tender, and cook up in just eight minutes. They are healthy, satisfying, and super versatile.
I make air fryer turkey meatballs for my partner and me once a week as part of our weekly meal prep, and it’s one of our favorite quick proteins. I first started cooking them this way after realizing how much faster they were than when I pan-fried or oven-baked them…but with the same juicy, tender texture I love.
It did take some testing to compensate for a high heat and even cooking, but I’ve nailed the method: golden on the outside, juicy in the middle, and packed with so much flavor, they taste good cold (ask us how we know).
They’re quick, healthy, and endlessly customizable. I don’t just reserve it for meal prepping, though: they’re great for busy weeknights, and always disappear fast (especially if there’s air fryer garlic bread on the side!).
Table of Contents
Air fryer turkey meatball recipe highlights
- Healthy. Compared to ground beef or chicken, using ground turkey has less saturated fat and calories.
- Fast. Like air fryer meatballs, these turkey meatballs cook in under 10 minutes, from prep to plate.
- Versatile. Toss them through a sauce, stuff them in a meatball sub, or serve them over some salad: the possibilities are endless.
- Mess-free. Probably my favorite reason for using the air fryer is that there is no deep frying or pan-frying, which means no oil splatter or cleanup.
What readers are saying
★★★★★ – “Made 12 meatballs and cooked for exactly 10 minutes (used a thermometer to check internal temp). These are perfect and so quick! Quick, simple, and delicious recipes are a favorite in our home. Thank you 🙂” – Kim
Key Ingredients
Here’s the main ingredients that go into my air fried turkey meatballs. You’ll find the full list with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Ground turkey. I tested several different blends to determine which yielded the best results, and ultimately, I preferred a 93/7 blend (93% lean to 7% fat). Any fattier blend will also work, but you’ll want to drain the excess grease.
- Breadcrumbs. You can use regular whole wheat breadcrumbs. I actually don’t recommend using panko breadcrumbs as they tend to dry out the meat when air-frying.
- Garlic. I tested garlic powder and minced garlic, and fresh cloves made all the difference. Please do not skip this!
- Egg and milk. To lock in moisture and also bind everything together.
How to make air fryer turkey meatballs
Step 1- Mix. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2- Assemble. Once smooth, shape the meatballs and place them in the basket.
Step 3- Air fry the meatballs, flipping halfway through, until they’re fully cooked.
Step 4- Rest and serve. Let them cool briefly before serving.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use a meat thermometer. Turkey, especially lean turkey, can easily get overcooked. Since everyone’s air fryer is slightly different, I suggest checking the internal temperature of the meatballs after 5 minutes. Once they reach 165°F, they’re ready to be removed.
- Don’t overmix. Overworking the meatball mixture can result in gummy or chewy meatballs. You want to mix everything until it’s just combined (a trick I picked up in culinary school and swear by).
- Keep them in a single layer. You don’t want any overlapping, or they won’t get evenly cooked. The air fryer works best when it can circulate around each meatball.
- For perfectly portioned meatballs, I prefer to use either a 1/4 cup measure (divided into two meatballs) or a cookie scoop.
Frequently asked questions
Your turkey meatballs may be rubbery if they’re overcooked, overmixed, or packed too tightly. Only mix the meat mixture until it’s smooth, and use a meat thermometer to monitor when the meatballs reach 165°F.
If you use pre-frozen and pre-made meatballs, you can add them directly into the air fryer. Air fry them for 10 minutes at 200C/400F, shaking the air fryer basket several times throughout. I include more tips and tricks in my air fryer frozen meatballs post.
This shouldn’t happen, especially if you use all my ingredients listed. The only time this may happen if you use panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs, because the larger flakes draws out more moisture. This is why I don’t recommend panko!
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon basil dried or fresh
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 200C/400F.
- Add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, garlic, basil, salt, egg, and milk to a mixing bowl. Mix until combined and shape into a large dome.
- Shape out 12-15 meatballs and place a single layer into a greased air fryer basket.
- Air fry the turkey meatballs for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. Once the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165F, remove them from the air fryer.
- Let the turkey meatballs rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Add more fresh herbs. Add fresh basil or fresh parsley for more flavor.
- Mix-ins. Add parmesan cheese or finely chopped onion.
- Use different meat. This recipe works just as well with lean ground chicken or lean ground beef.
- Serve with a sauce. Try my Pomodoro sauce or sun dried tomato pesto.
Nutrition
More air fryer recipes
- Air fryer hamburgers
- Air fryer pork tenderloin
- Air fryer meatloaf
- Air fryer fried chicken
- Air fryer chicken parmesan
- Air fryer ribs
Originally published December 2022
I am a novice cook and was absolutely delighted with how this recipe turned out. I used smoked paprika as I had no garlic and they were DELICIOUS . Thanks so much for this awesome recipe – I am eternally grateful
Very good, my go to recipe. I cook for 12 minutes to get the deep brown crruncy outside. Thanks for a great recipe!
This was my lunch today. Its not enough to say thank you. Veeery delicious.
This dish looks exactly how it was on cartoons haha. I never tried pasta like this. Can it also be chicken meatballs?
Made 12 meatballs and cooked for exactly 10 minutes (used a thermometer to check internal temp). These are perfect and so quick! Quick, simple and delicious recipes are a favorite in our home. Thank you 🙂
So welcome, Kim!
great! not dry at all – 12 min exactly
Thanks, Cass!!!
Sooooooo good!!
Perfect! I had grown tired of turkey meatballs until now. Juicy and delicious!
These meatballs were soooo tasty! And so easy to make! One of the easiest air fryer meatball recipes I have made yet! I did end up cooking them for almost 20 minutes to ensure the turkey was completely cooked but overall delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe!