Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs

My air fryer turkey meatballs use ground turkey, breadcrumbs, and seasoning to create tender and juicy meatballs in less time than using the oven. They’re made with just 8 ingredients, making them easy to make too!

My Best Way to Make Turkey Meatballs in the Air Fryer

The best meatballs have that slight crispiness on the outside, but are juicy and tender inside. I know that, you know that, so I tested my air fryer turkey meatballs until they became just that.

I use just 8 ingredients including ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, and a simple seasoning blend to create great flavor without extra effort.

And, I know pasta nights are set to be easy, so they’re in the air fryer in less than 10 minutes, making the perfect timing when letting the pasta water boil.

Ingredients

• Ground turkey – It’s nice and lean, but stays tender and juicy when air fried.
• Breadcrumbs – These help bind the meatballs together and keep the texture from getting too dense. I use panko breadcrumbs for a lighter texture. Italian breadcrumbs will work too, but are a bit more dense.
• Grated Parmesan cheese – I add this for extra flavor and a slightly salty, savory boost.
• Egg – The egg adds some moisture and also acts as a binder so the meatballs hold their shape while cooking.
• Seasoning – I mix together Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to create an easy but really flavorful blend for the meatballs.

How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs

STEP ONE: Preheat the air fryer to 400F.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 

STEP THREE: Mix until just well-combined, then form into tablespoon-sized meatballs,

STEP FOUR: Place the meatballs in the air fryer in a single layer and air fry them for 8 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking time. They are done when the inside reads 165F.

Recipe Tips

• Do not overmix the ground turkey. Mix until everything is just combined evenly, but trying to keep some of the integrity of the ground meat. Overmixing can cause the meatballs to become too dense and dryer.
• Use a tablespoon scoop to measure out the meatballs. This makes each meatball the same size so they cook evenly.
• Use a meat thermometer and pull them out of the air fryer when they hit 165F. Overcooked meatballs mean dry meatballs, so this is why making all the meatballs the same size is important!

Variations and Substitutions

• Use a different meat. Ground chicken or even ground beef make great substitutes for the ground turkey. Each type of meat will cook differently, so it’s important to keep an eye on the temperature.
• Make it spicy. Red pepper flakes are a great way to add in some spice to the dish! I just mix them in with all of the other ingredients before air frying.
• Add some freshness. I use a mix of dried seasoning because it’s easy to keep on hand, but fresh herbs like parsley and oregano work great chopped into the meatballs! Remember to use more fresh compared to dried.

What to Serve With

I love serving turkey meatballs on pasta night over spaghetti or spicy rigatoni, then using leftovers in my air fryer meatball parm sub!

But they also make an amazing appetizer or snack tossed in some garlic parmesan sauce, BBQ sauce, honey garlic sauce, or honey sriracha sauce!

Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs FAQs

How do I keep my meatballs from falling apart?

I make sure my mixture has the right balance of egg and breadcrumbs so everything holds together properly. I also avoid overhandling the meat when forming the meatballs since packing them too tightly can make them fall apart or cook unevenly.

More Easy Meatball Recipes

• Air fryer meatballs
• Air fryer frozen meatballs
• Meatballs with grape jelly and BBQ sauce
• Meatballs and gravy