Add some lean protein to your menu with these juicy and flavorful air fryer turkey meatballs! They’re ready in less than 30 minutes and can be enjoyed so many different ways.
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I’m always looking for more ways to enjoy healthy, lean protein. But of course, the dish has to be tasty enough that my whole family will enjoy it too.
That’s why I was so happy when I discovered delicious and easy air fryer turkey meatballs!
Best of all, all you need for this recipe is ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, an egg, and seasoning.
Mix it up, form your meatballs, toss them in the air fryer, and you’re ready to serve in under half an hour.
Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:
- The easy and delicious way to make turkey meatballs in the air fryer in less than 30 minutes
- How long to cook turkey meatballs in the air fryer
- Some of my favorite ways to enjoy these healthy air fryer turkey meatballs
- How to reheat turkey meatballs in the air fryer
Meatballs have always been a staple for me because there are so many different ways to serve them.
And even though we’re ditching the traditional ground beef to make these healthy air fryer turkey meatballs instead, my family can never tell the difference! I consider that a win-win.
If you prefer beef meatballs, check out our Air Fryer Meatballs recipe for Italian meatballs or our directions for cooking frozen meatballs in the air fryer!
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
STEP TWO: Mix until well-combined, then form into tablespoon-sized meatballs. I love using a cookie scoop to get evenly sized-meatballs.
STEP THREE: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Working in batches if necessary, add the meatballs to the inner basket in a single layer, leaving a bit of space between them.
STEP FIVE: Air fry for 4 minutes, shake the basket, then fry for another 4 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
How Long to Cook Meatballs in the Air Fryer
The key to cooking turkey meatballs is to ensure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
How long this takes will depend on the size of the meatballs as well as the size and brand of your air fryer.
I would recommend using a tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the ground turkey mixture as you form your meatballs. That way, they’ll all be evenly sized, and they should cook in about 8 minutes.
As always, an Instant Read Thermometer is the best way to make sure meat is cooked to the perfect temperature.
If you don’t have one, just double-check when you cut into your meatballs that there’s no pink left in the center.
Ways to Enjoy Turkey Meatballs
The great thing about this recipe is that you can use it anywhere you’d normally use beef meatballs. My family can never even tell the distance!
For hearty comfort food, try them in my air fryer meatball sub recipe. You can skip the first few steps and jump right to tossing the meatballs with marinara sauce!
Looking for a crowd-pleasing appetizer? Try these BBQ grape jelly meatballs in the crock pot!
Because you aren’t cooking the meatballs from frozen, you can turn the slow cooker to LOW and just give it an hour or so for all the flavors to come together.
Of course, you can never go wrong with meatballs and pasta. Try serving over spaghetti or dial up the flavor by whipping up this simple Italian pasta salad.
Tips for Making the Best Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
- Use a tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the mixture and form it into meatballs. This ensures all the meatballs will be the same size and cook at the same rate.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. It’s better to cook the meatballs in batches if necessary. You can always transfer the cooked meatballs to the oven on WARM if you need to make them in multiple batches.
- Shake the basket halfway through the cook time so the meatballs can crisp up on all sides.
What to Serve with Turkey Meatballs
- 4 Ingredient Potato Soup
- Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake
- Corn Casserole Without Sour Cream
- Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese
- Tuna Pinwheels
How to Reheat Turkey Meatballs in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Lay the leftover meatballs in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes until warmed all the way through.
Other Air Fryer Turkey Recipes You’ll Love:
- Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
- Air Fryer Turkey Legs
- Turkey Breast in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Turkey Wings
- Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
- Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Turkey Cutlets
Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- â…“ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined, then form small tablespoon-sized meatballs.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Working in batches if necessary, add the meatballs to the inner basket in a single layer, leaving a bit of space between them. Air fry for 4 minutes, then shake the basket and fry for another 4 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Serve as desired.
