Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs Recipe – Ready in 10 Min

Air frying meatballs is one of the easiest recipes you can make. Using ground turkey will give you delicious and healthy results!

I love finding new and different ways to enjoy leaner meats. Not only do I feel better when I eat less fatty meat, but I also enjoy experimenting with new flavors and recipes. That’s why I was really intrigued by the thought of an air fryer turkey meatballs recipe.

Turkey is not just for Thanksgiving, and turkey meatballs are nothing new, but ways to make them come out fresh, moist, and fast are. 

That’s one of the reasons why I love our Instant Pot gluten-free turkey meatballs recipe… As much as I love meatballs, I really don’t like taking a ton of time to prepare them.

While a slow cooker recipe for turkey meatballs helps by eliminating the time spent overseeing and monitoring the cooking of your meatballs, it requires planning and notice — something I don’t always have.

And baked turkey meatballs aren’t that hard to make, but sometimes I really just want to eat now… or, like, an hour ago.

Enter air fryer turkey meatballs! They’re a great way to whip up a quick dinner, whether you plan to use our air fryer turkey meatball recipe in meatball subs, adding to your favorite pasta sauce, or as a hearty side dish.

Easy Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs Recipe

I like to make meatballs without breadcrumbs because I feel like they stay juicy and delicious.

I’m not going to pretend it’s because I am trying really hard to eat better — I am all about bread.

Ingredient list:

• Ground turkey
• Egg
• Chopped parsley
• Dried thyme
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Salt (I prefer pink Himalayan salt)
• Pepper 

You could also add Italian seasoning, panko bread crumbs, red pepper flakes, or other dried herbs based on your preferences. 

Some people add chili powder for a little extra flavor, but I prefer to keep air fry turkey meatballs a little more classic with simple ingredients, adding more spices to the sauce or dish overall. I promise these meatball ingredients will still create flavorful turkey meatballs the whole family will enjoy!

Another easy turkey dish to enjoy — try making this turkey tips recipe!

How to Make Turkey Meatballs in the Air Fryer

Follow these step-by-step instructions for making air fryer turkey meatballs:

1. Add 1 lb lean ground turkey, 1 large egg, 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper into a large bowl. Combine gently with your hands, but do not overwork.
2. Roll into small balls approximately 1.5 inches large, making approximately 15 meatballs.
3. Brush the air fryer basket with olive oil and add the meatballs. Leave plenty of space for air to move around the meatballs as they cook. This may mean you have to do multiple batches.
4. Air fry for 9-12 minutes at 400 degrees F. Flip halfway through cooking.
5. Measure the internal temperature — they are done when the digital meat thermometer reads at least 165°F at the center.

Your flavorful meatballs will generally stay good for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but if you make a double batch and want to preserve them for longer (or just know you won’t finish them in time) you can also freeze them. 

And of course, you can cook frozen meatballs in an air fryer, too!

What to Serve with Air Fried Turkey Meatballs

Air fryer meatballs are great to eat as-is and can be served alongside dips or other sides or with pasta.

Here are some of my suggested dips for your homemade meatballs:

• Quick marinara sauce — take the pasta out of the equation and simply dip!
• Copycat Zax Sauce — a fun, zesty sauce you can use for just about anything.
• Truff sauce  — this flavorful, spiced sauce is a perfect way to bring your turkey meatballs to life!
• Sugar-free low-carb BBQ sauce — Many people love BBQ meatballs, so try dipping them today! This is healthy and perfect for the kids.

Honestly, this easy recipe goes great with almost any household favorite sauce — within reason.

Along with the classic spaghetti and meatballs that just about everyone knows, meatballs can be an integral part of your dinner plan.

Replace classic meatballs with air-fried turkey meatballs in the following recipes:

• Greek Gyros with Meatballs — delicious, filling, and unique.
• Pesto Pasta with Meatballs — if you love pesto as I do, this recipe is the perfect way to try turkey meatballs for the first time.
• Teriyaki Meatballs — give your turkey meatballs a go by modifying this teriyaki meatball recipe to suit you.
• Meatball Tortellini Soup — wholesome, comforting, and filling.
• Turkey Cocktail Meatballs — enjoy turkey meatballs as an appetizer.

I like using meatballs as the main meat dish and adding sides my family loves.

Here are some of my favorite sides to pair with turkey meatballs:

• Mashed potatoes – fluffy, buttery, and delicious, these pair well with rich, hearty meats.
• Spaghetti squash – looking for lighter fare? Spaghetti squash will do the trick.
• Garlic bread — which can also be easily prepared in the air fryer.
• Air fryer broccoli — a delicious, healthy side that you can make in moments.

Other Air Fryer Recipes We Love

Can you get any simpler and more amazing than cupcakes in the air fryer?

• Chocolate orange cupcakes made in the air fryer are perfectly unexpected and delicious.
• Air fryer falafel are a delicious way to enjoy this vegetarian, Middle Eastern fave without a lot of extra fuss.
• Gluten free sweet and sour chicken is an easy air fryer dish that your family will love- bonus, you can use your air fried meatballs in place of the chicken!
• Air fryer potato chips are fun to experiment with, especially for teens who might be looking for snacks.

Be sure to try all of our favorite air fryer recipes! Once you start air frying, it will quickly become one of your favorite ways to prepare an easy meal.

Why Turkey Instead of Ground Beef?

You may wonder, is ground turkey or ground beef healthier?

Both turkey and beef contain vitamins and minerals, as well as protein, and both have a place in a well-rounded, healthy diet.

However, turkey has far lower levels of saturated fat, making it better for heart health and less likely to lead to obesity. (This, of course, depends on multiple factors, such as your genetics and what else you eat and do.)

Leaner, lower-calorie turkey is a better choice overall regarding health concerns.

I like to take meals that use ground beef, such as tacos, and use half beef and half turkey. This allows for some of the fat and flavor of the beef, but has a smaller impact on overall health and wellness.

You could also use half ground pork instead of ground beef, or ground chicken if you want to avoid red meat but shake things up a little!

When it comes to recipes like chili, replacing the beef entirely with turkey is unnoticeable. In fact, this is true with most instances of replacing ground beef with ground turkey in recipes that involve seasoning and other ingredients or sauces.

Even star chefs like Ashley Christensen champion turkey chili (in one of her excellent cookbooks)! 

Consider this our permission for you to sneak some into your recipes.

You may also like: this air fryer pizza recipe!

Wondering if you can use a plate in the air fryer? You can, but there are some exceptions. Make sure you understand the details.