Turkey meatballs and meatloaf often get a bad rap for being dry and bland but these Baked Turkey Meatballs are anything but. You know why? For starters, they’re baked in butter. And let me tell you – nothing baked in butter is bland or dry. It’s not just butter though – it’s butter that’s mixed with a blend of garlic, lemon, and fresh herbs and it’s just the thing to complement those turkey meatballs. (Which are mighty flavorful on their own, I might add.)
You could just make these meatballs without that butter sauce and you’d be quite happy but the sauce really is something special. To make them, just get a bowl and add some ground turkey, mozzarella, an egg, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic, salt and pepper…
…and mix it all together. (I like a pinch of red pepper flake too but that’s totally optional.) A cookie scoop makes portioning easy.
Scoop them out into a baking dish and then give them a head start in the oven for fifteen minutes or so.
When they’re approaching the end of that baking time, you’ll melt some butter and stir in lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and garlic…
… and pour it all over and around those meatballs before popping them back into the oven for a bit.
A little parmesan to top them off and they’re perfect! My family loves them over pasta or mashed potatoes with plenty of that sauce spooned over everything but they’re great as an appetizer all by their lonesome too.
Baked Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 1 cup mozzarella, grated
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake (optional)
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, mozzarella, egg, onion powder, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flake. Season with salt and pepper and mix until evenly combined.
- Scoop mixture out into balls and arrange in baking dish. Bake until cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce:
- Melt butter in microwave or on the stovetop, then stir in lemon juice, fresh parsley, rosemary and thyme leaves, and garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Drain fat from meatballs, if needed, then pour butter sauce over and around the meatballs. Top with grated parmesan and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Recipe Critic.