Baked turkey meatballs with a Mediterranean twist! Serve these turkey meatballs with pita, veggies and tzatziki for a delicious meal.
There are many ways to make meatballs and we have some tasty ones here at Unicorns in the Kitchen. Classic Greek meatballs (keftedes) are perfect with some pita and our cheese stuffed eggplant meatballs are a good vegetarian alternative. These Mediterranean baked turkey meatballs are a new favorite and I can’t wait to share the recipe with you. Read through for tips and step-by-step directions for making the best oven baked turkey meatballs!
Why this recipe works
These Mediterranean style meatballs are perfect for a weeknight dinner because:
- They’re easy to make. Seriously, all you need to do is mix the ingredients, scoop out the meatballs and bake!
- These baked meatballs are bursting with flavors of the Mediterranean such as oregano and dill.
- This recipe is perfect for freezing. You can shape the meatballs, freeze them and bake them when you’re ready to eat.
The ingredients
Ground turkey
Ground turkey is lean and has very little fat. It absorbs flavor very well and goes so well with our Mediterranean spices. For this baked turkey meatball recipe (which yields about 24 meatballs), one pound of ground turkey would be enough.
Onion and garlic
For more flavor, I add grated onion and minced garlic to the meatball mixture. You don’t need to discard the onion juice since the meatballs are going to be baked.
Egg
To bind all the ingredients together, use one whole egg.
Spices
To give these meatballs the flavor they deserve, use a combination of Mediterranean spices: oregano, Aleppo pepper, cumin, dried dill and salt. Add the zest of one lemon for some brightness.
Preparation instructions
Make the meatball mixture
Grate the onion in a large bowl and add in the garlic. Then, add the ground turkey and all the spices plus the lemon zest.
Bake turkey meatballs in the oven
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and scoop out the meatball mixture onto the baking sheet using a spoon or a scoop. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until fully cooked.
Serve it Mediterranean style!
To serve these baked turkey meatballs, wrap them in a pita with some sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and top with homemade tzatziki sauce.
If you’d like to serve these as meatball bowls, serve them with brown rice or Greek roasted potatoes alongside some Mediterranean salad or classic Greek salad.
Can I make these ahead of time?
You can make the meatball mixture and refrigerate it for up to two days.
It’s also possible to freeze uncooked turkey meatballs. Scoop out the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for one hour until they’re firm and then store them in a sealed freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw the meatballs in the fridge and bake as instructed.
Baked Turkey Meatballs Mediterranean Style
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 medium onion grated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried dill
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, grated onion, minced garlic, egg, oregano, lemon zest, Aleppo pepper, cumin, salt and dried dill.
- Scoop out the meatballs and place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until fully cooked.
- Serve with pita bread, cucumber, tomato and tzatziki sauce.
Notes
- To make these ahead of time: Make the meatball mixture, refrigerate for up to 2 days and bake when you’re ready.
- Freezing instructions: Scoop out the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for one hour until they’re firm and then store them in a sealed freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw the meatballs in the fridge and bake as instructed.
- Leftovers: Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Veena Azmanov
Meatballs are my kids favorite meal. No matter what the meat as long as they are balled and in a sauce they are in haven. This recipe sounds so delicoius. Can’t wait to try it soon.
Andrea Metlika
These meatballs sound great. I think I will make a meatball bowl with them.it looks amazing.