I look forward to making these turkey meatballs every fall and winter! Theyāre packed with garlic and herbs, simmered in the most heavenly maple mustard sauce, and are easy to make in one pan.Ā
Why Youāll Love These Turkey Meatballs
I really love that you can make different meatballs for each season. And when the weather cools and autumn hits, these turkey meatballs are one of the first recipes on my seasonal to-do list. Instead of Italian meatballs with marinara sauce, these turkey meatballs are infused with fresh rosemary and thyme and simmered in the most luxurious and creamy maple mustard sauce. Honestly, the sauce alone gets me every single time! I even make extra to drizzle on roasted turkey for Thanksgiving (hint, hint). But here are a few more reasons to love this turkey meatball recipe:
- Itās light yet comforting. Similar to my turkey meatloaf or turkey burgers, ground turkey is a great option for a lean source of protein.
- Itās ready in about 30 minutes. And if you bake the meatballs (see the recipe card notes), itās even quicker!
- It can be served in endless ways. Itās equally loved as a holiday dinner or party appetizer. Plus, Iāve got even more fun ideas below.
Turkey Meatball ingredients
- Ground Turkey: Iām using ground turkey for a leaner option, but you can also swap in ground beef, pork, chicken, or even a blend of two meats.
- Egg & Almond Flour: These act as the binder that keeps the meatballs from falling apart.
Onion & Garlic: Most meatball recipes call for two cloves of garlic, but Iām using four. The more garlic, the better, if you ask me! - Herbs: Fresh rosemary and thyme add that cozy, aromatic flavor that makes these meatballs feel extra special.
- Chicken Broth: For the sauce, either chicken broth or turkey broth works. So feel free to use what you have on hand.
- Dijon Mustard & Mayonnaise: The mustard thickens the sauce and brings that signature tangy, slightly spicy flavor, while the mayo gives it a creamy, aioli-like finish.
- Maple Syrup: Maple adds the perfect touch of fall sweetness. But you could also swap in honey for a honey mustard version.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Turkey Meatballs
Step one: Make the meatball mixture by mixing the ground turkey, egg, almond flour, onion, garlic, and herbs with your hands. My secret to tender meatballs is not over-mixing. Thatās why I always use my hands instead of a mixer!
Step two: To keep your meatballs the same size (so they cook evenly), use a medium cookie scoop. Roll each portion between your palms into a ball, then set them on a plate.
Step three: Heat a little oil in a pan and cook half the meatballs first. This way, you donāt overcrowd the pan. Once theyāre browned and cooked through, transfer them to a plate, then repeat with the second batch.
Step four: Now for the sauce! Deglaze the pan with chicken broth, then whisk in Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and mayonnaise until itās silky and creamy. Add the meatballs back in, toss to coat them in that delicious sauce, and finish them off with a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Ways To Serve
- With roasted veggies: Pair the meatballs with sides like roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted broccoli, or garlic herb roasted potatoes. For a seasonal twist, try my Parmesan herb roasted acorn squash.
- On mashed veggies: Saucy meatballs topped on a creamy mash are always a delicious combination. Think mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash, mashed sweet potatoes, or even mashed butternut squash.
- As a party appetizer: I love making this as a savory Christmas appetizer. Just stick a toothpick in each one and serve on a platter. Theyāll disappear fast!
Storage Tips
These turkey meatballs taste amazing fresh out of the oven, but theyāre just as good for leftovers or meal prep. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. When youāre ready to enjoy, thaw them overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
More Meatball Recipes
- Chicken Meatballs: Topped with fresh chimichurri.
- Tuna Meatballs: Perfect for a light snack.
- Fennel Pork Meatballs: So juicy and delicious.
If you try this turkey meatball recipe, let me know how it turns out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if youāre hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Le Creuset Braiser Pan My favorite enameled cast iron pan!
Ingredients
For The Meatballs
- 1Ā½ pound ground turkey
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Ā½ onion, finely chopped
- Ā¼ cup almond flour
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Ā½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 Ā½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Ā½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For The Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Ā¼ cup Dijon mustard
- Ā¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- extra fresh rosemary and thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Make turkey mixture. To a large bowl, add the turkey, egg, onion, almond flour, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together, until fully combined.
- Form meatballs. Measure out 1 1ā2 tablespoons of mixture (or use a medium cookie scoop) and roll the mixture between your hands, forming approximately 30 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a plate.
- Pan sear meatballs. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add half of the meatballs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the first batch of meatballs to a plate, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, and repeat with the remaining half of meatballs. Once the second meatballs are cooked, remove them to the plate as well.
- Make the sauce. Deglaze the pan by adding the chicken broth, and use a spatula to scrape up any bits off the bottom. Then add the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and mayonnaise. Whisk everything together and let the sauce simmer until it's creamy.
- Serve. Add the meatballs back to the pan and warm through. Garnish with additional fresh chopped herbs before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- What can I use instead of almond flour? If you’re looking for a nut-free binder, you can use a gluten-free flour blend.
- How can I make the sauce thicker? Add 1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder (mixed with 2 teaspoons of water in a slurry first) to help thicken it up as it simmers in the pan.
- Can I bake the meatballs instead? Absolutely! Just place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes at 400Ā°F (200Ā°C), until they’re perfectly browned on the outside and cooked through. While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce in the pan and add the meatballs when they’re done.
- Storage tip: Keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
Ā©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published October 2021, but updated to include new photos and nformation for your benefit!
Lisa! I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious! My son had told me he wasnāt a big fan of ground turkey and he loved it! Asked me to be sure to make it again! Thank you for sharing this recipe! A winner in my family!
Hi Kathy – Thrilled to hear everyone loved these turkey meatballs! I would even make a second batch and freeze.
Lisa, thank you so much for this recipe and so many others!
Itās so quick, simple and super delicious!!!
Paired it with baked sweet potato fries and broccoli and it was perfect.
That sounds like a great pairing with the turkey meatballs, Maria! Enjoy!
Hi Lisa: I made these for dinner tonight and they were really good. I’d love to make these in a crockpot for a potluck. Lisa, can you guesstimate how long I’d cook these and on high for less time? Additionally, I’d brown them per the recipe then double the gravy.
Thanks.
Hi Pamela – Happy to hear you loved these turkey meatballs! I haven’t tried this in a crockpot yet. If you do, let me know how it turns out!
Can I use breadcrumbs instead of flour for this recipe, and if yes, how much?
(I have breadcrumbs but no flour at the moment and Iām dying to try this recipe)
Yes, you can swap in breadcrumbs in the same amount. Enjoy!
Made it with the breadcrumbs and it turned out great. Thanks for the yummy recipe !
These are delicious and we really enjoyed them!
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed these turkey meatballs, Michaela!
My husband and I absolutely love this recipe! We are not big fans of Rosemary so I leave that out but add a little more Thyme. The sauce is so good, we never feel like there is enough so I add a 1/2 Chicken Stock Ice cube to make it go a bit further. I almost always make a double batch, baking in the oven ten adding to the sauce in a pan. I freeze the leftovers for another night that I don’t have time to cook from scratch! Thank you, Lisa, for coming up with so many innovative and delicious recipes! They are the ones I reach for over and over again!
Good idea on making extra sauce and freezing a double batch! I’m so glad you love this turkey meatballs recipe, Jane.
Delicious!!!
Glad you enjoyed these turkey meatballs!
I have made this recipe about a hundred times and is a family favorite. So full of flavour, I also use chicken mince if that is what I have on hand. So delicious and versatile, use leftover meatballs the next day in a salad for lunch. Thank you amazing served with rice and steamed vegetables. Dale from Sydney Australia
Thanks so much, Dale! I’m happy you love these turkey meatballs. :)
Love theses Turkey Meatballs, they are a staple in our household. Pair well with my basil marinara sauce and lemon cream sauce.
Hi Lillian – I love the sauces you pair with these turkey meatballs!
My family loves these meatballs. I generally bake them and rotate sauces to serve with them.
Hi Crissa – I’m glad you found a winning turkey meatball recipe!
This recipe is exceptional! Everyone wanted seconds.
Hi Brianna – Happy to hear everyone enjoyed these turkey meatballs!
Loved these. I didn’t have almond flour so I substituted oat flour and they were delicious. My husband even liked them and he is not a turkey meatball fan normally.
Hi Gina – Glad these turned out great with oat flour instead.
I donāt always love ground turkey, but this recipe made me love it. My boys gobbled this up – it was all eaten up at dinner that night – not a leftover to be found!
Hi Jacinthe – Happy to hear this recipe changed your mind about ground turkey!
I only have AP flour, bread flour, rye flour, and semolina flourā¦ would any of those work? I want to make this tonight and have all the other ingredients! Sounds delishy!
Hi Brooke – Other flours should be fine!
Outstanding recipe Lisa! These were soooo good! I made them and served it to a somewhat picky eater and he ate them right up. He is gluten free and canāt eat high acidic foods. We had these with a baked potato and side salad. This was perfect! Cannot wait to try the chicken meatballs!
Oh wonderful! So happy you both loved the recipe, Katherine! That sauce is extra delicious on top of a baked potato too. ;)
Hello Lisa I tried the turkey meatball recipe and yes it was quite tasty. Because I serve it over mashed potatoes I modified the recipe slightly by adding a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken it a little. Great recipe. Iām a cook by nature and have always found it difficult to follow recipes and thatās probably because Iām so excited a to cook and do it by eyeballing things. Thank you
Hi Mary – Great to hear these turkey meatballs were a success!
I reduced the sauce too much, but it still tasted good! Herbs were strong tasting.
12/10 Doubled the recipe and tripled the sauce. Served with rice and your sautƩed spinach. Excellent dinner, will make on repeat!
I’m so glad you’re loving this turkey meatballs recipe, Kristin!
Love these meatballs! The sauce is so delicious that I doubled the ingredients for the sauce so there was extra!
So happy you love these turkey meatballs, Kathy! And smart move in doubling the sauce, haha. ;)
My husband absolutely loved these! The sauce was like a delicious gravy. I served over mashed potatoes and it felt very decadent, yet healthy because itās turkey
I’m happy you both loved these turkey meatballs, Leah! And yes, that sauce is super tasty… drizzle it on everything! ;)
Hi Lisa!
I’m so excited to make these when family comes home for Christmas!
Question, do you think these would freeze well, then thaw, and bake them while making sauce??
Thank you for all your hard work making life healthier & easier for us!!! āŗļø
Yes, you can freeze these! I have storage instructions written in the post.
Fantastic! Loved it and has my husbandās approval too. Worked well being modified due to lack of ground Turkey. I used chicken instead. I cooked the ground chicken w/o making meatballs. (Lack of energy on my part. Didnāt add the egg or almond flour.) But I did made a double batch of the sauce. YUM! Weāve had it for 2 meals. Once on rice and once on a baked sweet potato. Love this recipe! Thank you Lisa for sharing it. I will definitely be making this recipe againā£ļø
Happy you loved it, Linda!
Made the meatballs tonight! Wow! They are delicious! Iāll be making these again!
Did you just brown the chicken as you would ground beef? I would like to try making this recipe without making them into meatballs. Probably put it over rice.
Yep, you can do that!
Delicious. My family loved this (kids too) and my husband absolutely love it and asked for it to be added to our list of favourite suppers! Thanks Lisa. (:
Yay! Always love to hear when the entire family loves a recipe. Thanks so much, Jenn!
So good!! I just read that you can bake the meatballs and I will next time. Turning them in the pan was difficult. They were not round so balancing them on edge proved difficult. I was ready to be frustrated with this recipe – a first for Downshiftology recipes. But nope! It turned out so delicious my family was raving about it. Next time Iāll also make some brown rice and double the sauce to drizzle over it. You can get more scrapings by mashing a couple meatballs and doubling the rest of the sauce ingredients. The seasonings were all perfect. So delicious! Thank you for another recipe. My family loves them all and Iām not a great cook and Iāve been able to pull them all off.
So happy you and your family loved these turkey meatballs, Sandra! And yeah, they can be a little difficult to balance if they’re not round, but sounds like you got it done with flying colors. Woot!
Can I use soured cream instead of mayo.trying a low carb diet because recently diagnosed with diabetes
Sure, you can give that a try.
So good! Husband can’t stop raving about them. Definitely on my list to make again.
That’s great to hear your husband enjoyed these turkey meatballs!
Love the sauce. How can I adjust for only 1lb of meat?
Reduce ingredients by 1/3.
I made these meatballs for my parents. My mom is a notoriously picky eater, and she ate her entire serving. I served them over mashed potatoes, and it was a big hit. We all agreed that the star of the show was the maple mustard sauce. They specifically requested this be worked into the dinner rotation.
That sauce is so darn good, isn’t it? Happy your family loved the recipe, Kristin!
My family loved the this, but i came across a few problems, one my meatballs were a little dry but i am thinking its because i omitted the onions (we were out) and I’m not sure what happened but my mayo would NOT blend in so we had chunks of mayo floating around lol do you know where I went wrong? I’m going to try again next week! :)
Hi Kelly – the onions are definitely necessary to keep the meatballs moist. And I’m not quite sure about the mayo, as I’ve never had that problem before. Hopefully your next try goes better!
Simple ingredients, simple method, absolutely delicious!
(I swapped out the onions for sauteed leeks, celery and carrots)
Love the extra ingredients you added to these meatballs Anna!
These are so delicious and super easy! When I made the second time I doubled the recipe and put half in the freezer <3
Always a good idea to make a second batch of these meatballs :)
These were delicious! Mustard sauce not overpowering. Highly recommend!
Glad you enjoyed these meatballs Judy :)
So thrilled you loved the recipe Judy!
I made these for Thanksgiving instead of a whole turkey and they turned out great. I used a mini chopper (food processor) to chop the onions and garlic. The mayonnaise I used wouldnāt melt into the sauce after about 30 minutes, so I had to put the sauce in the blender to mix. I think that was probably more to do with brand of mayonnaise that I used. Ā The meatballs still tasted great though.
Glad these meatballs turned out great for Thanksgiving Keleigh!
How many meatballs in a serving size?Ā
About 5 meatballs.
Excellent recipe for otherwise bland ground turkey! I found myself out of maple syrup after my trip to the store so I substituted organic light agave. It was delicious! āŗļøš
One of my absolute favorites of yours!! I doubled the recipe and froze half the meatballs for the next time! So much flavor!!Ā
Hi I was wondering what could use instead of egg as I’m allergic?. Thank you
I haven’t tested this recipe without eggs yet, but you could maybe use a flax egg.
Can we use cassava or oat flour in this recipeĀ
Oat flour should be okay.
My hubby said these are the best turkey meatballs he has ever eaten.Ā
Glad you’re both loving this meatball recipe!
This was a perfect Thanksgiving appetizer last year! The flavors in this recipe are amazing! I’ve made them 3 times now and I prefer to use a small cookie scoop to make smaller meatballs and found I was able to cook them easier and faster, even though it took longer to roll. I found the meat harder to work with as it got warmer so I work in batches and keep it in the fridge while I roll and cook. Super easy to heat up in a pan with some sauce the next day IF there are leftovers. I cooked them all the day before the holiday and warmed up in a pan which made Thanksgiving day easier. These were a hit, thanks for such a great receipe!
Enjoyed these delicious meatballs tonight. The sauce is especially wonderful too.Ā
Appreciate the time you out in to perfecting the recipes so we can confidently prepare and serve them.Ā
Gotta make sure their foolproof :) Thanks for leaving a review Priscilla!
delicious i used a bit of heavy cream instead of mayo.
Absolutely delicious! Served with sweet potatoes and a little cranberry on the side for my husband. I had mine on top of a bed of Quinoa and kale and it was to die for. Lisa, I would love to try this recipe/ ingredients with quinoa and kale for a unique stuffed pepper recipe. With your blessing of course … maybe add horseradish cheddar on top. How would you recommend doing this to impart the best flavors and texture?
Sounds delicious! I would keep the recipe as is and cook the ground turkey with the kale together.
Delicious and so simple to make. The sauce is amazing with only a few ingredients. Will make this again.
So good and super easy! I baked the meatballs and added them to the sauce. Served with quinoa and steamed broccoli. Prefect for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner plus we have leftovers! This will be on regular rotation!
Quick & easy weeknight dinner! I had it with spaghetti squash & really enjoyed it.
If I want to substitute matzo meal instead of flour do I use the same proportion?
I baked these in a large oven proof skillet, then removed the meatballs to a plate while I finished the sauce in the pan on the stove (eventually returned the meatballs to the pan). It was a good compromise and allowed me to still have brown bits on the bottom for extra flavoring in the sauce, but didnāt require me to stand over the stove to brown the meatballs. The meatballs are moist and super flavorful (even using dried equivalents of the herbs) and the simple sauce is SO good. Thanks for a great recipe!
This recipe looks amazing but I have a question – is there an alternative to use instead of mayo?
I left the mayo out by mistake the first time I made this recipe and they still tasted amazing!Ā
These were absolutely delicious. Ā I forwarded the recipe to a friend told her to give them a try. We really liked the sauce, Ā Happy I chose to do the in the pan version. Ā Served on top of mashed potatoes with a cauliflower and Savoy cabbage sautĆ©ed with vinegarĀ
I finally got around to making these. Really tasty and the sauce was a breeze to put together and added just the right touch. I will be having these again soon.Ā
The sauce really is the winner in this recipe!
My husband and I have made these and they are great! We did half italian sausage and half turkey last time, so I’m looking forward to trying it with just turkey. Do you have a suggestion for an alternative sauce/dressing if we are eating Whole30?
Using half Italian sausage actually sounds super delicious! As for the sauce, I’ll have to get back to you on that, since maple syrup is a key part of what makes this sauce so good!