Baked Turkey Meatballs

Baked Turkey Meatballs with an Asian twist. They are mixed with ginger, mushrooms, peppers and water chestnuts and then baked to perfection! 

Meatballs are always a great dinner option. The kids love them, the adults love them. Spaghetti and meatballs is always a favorite. Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs make a great party addition. Serve them simmered in mushroom cream sauce over mashed potatoes for an epic comfort food meal. The meatball possibilities are endless! 

These Baked Turkey Meatballs bring an Asian twist to the table. With mix-ins like fresh ginger, mushrooms, peppers, soy sauce and water chestnuts they are a twist that the whole family will love. 

Let’s talk about what you’re going to need to make them. 

Baked Turkey Meatballs ingredients: 

• GROUND TURKEY: Making meatballs with ground turkey means you’ll have less fat than ground beef or pork meatballs. That being said, it’s important to use ground turkey made with dark meat not ground turkey breast. Ground turkey breast won’t have enough fat, the fat helps hold the meatballs together. 
• GARLIC: A must in any meatballs in my opinion. 
• SERRANO PEPPER: This will add a bit of spice to the meatballs. If you’re worried about it being too spicy you can remove the seeds and veins from the inside of the pepper. 
• GINGER: Fresh ginger adds a warm flavor to the meatballs. 
• WATER CHESTNUTS: You can find these in the Asian aisle at the grocery store. Using the already sliced water chestnuts (as opposed to whole chestnuts) will make things easier. 
• CRIMINI MUSHROOMS: You can also use white button mushrooms if you like. 
• GREEN ONIONS: Add a subtle oniony flavor to the meatballs. 
• SOY SAUCE: Soy sauce is a must. It adds saltiness and umami flavor. 
• CHILI OIL: This is optional as it adds a touch of heat. I like to put it in the meatballs and also drizzle over the top before baking. 
• RICE VINEGAR: Adds a bit of acid. 
• EGG/BREAD CRUMBS: Will help bind the meatballs together. 
• OLIVE OIL: To drizzle over the top of the meatballs before cooking. This will help with browning. 

Step by Step Photos and Instructions: 

These meatballs are pretty easy to make! Just make sure that you don’t over mix them or they can become tough. 

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STEP #1: Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Use your hands to mix well but don’t over mix. 

STEP #2: Once the mixture comes together, use about a tablespoon of mixture and roll into meatballs. Place in a baking dish about 1 – 2 inches apart so that the air can circulate around them. This will help them brown instead of steam. Drizzle with olive oil and chili oil if using. 

STEP #3: Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until cooked through. To get them a little browned on top, turn the broiler on for 2 – 3 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. 

These Baked Turkey Meatballs are great on their own but they are also great dunked in your favorite sweet chili sauce or even the soy Lumpia Sauce that I use with my lumpia egg rolls. 

Storage and Leftovers: 

Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days. 

Baked turkey meatballs make a great appetizer to serve at parties or you can serve these along side some Garlic Rice and Air Fryer Broccoli for a full meal!

Looking for more ways to incorporate ground turkey into your diet? Try these!

We make our Seasoned Taco Meat with ground turkey all the time! It’s our go-to for Taco Tuesdays.

Ground Turkey Stir Fry makes a great weeknight meal!

The kids and adults will love these Cheesy Turkey Sloppy Joes!

Note: This post was originally published in 2009. It was updated in 2023 with new photos, nutrition information and step by step photos.