These Baked Turkey Meatballs in Lemon Butter Sauce are a wonderful weeknight, dinners, appetizers or a side dish or can even be served on their own. Made with zesty lemon and other flavorful spices and greens, these are sure to become a family favorite and bonus points for being freezer friendly.
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Why you should try these Turkey Meatballs?
These juicy turkey meatballs are healthy for you, easy to make and baked for the ultimate flavor. This easy meatballs dish is so delicious that the entire family won't realize just how healthy it is.
The notes of lemon, garlic and dijon mustard make for an intensely flavorful dish that you won't be able to get enough of.
Taking only 35 minutes, this dish is perfect for weeknights. Includes simple ingredients that everyone has heard of before, so no fancy or hard to find ingredients will be on this list.
Baked turkey meatballs is a very freezer friendly dish that can be meal prepped and made quickly any day of the week. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months and then you just thaw overnight in the fridge and bake in the oven or microwave until they are warm all the way through.
This is surely to become a family favorite once they get a taste of the delicious flavors of lemon, garlic and dijon mustard.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- Lean Ground Turkey: The base for the meatballs and a healthier alternative to red meat.
- Onion: finely chopped onion and chopped green onions give the meatballs a nice crunch and tangy flavor.
- Panko Crumbs: These will help the meatballs ‘stick together’ so they won’t fall apart.
- Garlic: I love using garlic in recipes, its an ingredient that you can never have too much of.
- Eggs: Will also aid in the meatballs ‘sticking together’.
- Dijon mustard: I love using Dijon mustard to enrich the flavors and bring the full flavors of a dish to life.
- Parmesan Cheese: Grated parmesan cheese gives the meatballs a much needed cheesy and salty combination that pairs well with garlic.
- Salt and Freshly Cracked Pepper: key spices in nearly every dish and use as needed.
- Red Pepper Flakes: use more or less than the recipe calls for depending on how spicy you prefer the dish to be.
- Fresh Parsley: Parsley will add a hint of freshness to the Turkey Meatballs.
For the Lemon Butter Sauce
- Unsalted butter: As the name implies, butter is a main component of this sauce.
- Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: You can’t have a delicious flavorful Lemon Butter Sauce without lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Garlic: Everything is better with a little garlic.
- Fresh Thyme and Parsley: for the perfect hint of freshness and aroma.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Needed to give the sauce a little bit of spice.
- Salt and Pepper: to taste.
How do you make Baked Turkey Meatballs in Sauce?
Prep the ingredients: First, prep the ingredients by measuring and cutting up all of the ingredients such as the onions, parsley, lemon juice, etc. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, onion, green onions, panko crumbs, minced garlic, egg, dijon mustard, parmesan, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes and ½ cup of fresh parsley.
Next, using a spatula, hands or fork, mix everything until just combined. Do not overmix.
With a spoon (or a cookie scoop), scoop the meat mixture and roll into 1½-2 inch meatball. You should get around 18-20 meatballs depending upon the size of the balls.
Next, Place the prepared meatballs on a greased baking dish and brush the top with the melted butter. Bake the meatballs for 12-15 minutes or until the meatballs are cook all the way through.
While the meatballs are cooking in the oven, combine all the ingredients for the lemon butter sauce and whisk well.
Remove the baked meatballs from the oven, pour the prepared sauce and sprinkle some roughly torn fresh thyme. Pop it back into the oven and bake for another 8-10 minutes ensuring meatballs should not be dry or overcooked.
Serve the meatballs topped with sauce over your favorite rice, quinoa, pasta along with a side salad and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Chilled ground turkey : All of the ingredients are chilled except for the melted butter.
To make juicy meatballs: add plenty of great flavors like herbs and spices.
Keeping the meatballs moist: you can add dark turkey meat with white or add little butter/ another healthy fat or oil, or little milk to the mixture.
Same sized meatballs: Keeping the same size or as close as possible will ensure that all the meatballs are cooked evenly.
Avoid over-mixing: Be light on mixing the turkey mixture and refrain from over-working as it will result in dry meatballs.
FAQs
Yes, you can shallow fry the meatballs in the skillet or pan until cooked thoroughly.
These juicy baked meatballs in sauce will stay good in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Yes, this is a very freezer friendly meal and will be kept good frozen for up to 3 months.
Thaw the frozen meatballs overnight in the fridge then reheat on the stove or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm thoroughly.
Variation
You can use any kind of meat when making these juicy baked meatballs. Feel free to use ground chicken, beef or lamb instead of turkey.
Serving Idea
These Juicy turkey meatballs pair very well with my Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, Arugula Salad or Mixed Green Salad. You can these yummy meatballs over my Jeera Rice, Quinoa, pasta, noodles, with Rosemary Potatoes or Roasted Potatoes and Carrots.
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📖 Recipe
Baked Turkey Meatballs in Lemon Butter Sauce
Ingredients
For Meatballs
- 1 pound Lean Ground Turkey (chilled)
- 1 small Onion (finely chopped)
- ½ cup Green Onions (chopped)
- 3 tablespoons Panko Crumbs
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese (grated)
- 1 teaspoon Salt (or as needed)
- Freshly Cracked Pepper as needed (or as needed)
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ½ cup Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)
For Lemon butter Sauce
- ¼ cup Unsalted Butter (melted)
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- 1 clove Garlic (minced)
- Few Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley
Instructions
Making Meatballs
- Pre-heat the oven at 400°F.
- Ina a large bowl, add the ground turkey, onion, green onions, panko crumbs, minced garlic, egg, dijon mustard, parmesan, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and ½ cup fresh parsley.
- Using, spatula, hand or fork, mix everything until just combined. Do not overmix.
- With a spoon (or a cookie scoop), scoop the meat mixture and roll into 1½-2 inch meatball. You should get around 18-20 meatballs depending upon the size of the balls.
- Place the prepared meatballs on greased baking dish and brush the top with the melted butter.
- Bake the meatballs for 12-15 minutes or until its cooked through.
Making Lemon Butter Sauce
- While the meatballs cook in the oven, combine all the ingredients for lemon butter sauce in a bowl and whisk well.
- Remove the baked meatballs from the oven, pour the prepared sauce and sprinkle some roughly torn fresh thyme. Pop it back into the oven and bake for another 8-10 minutes ensuring meatballs should not be dry or overcooked.
Serving Turkey Meatballs
- Serve the meatballs topped with sauce over your favorite rice, quinoa, pasta along with a side salad or mashed potatoes and enjoy!
Kelly
I love this recipe so much!!! It’s decadent and bright. Serve them over zoodles and it is GREAT for my husband’s diet. Thank you!!!