Air fryer turkey meatballs (no breadcrumbs) is going to be your new favorite weeknight dinner idea. It’s low carb, keto, low calorie, gluten free, packed with lean protein, and absolutely delicious! You’ll look like a rockstar whipping up this keto turkey meatballs air fryer recipe on the fly, but it’s so easy. Serve these healthy turkey meatballs without breadcrumbs on zoodles, pasta, or a sub sandwich with marinara sauce.
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🦃 Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs No Breadcrumbs Recipe
Here are the ingredients you need to make air fried ground turkey meatballs:
- 1 lb lean ground turkey (454g 99% fat free turkey mince)
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- Cooking oil spray
Get a printable recipe card at the end of the post!
Lean turkey is a great way to save calories, but it doesn’t brown well in the air fryer. The almond flour solves the dryness issue. It adds healthy fat and helps keep the turkey moist and juicy while keeping the meatballs low in oil. You can use ground chicken as a substitute for ground turkey in this recipe.
To make air fryer turkey meatballs, you’ll need a meat thermometer and an air fryer. If you have a small air fryer, you may need to cook the meatballs in batches to prevent overcrowding.
Your Ninja Foodi, Cosori, Pampered Chef Air Fryer, Actifry, Nuwave, Kalorik, Instant Vortex, Cuisinart, Philips, Power Air Fryer, etc. can make turkey meatballs. Always keep a close eye on the food the first time you try a new recipe. You may need to slightly adjust air frying times if you make Ninja air fryer turkey meatballs or use another brand.
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs (No Bread Crumbs)
Here are the step-by-step directions for how to air fry turkey meatballs:
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the turkey, almond flour, egg, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, grated Parmesan, and optional salt and pepper. Use clean hands and prepare to get messy!
- Form the mixture into 16 meatballs. Try to make the turkey meatballs uniform in size so they’ll be done air frying at the same time. They were around 2 tablespoons each.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C) for 5 minutes. Carefully remove a hot air fryer tray and spray it with cooking spray.
- Place the turkey meatballs in a non-touching single layer in the tray or air fryer basket. Spray the turkey meatballs with cooking spray. (Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.)
How Long to Cook Turkey Meatballs in Air Fryer H3
Air fryer ground turkey meatballs take 12 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Flip them after 7 minutes of air frying.
How do you tell if turkey meatballs are fully cooked?
Check the turkey meatballs with a meat thermometer to ensure they are fully cooked. The safe minimum internal temperature for poultry is 165F (74C).
🍝 How to Serve Air Fryer Meatballs
What goes with turkey meatballs made in the air fryer? IMVHO, the best air fryer turkey meatballs are served with spaghetti sauce, zoodles, and fresh basil or oregano to make a complete meal.
You could also make turkey meatball sub sandwiches by serving them in hoagie rolls with the tomato sauce. Regular pasta can (of course) be used in place of the zoodles (zucchini noodles).
Here are some other sides that go with turkey meatballs:
- Mashed sweet potatoes
- Cauliflower rice or brown rice
- Quinoa
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Broccoli, spinach (Have you checked out the Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables recipe?)
- Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
- Garden side salads
➕ Ground Turkey Meatballs Air Fryer Variations
If this Italian turkey meatballs air fryer recipe isn’t your thing, you have other flavor options! Serve this air fryer turkey meatballs recipe with teriyaki sauce, BBQ sauce and caramelized onions, or with tzatziki (Greek yogurt dip with cucumbers). Make this recipe your own!
🌡️ How to Store Healthy Turkey Meatballs without Bread Crumbs
How long do turkey meatballs last? Leftover turkey meatballs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I like to keep turkey meatballs and any sauce in separate containers until serving time.
Turkey meatballs freeze well, so they’re perfect to make ahead and store in the freezer. Freeze the meatballs and sauce in separate containers and pick up some packs of frozen spiralized zucchini. This is a great way to meal prep a healthy snack, appetizer, or main dish!
To reheat turkey meatballs, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours if frozen. Then either warm in the microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, or try reheating them in an air fryer. Reheat turkey meatballs in an air fryer for 2-5 minutes at 350F (177C).
FAQs
How long do I cook frozen meatballs in the air fryer, such as Trader Joe’s turkey meatballs? Check out my post on Frozen Meatballs in Air Fryer for directions on air frying frozen meatballs. Air fryer Trader Joe’s turkey meatballs take about 10-15 minutes at 400F (200C).
If you have problems with your turkey meatballs falling apart, add more binders. These are things like flours (including almond flour), breadcrumbs and panko, oatmeal, cracker crumbs, eggs, chia gel, and flax gel.
Egg is used for binding (not leavening) in this turkey meatball air fryer recipe. A flax gel egg replacer should work just fine here if you need your air fryer turkey meatballs egg-free.
Turkey meatballs may be runny due to insufficient binding agents like eggs and breadcrumbs or an imbalance in moisture content. Overmixing, inaccurate measuring, or inadequate cooking time can also contribute to their runny texture. Adjusting the ingredients and cooking process should help improve the consistency.
If we’re talking taste, many prefer fried meatballs, but that’s really subjective. In terms of health, baked meatballs win over deep frying. You can skip all the extra fat and calories from added oils when you bake meatballs.
You can, but you don’t have to. Flouring meatballs before frying creates a crispy outer coating and helps them hold their shape during cooking. The flour forms a protective barrier that seals in moisture, preventing the meatballs from becoming dry. However, it's not essential, and you can still achieve delicious results without flour.
👩🏻🍳 Healthy Ground Turkey Air Fryer Recipes
Want more ideas for ways to cook turkey in the air fryer? Don’t miss these air fryer recipes:
You might also enjoy this Ground Turkey Jerky Recipe that is baked in the oven.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs (No Breadcrumbs) Keto Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey (454 grams; I used 99% fat-free ground turkey)
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
- salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
- cooking oil spray
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the following ingredients together with clean hands: turkey, almond flour, egg, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, grated Parmesan, and optional salt and pepper.
- Form the turkey mixture into 16 uniform meatballs. They will be about 2 tablespoons each.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the hot air fryer basket or tray and spray it with cooking spray.
- Place the turkey meatballs in a non-touching single layer in the tray or air fryer basket. Spray the turkey meatballs with cooking spray. (Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.)
- Air fry for 12 minutes at 400°F (200°C), flipping after 7 minutes. After air frying, check the turkey meatballs with a meat thermometer to ensure they are fully cooked. The safe minimum internal temp for poultry is 165°F (74°C).
Video
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). What are the benefits of turkey meatballs? Turkey is leaner than certain cuts of beef and pork, and lower in saturated fat. If you avoid beef or pork due to religious or cultural reasons, turkey can be a terrific alternative. Unlike a lot of turkey meatball recipes, these are meatballs with no grains. As a result, they’re keto, low carbohydrate, and gluten free. (You can make them Whole30, “clean eating,” and Paleo by swapping out the Parmesan cheese with more almond flour.) This air fryer meatball recipe is also Weight Watchers (WW) friendly and low calorie. You're getting whole foods here, and nothing has been deep fried. If you serve these air fried turkey meatballs with zucchini noodles and marinara sauce, you can make a huge, filling meal for under 500 calories. If you have higher energy needs, you can use a higher fat ground turkey or ground beef to make the meatballs. Consider making the recipe with whole grain noodles instead of zucchini noodles if you need more calories. Another option is to add a side of my Air Fryer Garlic Bread. Yet another option is to experiment with this recipe and make air fryer mozzarella-stuffed turkey meatballs. Just make sure to seal the ground turkey well around the cheese, or you’ll create a mess in the air fryer!The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you. The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much. For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking! Nutrition information is for one serving.Nutrition
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