These turkey meatballs make an easy and nourishing skillet meal that keeps carbs low and morale high for dinner! Turkey meatballs are lighter than regular meatballs and perfect for meal prep!
by Christina Cherrier–Updated Feb 3, 2023
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Home/Cook / / main dish recipes / Garlic Butter Turkey Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles
By Christina Cherrier
Updated Feb 3, 2023
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Garlic Butter Turkey Meatballs Recipe with Zucchini Noodles – This easy and nourishing skillet mealwith turkey meatballs and zucchini is absolutely fabulous in every way imaginable! Cheesy turkey and pork meatballs just melt in your mouth and zesty zucchini help keep carbs low. Gluten-free, paleo, low-carb, keto-friendly, and ready in 30 minutes or less – This easy and healthy turkey meatballs dinner is a clear winner with the whole family! Enjoy!
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Ingredients list for the Turkey Meatballs Recipe
- 1/2 lb (220g) ground turkey meat
- 1/2 lb (220g) ground pork meat (optional, see recipe notes)
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella(or cheddar, provolone…)
- 4 cloves garlic, grated + 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red crushed chili pepper flakes, optional
- 1 crumbled bouillon cube, optional
- Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro (or parsley), divided
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 medium zucchini, spiralized
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce of your choice (we used Sriracha)
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Turkey Meatballs Recipe
Leaner than beef, these Turkey Meatballs are healthy, loaded with savor, and incredibly moist on the inside thanks to the addition of ground pork and mozzarella. A combination of spices, fresh garlic, fresh and dried herbs gives these turkey meatballs a nice balance of flavors. The big plus of this recipe is the addition of spiralized zucchini noodles in the same pan that seared the turkey meatballs. It’s truly a one-pan dish that’s low in carbs, keto-friendly, and paleo if you tweak a few ingredients.
How to make turkey meatballs
Making turkey meatballs is very easy. Here we add ground pork to make the turkeymeatballstenderer and juicier and tender but you can simply double the amount of ground turkey if you prefer.
Start in a large bowl to combine ground turkey and ground pork, grated mozzarella, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, bouillon cube, red chili pepper flakes, chopped cilantro, and black pepper. Mix well with your hands or a fork and form mediumturkeymeatballs.
Cook the turkey meatballs in a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons butter (or 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon oil) under golden and cooked through.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Directions
1.To make this turkey meatballs recipe: In a large bowl, combine ground turkey and ground pork, cheese, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, bouillon cube, red chili pepper flakes, chopped cilantro, and black pepper. Mix well with your hands or fork and form mediumturkeymeatballs. Arrange the turkey meatballs on a plate and set them aside.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the turkeymeatballs for 8 – 10 minutes on all sides, until browned and cooked through. While cooking, baste theturkeymeatballs with a mix of butter and juices. Remove to a clean plate and set aside.
3.In the same skillet melt the remaining tablespoon of butter; then add lemon juice, hot sauce, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes (if you want).Add the zucchini noodles and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring regularly, until zucchininoodles are done but still crisp and juices have reduced a bit. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and garnish with more cilantro or parsley if you like.
4. Push zucchini noodles on one side of the skillet add the turkey meatballs back to the pan and reheat for a minute or two. Serve the garlic butter turkey meatballs with lemon zucchini noodles immediately with a lemon slice on the side. Enjoy!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Tips for the turkey meatballs recipe
- Ground pork in this recipe allows the turkeymeatballs to be more juicy and tender. If you don’t eat pork, just double the amount of ground turkey, it’s delicious too!
- Zucchininoodles tend to render some water when cooking, so you can sprinkle with salt after spiralizing and allow to sit for a couple of minutes to take off excess water. Rinse well to get rid of salt and drain thoroughlyZucchininoodles in a colander before cooking.
- Make sure to cook the turkeymeatballs on medium fire to avoid burning them while still raw on the inside.
- Thisturkeymeatballsrecipe is also perfect for a meal prep lunch on the next day. Check this meatball meal prep recipefor a variant with chicken.
How to keep the turkey meatballs leftovers?
You can keep these healthy turkey meatballs for 2 days in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. You can also freeze the cooked turkey meatballs and thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More turkey meatball recipes
- Creamy Mushroom Turkey Meatballs
- Creamy Spinach Turkey Meatballs
- Cheesy Turkey Meatballs with Cauliflower Rice
- Baked Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
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Linda
2023-04-03 17:32:44
I actually enjoyed this more then I thought I would. First I spiraled my zucchini in the morning and made small bunches between paper towels to absorb the water from the zucchini. It stayed well until I cooked at 5 pm. For the meatballs I added a few extra things. I did half ground pork and half Turkey as suggested in a different recipe also worceshire sauce, greated Parmesan, onion powder, seasoned well with salt along with the other things. Next time I may just add dry onion soup mix. I cooked meatballs about 15 mins. I transferred the rue to a bigger pan for the zoodles. I also added just a bit of chicken brother to everything else. Next time I will adjust the cooking liquid and use most of it on the side so the zoodles don’t get too soggy. The meatballs were excellent and moist and I added more grated parm over the zoodles. I would definitely make this again with the minor liquid changes during cooking
Jackie
2022-12-05 19:33:44
This was very good. I made a couple changes, but the core of the recipe was left intact.I used 1lb ground turkey instead of a pork/turkey mix. I didn't have Italian seasoning, so used small amounts of marjoram, oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary instead. I opted to add the crumbled bouillon cube (beef). First, I cooked the meatballs in half/half butter and oil until nearly fully cooked through. Transferred them to a plate, then added a pint of halved cherry tomatoes with salt, pepper, and 1/8 cup white wine to the pan and simmered until softened, then added them to the meatball plate. Finally, I did the butter and zucchini step, but substituted the hot sauce with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Then, I added everything back together in the same pan with another tablespoon of butter and let them simmer for another 8 minutes or so. Served with a slice of crusty bread. It was a hit with the fam!
Dana
2022-09-08 14:11:26
This is quite literally the best lean and green meal I’ve ever had. I am NOT a good cook and this came out so good I’ve been craving more - like can I eat this for every meal? Adding pork really made these over the top amazing … the only thing I did different was only added half a cup of parsley to the meatball mix because it said “divided” and I got confused and felt a full cup was too much. Also, it was taking me so long to spiral use the zucchini that I ended up just adding one to the pan (I will make more later)… there was a ton of butter and burnt goodness already leftover from the meatballs, so I didn’t add any more butter and instead just added the garlic, a big squeeze of lemon, and a dash of sriracha bc I was scrambling (again I am not a good or organized cook) - and the lemon made it easy to scrape off all the leftover burnt meat and mix into a sauce and WOW if those aren’t the best zucchini noodles I’ve ever had!!!!! I think the best part of this whole recipe is preparing the zucchini noodles in the same pan as the meatballs and that amazing pan sauce that’s created in the mix.I did this as a meal prep and love it so much that I’m making another batch as we speak ;) A++++++
Katie
2022-08-16 15:16:42
Delicious! I had to use butternut squash noodles (my store was out of zucchini noodles and I don't own a spiralizer yet) so I ended up having to cook the noodles in the sauce for about 4x as long as what the recipe said. I also added a touch more butter, lemon, and garlic (both grated and minced) and I also added a bit of chicken stock concentrate to the mix. The meatballs were TO DIE FOR. I will definitely be making this again, and will be making these meatballs for other pastas as well!
Maddie
2022-08-01 21:52:16
Recipe was super yummy. Swapped out for butternut squash noodles, and added cherry tomatoes and onion to the squash which had a subtle sweetness that was great!
Cherise
2022-07-21 18:49:49
Loved this!!! But was is the serving size per the nutrition? Also it’s is grams!?
Cherise
2022-07-21 18:49:00
Loved this!!! But was is the serving size per the nutrition? Also it’s is grams!?
jules
2022-07-11 00:16:25
Delicious! Skipped the Sri Racha but otherwise followed as is. Meatballs were still too spicy for my little kid but so I'll skip the red flakes next time and just add at the very end of the zoodles. Doubled the meatball batch for leftovers so added a bit more butter as I went. My husband and I loved this. Noodles were fantastic. Made the meatballs on the small side so they'd stick together more easily and cook through and they did both.
Janet
2022-06-16 22:56:22
The meatballs were delicious! I used all turkey and no cheese but added an egg so as to hold it all together. I was not real fond of the seasoning for the zoodles so probably will leave out the Sriracha and red chili flakes next time.
May
2022-03-22 07:56:41
The meatballs were great!! However I don’t know why, but I did not really like the flavor combo for the noodles. We loveeee lemon and we loveee sriracha. But, something about it wasn’t very great to us. But the meatball portion was very delicious.. I did add some paprika and breadcrumbs to it plus an egg. I never used turkey to make meatballs so I was pleasantly surprised!
Heather Szabelski
2022-03-16 21:38:54
Omg!!! These are fantastic. The only thing I did differently was added worcestershire sauce bc I didn't have and of the bouillon cubes
Michael
2021-11-04 23:48:43
Delicious. My roommate and I devoured this, and both need to eat more. We agree this serves 4 hobbits. On the other hand, we’re trying to bulk up. With that being said, this recipe gets 5 (itty-bitty white dwarf) stars (heading for a black hole)!
Neeta
2021-09-26 20:49:41
It was great! Already made it many times and enjoyed it
Mary Anne
2021-08-08 08:42:26
Would cooking the meatballs in the oven work instead of frying to avoid having to use butter or oil?
Michele
2021-07-26 18:55:49
Really good and very flavorful! I used frozen zoodles cause I already had them and they were great! Definitely a keeper!
Kami
2021-07-14 19:21:19
Loved this! I used all turkey. As you said it would be more juicy with pork but still tender. I also used 2 zucchinis. Would make again. Great recipe.
Cheyene
2021-07-07 20:50:54
I was hesitant before making this but this was delicious! Possibly the best recipe I have tried. Thank you.
Gayla
2021-05-03 17:42:54
I made this and used spaghetti squash but I really enjoyed the savory taste and the bite of lemon. So I’m making it again tonight.
Kelsey
2021-04-28 15:27:53
These Meatballs were just alright for me. I used only turkey which I'm sure was not as rich and flavorful. I was just hoping for more flavor and moistness. We just sautéed the zucchini on the side because we don't have a spiralizer. I'm glad it worked out for so many others.
Meghan
2021-03-23 20:24:13
This was delicious. Recipe made about ten 1.5 inch meatballs! I love spice and flavour and this meal hit the nail on the head with both.
Cassi
2021-03-09 12:44:54
We LOVED it. Made meatballs w Turkey and Swiss cheese, added 1 egg, onion powder, white pepper to the meat and olive oil w basil to the sauce. Served over shredded zucchini and spaghetti squash that i added to the pan w out removing the meatballs/sauce cooked for about 5 topped w parsley and Parmesan.
Nicole
2021-01-19 18:28:09
This recipe is amazing! One of the best things I have made and ate in such a long time. The spice of the Sriracha and red pepper flakes with the lemon and butter and garlic - soooooo yummy!
Megan
2021-01-15 15:09:42
This are so yummy! Even my picky kid will eat them? I was wondering if someone could give me a tip though. My meatballs don't really stay firmly togetherSo when I'm turning them in the pan a lot of times they fall apart. Does anybody have any tips for getting them to stay more stuck together?
Terry
2020-12-24 13:05:11
Karen, the recipe is for 4 people, so make whatever size meatballs you want & divide the number you make by 4. That will let you know how many for each serving. Hope this helps.
Dan
2020-12-14 20:15:46
Made this tonight and it is AWESOME!! So easy to make and tastes so good!!
Nysha
2020-11-22 19:45:32
Recipe looked straightforward enough but when cooking realized the quantity of meatballs was not indicated. How large or small was intended? My experience cooking Zucchini noodles loose their crispness before the two minute mark so when these directions say three minutes till crisp is bewildering. Not a fan.
karen
2020-11-19 08:43:46
I am going try these, wish it was noted how many meatballs in a serving
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