These baked whole30 garlic herb turkey meatballs are a tasty protein rich main dish that are made with ground turkey, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon, and ghee. Perfectly balanced, cooked to perfection, and made without cheese or breadcrumbs. Whole30, paleo, gluten free, low carb + keto friendly.
Fact: These baked Whole30 turkey meatballs have quickly become a meal prep staple at our house and I have a feeling the same might be true for you once you try them! Something about that drizzle of lemony garlic herb ghee that makes them so next level.
This recipe makes a pretty big batch so you’ll have a healthy protein stashed in the fridge all week long. And if you don’t eat them all within a few days they are super freezer friendly! Just stash them in individually sized portions in the freezer (the perfect use for these stasher bags), and thaw when you’re ready to eat them!
Why you’ll love these baked Whole30 turkey meatballs
These baked turkey meatballs are:
- Flavorful
- Protein rich
- Garlicky
- Filling
- Savory
- Warming
- Low carb
- SO tasty!
Ingredient notes for these baked Whole30 garlic herb meatballs
(If you’re already ready to get started, scroll all the way down to the bottom for the full recipe!)
- Ground turkey – Ground dark meat turkey is my protein of choice for this recipe, but you could easily substitute ground chicken, ground beef, or even ground pork in it’s place. Avoid using ground turkey breast or chicken breast, as it’s very lean and will result in fairly dry meatballs. Look for ground turkey that is in a flat (like the turkey pictured below) instead of a chub. Turkey sold in a plastic tube (chub) tends to be more watery and soft. If that’s the only kind of turkey that you can find you’ll likely need to add a little extra coconut flour.
- Eggs – To help bind the meatballs together.
- Aromatics + herbs – Finely diced onion, garlic, parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder give these meatballs their superb savory flavor.
- Tomato paste – Tomato paste is one of the main flavor-boosting ingredients in many meatball recipes, and this one is no exception.
- Coconut aminos – Coconut aminos add a unique umami rich depth of flavor to these meatballs – it brings the perfect combo of sweet and savory.
- Coconut flour – Coconut flour in combination with the eggs is what helps bind the meatballs together without using breadcrumbs. Because coconut flour it is so absorbent it doesn’t take much – so give it a minute or two to absorb the excess moisture in the meatballs before adding any extra. Too much coconut flour will dry out the meatballs.
- A savory lemon and herb blend – After the meatballs are baked, they are drizzled in ghee melted with fresh garlic, herbs, a bit of lemon juice, salt and pepper. The perfect finishing touch on this seriously crave-able recipe!
How to make these baked whole30 garlic herb turkey meatballs
These easy turkey meatballs are made in two simple parts. First they are baked until cooked through, and then topped with an absolutely mouth watering combination of melted ghee, garlic, fresh herbs, and lemon juice before serving.
(If you’re already ready to get started, scroll all the way down to the bottom for the full recipe!)
Here’s the step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Combine meatball ingredients and preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
Add all ingredients for meatballs to a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine.
Step 2: Form meatballs and bake until golden brown
Grab a small bowl of water or olive oil and wet your hands as you go. Form mixture into 12 even sized 1 1/2 inch meatballs and space evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
Spray or brush each meatball with avocado or olive oil.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
Step 3: Make garlic herb mixture
While meatballs are baking, gently warm ghee / olive oil, garlic, parley, lemon juice, chili flakes, sea salt, and black pepper in a small sauce pan over medium low heat – until heated through and garlic is aromatic.
Step 4: Drizzle meatballs with melted garlic herb ghee
Remove meatballs from the oven and drain extra fat from the pan with a spoon if necessary. Drizzle with melted lemon garlic ghee and return to the oven to bake for 3-5 minutes more.
Step 5: Serve and enjoy!
Serve warm and enjoy.
How long to cook turkey meatballs
How long to bake turkey meatballs depends on how big they are. Even though they are on the bigger side, these turkey meatballs still cook quite fast – about 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees. If you make the meatballs even smaller they will cook faster. If you want to double check with a meat thermometer the internal temperature should be 160 – which should rise to 165 once out of the oven.
How do you keep these baked whole30 turkey meatballs from falling apart?
Most turkey meatballs recipes rely on breadcrumbs, but this Whole30 & paleo recipe uses a mixture of eggs and coconut flour to bind them together and prevent any crumbling.
What’s the easiest way to portion meatballs?
You can either portion these turkey meatballs with your hands, or by using a large cookie scoop. This medium sized cookie dough scoop is the perfect size. I love using a cookie scoop to get equal sized portions, and then rounding them out by hand. Wet your hands with a little olive oil or water as you go to keep the meatballs from getting too sticky.
Are these whole30 turkey meatballs low carb / keto friendly?
Yep! Because these meatballs are made without any breadcrumbs and without any sweeteners they are 100% low carb / keto friendly.
What to serve with these baked turkey meatballs
The 20-25 minutes while the meatballs bake is the perfect amount of time to make anything you’d like to serve with these meatballs.
Some ideas to get you started:
- Creamy mashed cauliflower
- Garlic sautéed spinach
- Cauliflower rice
- Paleo pasta + marinara sauce
- Sautéed broccolini
- Spiralized zucchini noodles – This is the veggie spiralizer that I have
How to store, re-heat, and freeze these baked Whole30 garlic herb turkey meatballs
To store: These meatballs can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To re-heat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and warm meatballs until heated through – about 10-12 minutes. You can also quickly re-heat them in the microwave.
To freeze: These turkey meatballs freeze very well. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing them before you drizzle with the garlic and herb melted ghee, and complete that step after they have thawed and you’re ready to serve.
To thaw frozen meatballs: Either move to the refrigerator to thaw overnight and then warm them in the oven, or transfer them directly to the oven from the freezer at 350 degrees and warm until heated through.
Love these healthy turkey meatballs? Here’s some other Whole30 proteins to try!
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PrintBaked Whole30 Garlic Herb Turkey Meatballs {whole30 + paleo + gluten free + low carb}
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These baked whole30 garlic herb turkey meatballs are a tasty protein rich main dish that are made with ground turkey, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon, and ghee. Perfectly balanced, cooked to perfection, and made without cheese or breadcrumbs. Whole30, paleo, gluten free, low carb + keto friendly.
This recipe was inspired by these turkey meatballs from eatwell101
Ingredients
For meatballs
- 2 pounds ground dark meat turkey
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tbs coconut flour (you may need to add a little more if you are using the plastic tube style ground turkey meat)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the garlic herb ghee
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Add all ingredients for meatballs to a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine.
- Grab a small bowl of water or olive oil and wet your hands. Form mixture into 12 even sized 1 1/2 inch meatballs and space evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spray or brush each one with avocado or olive oil.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- While meatballs are baking, gently warm ghee or olive oil, garlic, parley, lemon juice, chili flakes, sea salt, and black pepper in a small sauce pan over medium low heat until warm and garlic is aromatic.
- Remove meatballs from the oven and drain extra fat from the pan with a spoon if necessary. Drizzle with lemon garlic mixture and return to the oven to bake for 3-5 minutes more.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Coconut flour in combination with the eggs is what helps bind the meatballs together – without using breadcrumbs. Because coconut flour it is so absorbent it doesn’t take much – so give it a minute or two to absorb the excess moisture in the meatballs before adding any extra. Too much coconut flour will dry out the meatballs.
How long to bake turkey meatballs depends on how big they are. Even though they are on the bigger side, these turkey meatballs still cook quite fast – about 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees. If you make the meatballs even smaller they will cook faster. If you want to double check with a meat thermometer the internal temperature should be 160 – which should rise to 165 once out of the oven.
You can either portion these turkey meatballs with your hands, or by using a large cookie scoop. This medium sized cookie dough scoop is the perfect size. I love using a cookie scoop to get equal sized portions, and then rounding them out by hand. Wet your hands with a little olive oil or water as you go to keep them from getting too sticky.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american
imsen says
LOVE this meatball recipe. It’s my go-to favorite recipe for meatballs.
Nyssa Tanner says
Aw yes! So glad you love this one! It’s a favorite at our house as well 🙂
Sarah says
We made these last night with marinara and cauliflower gnocchi and it was delicious!!
Nyssa Tanner says
Ohh that combination sounds fabulous! I’m so glad you enjoyed!! 🙂