Need a simple appetizer or entree for dinner? These turkey meatballs are as good with pasta and vodka sauce for a hearty dinner as they are slathered in sweet and tangy BBQ sauce and served on a platter to guests.
No matter how you serve these meatballs, you’ll love how easy they are to make, how moist and flavorful they are, and that they use zero breadcrumbs, making them a perfect choice for anyone gluten-free or eating a low-carb diet.
Cottage cheese is the secret ingredient for perfectly moist and flavorful turkey meatballs that always stick together. We know it sounds odd, but hear us out! Instead of breadcrumbs and eggs, we add cottage cheese to our meatballs, increasing the protein, adding moisture, and holding everything together.
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
Process
- Place a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and swirl around the pan. Sauté shallots and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside and cool for a few minutes.
- Add ground turkey, sauté mixture, cottage cheese, salt, and pepper to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix until fully combined.
- Form 2 tablespoon-sized meatballs with the meat mixture.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400˚F. Lightly grease the fryer basket with cooking spray. Line the air fryer with a single layer of meatballs (leaving space between each for even air frying). Do this in two batches if needed. Spray the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray.
- Air fry meatballs for 10 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove meatballs from the air fryer and cool for a few minutes before serving.
Why Add Cottage Cheese to Meatballs?
Cottage cheese may seem like an odd ingredient to add to meatballs, but this addition replaces breadcrumbs and eggs for incredible moisture, binding, and improved nutrition.
We love the moist texture you get from using cottage cheese, as well as the slightly creamy texture and flavor it adds.
Plus, half a cup of cottage cheese adds protein to the meatballs and keeps the nutrients low-carb and gluten-free, which works well if you have dietary restrictions you need to be cautious of.
Cottage Cheese Alternatives
If you don’t have cottage cheese or don’t want to use this ingredient, you can always replace it with:
- Ricotta cheese – this is similar in texture and flavor to cottage cheese and works the same.
- Yogurt (Greek or strained) – make sure to use unflavored yogurt and either Greek or Skyr, which is thick in consistency, or strained regular yogurt to remove some of the excess moisture.
- Firm tofu – a good dairy-free substitute
- Sour cream – adds more of a tangy flavor but has a similar effect.
- Mashed beans – use mashed white beans for a light and mild flavor that adds creaminess and extra fiber.
Make Ahead, Storing and Reheating Instructions
Make Ahead and Storing
These turkey meatballs are easy to make ahead and refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to make and eat them.
To make them ahead of time, combine all ingredients as instructed and form the meatballs. Place them in a container with a lid. You can keep the uncooked turkey meatballs in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before cooking in the air fryer as directed.
You can also cook the turkey meatballs, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days, reheating to eat. This works for making them ahead of time or for storing leftovers.
Reheating
To reheat meatballs that were cooked and stored in the refrigerator, you can either:
- Microwave them on a plate, covered, for 30-60 seconds or until heated through.
- Air fry them at 350˚F for 3-5 minutes or until warmed through.
- Bake them at 350˚F in the oven, covered with foil, for 5-7 minutes or until warmed.
If they seem dry, add a small amount of broth to the bottom of the pan when reheating in the oven or microwave.
Freezing and Thawing/Reheating Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs Instructions
Meatballs are the perfect food to make ahead, freeze, and have on hand for an easy dinner or last-minute appetizer.
Freezing
To freeze raw meatballs, mix and portion them, then place them on a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze them for 1-2 hours. Then, transfer the raw, frozen meatballs to a plastic freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3-4 months.
Freezing the meatballs raw may help them retain more moisture when you cook them, giving them a little better texture and flavor in the end.
To freeze cooked meatballs, let them cool completely, then place on a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 1-2 hours. Then, transfer the cooked, frozen meatballs to a plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 3-4 months.
Freezing cooked meatballs makes reheating more convenient and takes less time.
Thawing/Reheating
You don’t have to thaw the meatballs before reheating them from frozen, but you can if you’d like them to cook more quickly. To thaw them, place them in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat them the next day.
To reheat meatballs in the oven: Preheat the oven to 400˚F and place the meatballs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through. If your meatballs were frozen raw, be sure to check that the internal temperature is at least 165˚F.
To reheat meatballs in the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 400˚F and spray the basket with cooking spray, then place the meatballs in the basket, leaving room around each. Air fry for 10-15 minutes, shaking halfway through. If your meatballs were frozen raw, be sure to check that the internal temperature is at least 165˚F.
Variations
The seasonings in these turkey meatballs make them the perfect vehicle for any flavor you want to add with a variety of sauces. But if you want each bite packed with a particular taste, try one of these variations!
Italian: Add 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup of freshly minced parsley, and 1-2 teaspoons of Italian-style dried herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary, or a combination.
BBQ: Add 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce to the meat mixture.
Asian-style: Add one tablespoon of soy sauce, one teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, one teaspoon of freshly grated ginger, and a dash of red pepper flakes.
You can also swap the ground turkey for beef, lamb, or venison!
Baking Turkey Meatballs in the Oven
While we love the convenience and effect of the air fryer, you can make these meatballs in the oven just as easily.
Preheat the oven to 400˚F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Prepare the meatballs as directed, but place them on the sheet pan with 1-2 inches of space between each.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until heated with an internal temperature of 165˚F.
How to Serve Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
This recipe is incredibly versatile and goes with a variety of foods for all sorts of occasions! Here are some delicious ways you can serve them:
- On a meatball sub
- With Homemade Pasta and Arrabiata Sauce
- In Tortellini Soup
- With Teriyaki sauce and rice
- Dipped in your favorite BBQ sauce and served with cocktail toothpicks
More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes You Will Love
Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 minced shallot (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese strained
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place a pan over medium heat. Once hot add oil and swirl around pan. Sauté shallots and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside and cool for a few minutes.
- Add ground turkey, sauté mixture, cottage cheese, salt, and pepper to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix together until full combined.
- Form 2 tablespoon sized meatballs with the meat mixture.
- Preheat air fryer to 400˚F. Lightly grease fryer basket with cooking spray. Line air fryer with a single layer of meatballs (leaving space between each for even air frying). Do this in two batches if needed. Spray the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray.
- Air fry meatballs for 10 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove meatballs from air fryer and cool for a few minutes before serving.
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So good!
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