Oven Baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
These Turkey Zucchini Meatballs are easy to make and full of flavor. Mixed up in one bowl and then into the oven they go, this veggie-loaded recipe is perfect for adding protein to any weeknight dinner or for stocking up your freezer.

Veggie-loaded meatballs are a TNN house staple. Perfect as part of meal prep, as a share for a potluck, a hearty addition to a busy weeknight dinner, or as the perfect protein to stock my freezer with..meatballs are versatile and always a winner at our dinner table.
I first started exploring adding veggies to meatballs when I created my Healthy Meatballs with veggies back when the Veggie-Loaded Approach was just a budding idea. When I saw how much my family loved that recipe and how easy it was to get some bonus veggies into our diets via tasty meatballs, I kinda went wild. Since then, I have added many different kinds of veggie-loaded meatball recipes to the pages of TNN. They are always loved by our community members and I’m sure these Oven Baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs are going to win over oodles of hearts and bellies.
Why you want to make these turkey meatballs…
- They have shredded zucchini, which not only adds a dose of veggies to the meal but helps in keeping these turkey meatballs moist and tender.
- Super flavorful. Turkey meatballs sometimes get a bad wrap for being blah. But not these turkey zucchini meatballs! They are packed with flavor, so they are delicious to eat on their own, in sauce, over pasta or however you like to eat meatballs.
- They are easy to make, so they are perfect to add to meal prep or throw together on a crazy busy weeknight dinner. The only veggie prep you need to do is grating and draining zucchini and everything is mixed in one bowl.
- Great as leftovers or for meal prep. These turkey meatballs freeze beautifully, so they are a perfect way to stock up. Or make them on a Sunday and store them in the fridge to quickly add a protein AND veggies to a meal in a flash.
Frequently asked questions
Can I omit the breadcrumbs?
The breadcrumbs in this Turkey Zucchini Meatball recipe helps to keep the meatballs moist. Turkey meatballs can get dry when cooking, so while I have had success making these without breadcrumbs, I find I enjoy the flavor much more with the addition of panko breadcrumbs.
How can I make these gluten free?
Simply used gluten free breadcrumbs. I have found many great ones on the market that work beautifully in recipes and have great flavor.
Can I omit the egg?
The egg works as a binder in this recipe. You can replace it with a flax egg (1 tablespoon flax meal + 2.5 tablespoons water) or omit it. However, I haven’t tested these turkey meatballs sans egg. If you omit the egg, be aware that the meatballs might not hold together as well….but will still be super tasty.
Can these Turkey Zucchini Meatballs be made dairy-free?
The parmesan cheese gives these meatballs a great flavor, but it can be omitted to make this recipe dairy-free if needed.
How do I store these meatballs?
These meatballs make a great meal prep item or as part of your freezer stash!
Once you have cooked the meatballs, let them cool completely before transferring them into an airtight container and storing them in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, just pop into the oven on a baking sheet to heat up or add to sauce on the stove top and warm them up together.
Or, you can freeze these meatballs. They freeze really well, so they are great for stocking up your freezer. After cooking and cooling, I like to store them in a large freezer bag or freezer-safe large container.
To defrost, I like to take them out of the freezer and let them thaw overnight in the fridge.
Suggested adaptations
- Use a different vegetable instead of zucchini. Grated carrots or finely chopped spinach would also work well in these turkey meatballs.
- Use whatever ground meat you prefer. Pork, chicken or beef will work well in this zucchini meatball recipe.
- Make them gluten free by using gluten free breadcrumbs.
- Omit the cheese to make these Turkey Zucchini Meatballs dairy-free.
- Replace the egg in this recipe with a flax egg.
Tips & tricks
- Shred the zucchini ahead of time and store it in your fridge so that these turkey meatballs are even easier to throw together.
- Use a food processor with the shredding blade attachment to make prepping the zucchini for these turkey meatballs faster and extra easy.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to make clean up easy and prevent the meatballs from sticking to the baking sheet.
- Use your hands to mix the meatballs. This helps all of the ingredients to get incorporated evenly into the meatball mixture and is much faster than using a spoon.
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion out the meatballs. This makes the process faster and the balls more even in size. I like this one. You can also use a heaping tablespoon to portion out the meatballs.
Other veggie-loaded meatball recipes you will love
- Healthy Meatballs (with veggies!)
- Ranch Spinach Turkey Meatballs
- Beef & Mushroom Meatballs
- Chicken Cauliflower Meatballs
- Mushroom Lentil Meatballs (vegetarian)
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Flavorful Oven Baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup grated zucchini
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉.
- Take shredded zucchini and put it in the middle of a clean dish towel or large piece of paper towel. Wrap up the zucchini with towel squeeze a few times to help drain out some of the zucchini’s moisture.
- In a large bowl, combine drained zucchini and remaining ingredients. Using clean hands or a spoon, mix until well combined.
- Gently roll the meat into golfball size portions. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until meat is cooked through.
- Enjoy warm and with your favorite sauce and/or pasta or veggies. Allow leftovers to cool completely and store in an air-tight container in fridge for 3-4 days
These are my new favorite. I made them with chicken instead of turkey. Perfect.
I am so glad, Karen! Thanks for taking the time to share.
These were so delicious and my picky toddler gobbled them up! Thank you!
Oh I am so glad to hear that, Christine! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I made these with a few tweaks (less breadcrumbs and parm, didn’t squeeze the shredded zucchini, threw in some leftover chopped onions) and they are AMAZING – so tender and moist, so flavorful, and so easy and quick.
Yay! So glad to hear that, Julie! I love the little changes you made!
My family loves anything “meatballs” so I’m always looking for new simple delicious recipes and this one did not disappoint! It was so easy to make and there were packed with so many flavours. Thanks for this, its a keeper!
I’m so glad these were a hit with the family, Sabrina! Thank you for taking the time to share!
Hi there!
Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Just wondering if anyone has tried it with frozen, spiralized zuke?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Bee! I haven’t! In my experience, spiralized zucchini is a bit thicker of a cut than grated and feel like it might not melt into the meatballs as easily. This recipes DOES work great with frozen-than-thawed-and-drained grated zucchini…if that helps!
Always a win when I can get my one year old to eat something other than eggs!
Thanks for the great recipe- these were tasty!
Yay! I am so glad to hear that, Colleen! Thanks for taking the time to share and leave a review.
Hello! Making these for the first time for my little baby. I just wanted to know if they can be reheated?
Thank you!
Absolutely! I love these as leftovers
I rarely remember to come back and leave reviews but had to for these! My “picky eater” ate both an animal protein AND a veggie all in one with these! He ate 4 and asked if they could be in our dinner rotation. I used GF breadcrumbs and they came out perfectly moist. Major win in our household. Thank you!!
Lindsay! I am SO happy these were such a success! Thanks for sharing this win 💚
Any suggested substitutes for the breadcrumbs? We are grain free in our household but these look yummy.
Almond flour might work! Or you could take a grain free cracker like Simple Mills and pulse it down in your food processor.
making these for our 9 month old grandson Sunday! cant wait to see how he loves them!
Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
I made these with ground chicken. Easy, delicious! Will make again for sure. I was also making stuffing, I added the extra zucchini to it along with my usual celery and onions. Getting into veggie loading!
So happy to hear that, Leslie! Love the additions!
Made these again … So good … Thanks again for a great recipe
So glad you love this one as much as we do, Karen! Zucchini is amazing in so many things!
My sister made these for me a few days ago and they were the best meatballs I’ve ever had. WAY better than beef/pork in my opinion! I can’t believe how juicy and flavorful these turned out. We finished the meal in 2 days….now I’m making more tonight!
Love this so much! These are a favorite in our home and I’m delighted you enjoyed them as much as we do. Thanks for taking the time to share!
Stumbled on these and they are AMAZING. I’m tracking my macros right now and they’re perfect for high protein diets – or for anyone! I can’t stop making them!
Love that you love these as much as we do! House staple here too!
These were delicious and my husband and 10 month old loved them! Great way to get in veggies and use up the zucchini we have in the garden.
Delighted to hear that, Stephanie! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Holy Cow! I didn’t see this coming. These meatballs were DELICIOUS! I made as written, squeezed my zucchini in a towel to remove some of the moisture. This is a keeper!
So happy to surprise you in such a delicious way! Thanks for taking the time to share, Kim!
Absolutely delicious! These have become a regular meal for us. I keep wanting to freeze some for later use, but we always end up gobbling them all up. Ha!
Yesssss! I love these meatballs so much and they are our go-to1