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.

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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 meatball.
• 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 perfect for stocking up on. Or make them on a Sunday and store them in the fridge to quickly add to 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.

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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 cook 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 with. 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)

Loving this turkey zucchini meatball recipe and now you’re hungry for more?

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