Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
These juicy and delicious Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are made with lean turkey mince, garlic, and smoked paprika. We eat them with pasta one night and in wraps the next, and they’re just as good from the freezer.
Turkey dries out easily, so I soak the breadcrumbs in milk first, and it makes all the difference. The mixture needs 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge, but the rest is quick and easy. If turkey has always come out dry for you, these will change your mind.
Please continue scrolling down to find the recipe card below, which contains the complete list of ingredients with measurements, detailed recipe instructions, additional notes, and nutritional information.
Why This Recipe Works
- The milk-soaked panko keeps them juicy, even with lean 7% turkey.
- They’re lighter than beef meatballs, and just as filling.
- Small meatballs cook through in about 12 minutes, quicker than the oven.
- There’s no frying pan and no grease to scrub off the stovetop.
- You can shape them ahead and freeze them raw for busy days.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground turkey – I use 7% fat, sold as turkey mince in the UK. The very lean 1% packs make dry meatballs.
- Panko – Big, dry breadcrumbs that soak up milk well. Regular breadcrumbs work if that’s what you have.
- Whole milk – It softens the panko and keeps the meat tender. Whole milk works better than skimmed here.
- Egg – A small one is enough for this amount of meat.
- Onion and garlic – Fresh, not powdered. A small onion is plenty.
- Fresh parsley – Flat leaf or curly both work.
- Seasoning – Salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. The paprika gives them color and a light smoky taste.
- Olive oil – For brushing the meatballs before they cook. It helps them brown.
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
Important Note
Before you start cooking, note that times may differ among air fryers. I develop my recipes using a Cosori 6.8 air fryer. If you’re using a different air fryer, view my recipes as a general guide and tweak the cooking time—add a bit more or cook slightly less as needed.
Make the Mixture
Put the panko and milk in a large bowl and leave them to soak for 5 minutes. Grate the onion and chop the garlic and parsley in the meantime.
Add the turkey, egg, and seasoning to the bowl. Mix gently with your hands, just until everything comes together.
Shape and Chill
Roll the mixture into 25 small meatballs. Place them on a tray, cover them, and chill them in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
Air Fry the Meatballs
Brush the meatballs with the olive oil and arrange them in the basket in a single layer.
Cook at 200° C – 392° F for 10 to 12 minutes, and shake the basket towards the end. They’re done at 74° C – 165° F in the middle. If your air fryer is small, cook them in two batches.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Mix with your hands and stop as soon as everything comes together. Overmixed meat turns tough.
- Don’t skip the chilling. Cold meatballs hold their shape in the air fryer.
- Wet your hands before rolling, and the mixture won’t stick.
- An ice cream scoop gives you 25 even meatballs in a couple of minutes.
- Keep them in a single layer with a little space between them, so they brown evenly.
- Use a thermometer. Turkey is done at 74° C – 165° F, and every minute past that dries it out.
Seasoning Variations
- For an Italian version, swap the smoked paprika for dried oregano and basil, and add grated parmesan.
- Add chili flakes if you want heat.
- Dried sage and thyme give them a Thanksgiving taste.
- For a kofta style, use ground cumin and coriander instead of the paprika.
Bigger Meatballs and Cooking from Frozen
These times are for small meatballs. Golf ball sized ones need 14 to 16 minutes at the same temperature.
Frozen raw turkey meatballs in the air fryer take about 15 to 18 minutes, straight from the freezer. Whatever the size, check the middle reaches 74° C – 165° F.
Serving Suggestions
We eat these with spaghetti and a simple tomato sauce most often. They’re just as happy over rice or tucked into pitta bread with yogurt sauce.
For sides from the air fryer, my Air Fryer Potato and Onions and Easy Asparagus in Air Fryer go well with them. 20 Minutes Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Wedges make it a proper dinner for the kids.
Storage Instructions
Cooked meatballs keep for 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. They freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat them in the air fryer for a few minutes or in the microwave.
Make Ahead
Shape the meatballs and freeze them raw on a tray, then bag them once solid. They cook straight from the freezer, and the times are in the section above.
Recipe FAQs
They were overmixed or overcooked. Mix just until the ingredients come together, and take them out as soon as the middle reaches 74° C – 165° F.
The mixture was too warm or too loose. The egg and the soaked panko hold them together, and the time in the fridge firms them up before cooking.
Yes. Ground chicken behaves the same way in this recipe, and the cooking time stays the same.
No. A good shake of the basket towards the end is enough to color them all over.
Not as written, because panko is made from wheat. Swap in gluten free panko and they are, just double check your other labels.
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Please give us a five-star rating and leave a comment below.
I hope you enjoy the process of preparing these juicy turkey meatballs just as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
Bon appétit!
Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey 450 g; 7% fat
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs 30 g
- 3 tbsp whole milk 45 ml
- 1 small egg
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 small onion grated
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil for brushing
Instructions
Make the Mixture
- Put the panko and milk in a large bowl and leave them to soak for 5 minutes. Grate the onion and chop the garlic and parsley in the meantime.
- Add the turkey, egg, and seasoning to the bowl. Mix gently with your hands, just until everything comes together.
Shape and Chill
- Roll the mixture into 25 small meatballs. Place them on a tray, cover them, and chill them in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
Air Fry the Meatballs
- Brush the meatballs with the olive oil and arrange them in the basket in a single layer. Cook at 200° C – 392° F for 10 to 12 minutes, and shake the basket towards the end.
- Check they reach 74° C – 165° F in the middle. Cook in two batches if your air fryer is small.
Notes
- Mix gently and stop as soon as everything comes together; overmixed meat turns tough.
- Chill the shaped meatballs for 20 to 30 minutes so they hold their shape.
- Wet your hands before rolling and the mixture will not stick.
- Use 7% fat turkey; the very lean packs make dry meatballs.
- Turkey is done at 74° C – 165° F; going past that dries it out.
- Golf ball sized meatballs need 14 to 16 minutes; raw frozen ones about 15 to 18 minutes.
- Make ahead: freeze the shaped meatballs raw on a tray, then bag them once solid.
- Cooked meatballs keep 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer; reheat in the air fryer or microwave.
- Ground chicken works the same way with the same times.
- For gluten free, swap in gluten free panko.
