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These Southwest-inspired baked turkey meatballs are made with lean ground turkey, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, and cumin for a flavorful twist on classic meatballs. They’re easy to make ahead and perfect for dipping!
Baked Turkey Meatballs With a Southwest Spin
I love a good Italian meatball with spaghetti (these turkey meatballs are a reader favorite!), but sometimes it’s fun to switch things up with different herbs and seasonings. These baked turkey meatballs bring a Southwest vibe to the table, with fresh cilantro, scallions, jalapeño, and cumin mixed into the ground turkey. They’re a great appetizer recipe if you set them on a platter with toothpicks, or make them a main dish with salad or grains.
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 lbs 99% lean ground turkey
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed (leave some in for spicier meatballs)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup seasoned plain or gluten-free bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp cumin
- pinch oregano
- salt and fresh pepper
- cooking spray
- Creamy Cilantro Tomatillo Dipping Sauce, optional for dipping
Instructions
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Lightly spray baking pan with oil. Preheat oven to 400°.
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Place jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and scallions into a small food processor or chopper and pulse a few times until finely minced.
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In a large bowl combine turkey, chopped herbs, bread crumbs, egg, cumin, salt and pepper.
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Using your hands, mix well and measure 1/4 cup meat, then divide in two so you end up with each meatball 1/8 cup in size.
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Roll and place on a baking pan.
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Bake meatballs at 400° 15 minutes.
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Makes 24 meatball.
Last Step:
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Nutrition
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below are the ingredients for these baked Southwest turkey meatballs. See the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Ground turkey: I use 99% lean ground turkey to keep these meatballs light.
- Jalapeño: Remove the seeds for milder meatballs, or leave some in for extra heat. You can also play around with different peppers like serrano, poblano, or habaneros.
- Garlic adds savory flavor.
- Fresh cilantro gives the meatballs their fresh Southwest-inspired flavor.
- Scallions add a mild onion flavor without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Seasoned breadcrumbs: You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed.
- Egg works with the breadcrumbs to bind the meatballs together.
- Seasonings: Ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper add lots of flavor.
- Cooking spray: Or oil in a mister bottle, if you have one
These baked turkey meatballs come together with very little effort!
- Prep the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
- Chop the aromatics: Pulse the jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and scallions in a small food processor until finely chopped.
- Mix the meatballs: Combine the ground turkey, aromatics, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until everything is incorporated.
- Shape the meatballs: Roll the turkey mixture into 24 evenly sized meatballs, using about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each. Arrange them on the prepared baking pan.
- Bake: Cook for about 15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Don’t overmix: Mix the ingredients just until combined and avoid squeezing the ground turkey too much. Overworking ground turkey makes it tough and dense.
- Finely chop the vegetables: I like to use my mini food processor, but if you don’t have one, use a chef’s knife to really make sure the pepper, garlic, cilantro, and scallions are finely chopped so they blend in smoothly with the ground turkey mixture. You don’t want big chunks!
- Keep the meatballs the same size: My little kitchen hack is using a small cookie scoop for uniformly-sized meatballs. When they’re the same size, they’ll all be cooked through at the same time.
There are so many ways to serve these meatballs:
- With dipping sauce: Serve with crema, a restaurant-style salsa, or guacamole.
- In meal bowls: Add the meatballs to burrito bowls with cauliflower rice and Instant Pot black beans.
- In salads: Serve these baked turkey meatballs with a Southwest-inspired salad like this taco salad.
- As an appetizer: Arrange the meatballs on a platter with toothpicks and a bowl of dipping sauce.
- In wraps or tacos: Tuck them into tortillas with shredded lettuce, salsa, and cotija.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover baked turkey meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Let the cooked meatballs cool, then freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Warm the meatballs in the microwave or in a covered skillet with a splash of water or chicken/vegetable broth until heated through. The liquid helps keep them moist during reheating.
