These Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs are tender, flavorful, and perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Made without breadcrumbs, prepped under 30 minutes, and baked until golden, they stay moist thanks to ricotta and parmesan while remaining naturally gluten-free and low in carbs. If you enjoy lighter meatball recipes, my Chicken Piccata Meatballs are another simple, high-protein option with bright, fresh flavor.
Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs At A Glance
- ⏱ Total Time: 45 minutes (20 min prep + 25 min bake)
- 🍽 Servings: 6 servings
- 🌎 Cuisine Type: American / Italian-Inspired
- 🍃 Flavor Profile: Savory, herb-forward, and rich with fresh basil and parmesan
- 🥗 Dietary Info: Gluten-free, low-carb, high-protein
- 📦 Storage Notes: Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months. Reheat gently on the stove or in the oven.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Made without breadcrumbs, these turkey meatballs stay tender and flavorful, making them perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or potluck gatherings.
Save And Summarize This Recipe
These gluten free turkey meatballs are incredibly versatile and work well in a variety of meals. I often serve them alongside roasted vegetables or spoon them over zucchini noodles, but they are just as good paired with something hearty like my Greek Green Beans or a simple dish like the Gluten Free Corn Casserole. For another protein-forward dinner option, my Middle Eastern Chicken with Herbs and Garlic offers bold flavor with minimal effort and fits the same weeknight-friendly rhythm.
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If you enjoy meatball dinners, there are plenty of delicious variations to keep things interesting. My Greek Beef Meatballs offer a rich, classic option with bold Mediterranean flavor, while the Chicken Marsala Meatballs bring a savory, comforting twist. For something lighter, the Greek Chicken Meatballs or the Meatball Parmigiana are other flavorful choices that work beautifully for both weeknight dinners and meal prep.
Key Ingredients
- Pork rinds: You can substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs or panko for the pork rinds. Or, if you are not gluten free, use regular breadcrumbs. They all work in this recipe.
See the recipe card for quantities.
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Variations
- Switch proteins - though ground turkey and ricotta pair together beautifully, ground beef, venison, chicken, lamb, or bison will work as well.
- Seasonings - you can adjust the flavor of the ricotta meatballs by adding different seasonings. Garlic powder, a hint of fish sauce, onion powder, truffle salt, and red pepper flakes are all tasty ideas.
- Fresh herbs - use 2 garlic cloves minced in place of the garlic powder, and substitute a blend of rosemary, sage, thyme, and marjoram for the Italian seasonings. Add a bit of fresh parsley for a nice crunch.
- Onion - kick up the flavor by adding some finely chopped onion to the turkey mixture.
- Egg - you can substitute a flax egg for the egg in this recipe.
- Sauce - You don't like a basil cream sauce? You can use a traditional marinara sauce on top of the meatballs.
How To Make Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs: Step-By-Step
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400℉.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the turkey meatball ingredients and mix until combined.
Step 2: With your hands, form the mixture into evenly sized balls about the size of a large tablespoon and place them into a greased baking dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned.
Step 3: Start the basil cream sauce by heating butter in a skillet over medium heat and adding in the garlic powder.
After 30 seconds, add the heavy cream and season it with salt and pepper.
Simmer until the sauce thickens before stirring in the parmesan and basil.
Step 4: Add the meatballs to the skillet and toss to coat them before serving them.
Hint - Make sure to grease or at least line your baking dish with parchment paper to make for easy cleanup.
Gwen's Pro Tips
Use an ice cream scoop with a quick release or a small cookie scoop to portion the meatballs so that they're even in size. Then simply roll them with your hands to form a ball.
How To Serve Keto Turkey Meatballs
These easy turkey meatballs make a delicious dinner or fun appetizer.
If you're serving them as a dinner, pair them with a simple side salad with a Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette or a Hearts Of Palm Salad.
You can serve them on top of zucchini noodles, rice, spaghetti squash or on top of cooked cauliflower rice.
Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs FAQ's
Pork rinds will give a savory taste and a bit of crunch to the keto meatballs. However, almond flour is a great alternative. Know that almond flour may change the texture and be sure to use one that has finely ground bleached almonds to avoid a noticeable texture issue.
Meatballs fall apart when the ratio of binder to wet ingredients is off. Make sure to mix the ingredients well so that everything is combined. If your meatballs seem dry, you have too many pork rinds which will cause keto meatballs to fall apart. Add a tiny bit of ricotta cheese to moisten the meatballs.
Turkey meatballs make a great freezer meal! They can be frozen fully cooked and stored with or without a marinara or cream sauce. You can also freeze prepared but uncooked meatballs as well. Make sure to thaw them in the fridge overnight before cooking and then bake them in the oven as needed.
Other Chicken And Turkey Dinners
Let me know your thoughts on these Gluten Turkey Meatballs by leaving a star rating below or by sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Thank you!
Gwen
Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs With Basil Sauce
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Equipment
- 1 Skillet
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 cup pork rinds crushed
- 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- salt and black pepper to taste
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- Add the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and combine.
- Form the mixture into evenly sized meatballs and place them into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
Sauce
- Add the 2 tablespoons butter to a skillet over medium heat.
- Mix in the 2 teaspoons garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the 1 cup heavy cream and season with salt and black pepper.
- Simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the ¼ cup parmesan cheese and ¼ cup fresh basil.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the skillet and toss to coat before serving.
Anonymous says
They weren’t as creamy as I expected! Yum!