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.
Tex-Mex Flavors Make These Meatballs a Standout!
I love turkey meatballs, whether they’re stuffed into a hoagie or served over a big pile of spaghetti. But I developed this Southwest turkey meatball recipe to change up our dinner routine!
Because turkey is so mild in flavor, it really needs a boost to make delicious meatballs, and all the southwest flavors in this recipe do the trick.
We love them with my creamy cilantro tomatillo sauce and Latin yellow rice, but I’ve also tossed them into meal bowls. Because they stand up well to reheating, they’re great for meal prep too. Try them with salad or cauliflower rice for a satisfying lunch.
Baked Southwest Turkey Meatballs
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
- Lightly spray baking pan with oil. Preheat oven to 400°.
- Place jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and scallions into a small food processor or chopper and pulse a few times until finely minced.
- In a large bowl combine turkey, chopped herbs, bread crumbs, egg, cumin, salt and pepper.
- 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.
- Roll and place on a baking pan.
- Bake meatballs at 400° 15 minutes.
- Makes 24 meatball.
Last Step:
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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
How to Make Southwest Turkey Meatballs
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.
Tips from Gina’s Test Kitchen
- 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.
How to Serve These Southwest Turkey Meatballs
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.
Storage and Reheating
- 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.
