Zucchini Turkey Meatballs

Zucchini Turkey Meatballs are the tastiest protein to meal prep and add to pasta, bowls or salads. Full of flavor and with hidden veggies!

I'm a big fan of meatballs, whether they're a classic beef meatball or my turkey feta meatballs, ginger chicken meatballs, etc. They're such a great protein to meal prep and keep on hand, and surprisingly easy to pack with nutrients like these zucchini turkey meatballs.

Zucchini is a nutrient-dense veggie with fibre, vitamin A and vitamin C, but I love it because it's super easy to hide in recipes. I've added it to my hidden veggie mac and cheese, zucchini brownie oats, and now these turkey zucchini meatballs. Promise that you can't even taste it, but you get all the benefits of those nutrients!

I love adding them to pasta, but you can also pair them with a protein and carb of choice for an easy balanced meal. Enjoy!

Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved

Hidden veggies. I love making turkey meatballs with zucchini to sneak in some extra veggies to my diet. The zucchini blends in really well and you can hardly taste it.
Weeknight friendly. You can make these turkey zucchini meatballs in 30 minutes and pair with pasta and sauce. They're so quick to make.
Perfect for meal prep. Meatballs store really well and are freezer friendly. Try adding them into your meal prep rotation!

Ingredients

Ground turkey. This is our lean protein of choice! If you prefer ground chicken, that's another great option that still has the same mild flavour we want.

Zucchini. We use 1 whole zucchini in this recipe to add extra nutrients. Zucchini is a source of key nutrients like fibre, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Breadcrumbs. Any regular bread crumbs will work (I don’t recommend panko breadcrumbs). I typically use unflavoured, however if you only have Italian spiced breadcrumbs on hand you can absolutely make those work.

Spices. All you need is oregano, basil, onion powder, salt, and paprika.

Garlic. Fresh garlic is best for the ultimate flavour.

Eggs. These help bind the ingredients and hold these meatballs together.

Cheese. I love adding a blend of parmesan and mozzarella cheese to these for some added flavour (and who doesn’t love extra cheese?!).

The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Instructions

Before you begin, shred your zucchini and gently wrap in a paper towel or cheesecloth. Squeeze out excess moisture (this helps ensure the meatballs stick together). Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Bowl with zucchini turkey meatball mixture.

To a large mixing bowl add ground turkey, breadcrumbs, onion powder, salt, oregano, basil, paprika, pressed garlic, egg, shredded cheese and shredded zucchini. Mix well until fully combined.

Once combined, roll into about 16 even sized meatballs (about 2 tablespoon in each).

Bowl of cooked turkey zucchini meatballs.

Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meatballs reaches 165F.

Pasta with red sauce and zucchini turkey meatballs.

Serve with pasta and sauce of choice!

Substitutions and Variations

To make gluten-free: gluten-free bread crumbs can be used in place of the regular breadcrumbs. Another amazing option is using almond flour or oat flour (you may need to use about 2 tablespoon extra).

To make dairy-free: use a dairy-free cheese of choice.

To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.

You can use any type of ground meat in this recipe. Ground beef, pork or chicken all work.

If you want to switch up the veggies, shredded carrots are a great swap. Pulsed broccoli and cauliflower is another easy to way to add in more veg!

Equipment

Storage

These zucchini turkey meatballs are great for meal prep! You can store them in fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days, or let them cool and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, place them in the fridge to thaw overnight or bake frozen meatballs at 300F for 25-30 minutes (or until warm).

Top Tips for Success

Don't forget to remove the excess water from the shredded zucchini. This step is crucial to ensuring your meatballs hold together.

Looking to add more veggies? Shredded carrots are also an easy addition to meatballs as well.

If you are looking for a more even consistency (aka to get the veggies past even the toughest of critics), I recommend placing all ingredients in a food processor to gently pulse together. Be careful not to over process as this will result in a wetter mixture. This will help break up the shredded zucchini, making it harder to see.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you recommend serving these meatballs with?

These are a great source of protein (and some veggies) so I recommend pairing with some fiber field carbohydrates like a whole wheat pasta for a more balanced meal. Bonus points for adding extra veggies on the side!

Why aren't my meatballs sticking together?

This is likely a sign that you don't have enough moisture! Sometimes certain brands of turkey can be more lean than others meaning they won't stick together quite as well- if this happens I recommend adding an additional egg or 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the mixture.

My meatballs are too wet what do I do?

If you are finding it hard to roll your meatballs into balls this might be because your meat mixture was too moist. This requires a little troubleshooting to fix: did you remove the excess moisture from the zucchini by squeezing it out prior to adding? If you did and are still having trouble I recommend adding more breadcrumbs (or even oats) until your mixture is able to hold its shape in balls.

Bowl of pasta with turkey zucchini meatballs.

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See you in the kitchen!

PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these zucchini turkey meatballs, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!

📖 Recipe