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These Asian turkey meatballs are a delicious, easy, and flavorful meal! My turkey meatball recipe gets a healthy dose of Asian flavors with seasonings like coconut aminos and ginger. I like to serve these baked turkey meatballs with cauliflower rice, or some zucchini noodles tossed with sesame oil. Or, serve them like keto sausage balls as an appetizer with toothpicks.
No matter how you eat these ground turkey meatballs, you’re going to love them! (And you’ll also love that they take just 30 minutes to make and just 10 minutes to prep.) What are you waiting for, let’s make these keto turkey meatballs!
While I have a number of meatball recipes on my site (the list is below!), this is the first time that I’ve done Asian style turkey meatballs. I wish I hadn’t waited so long, they are fabulous. After baking, they are tossed in a flavorful sauce… it might just be the best turkey meatball recipe!
How To Make Asian Turkey Meatballs
This turkey meatball recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep! Here’s how we make oven baked turkey meatballs:
- Mix together ground turkey meatballs. In a bowl, combine pork rinds, egg, green onion, coconut aminos, salt, ginger, pepper, and molasses (optional – it’s here for flavor, not sweetness, and is a tiny amount!).
- Add ground turkey. Once the seasonings are mixed together, add the turkey and mix until just combined.
TIP: Mix together everything for the turkey meatballs without breadcrumbs recipe except the turkey! Then add in the turkey so that the turkey is not over-worked (read: dry!).
- Scoop the Asian turkey meatballs. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop 1-inch keto ground turkey meatballs. Place them onto the prepared baking sheet.
TIP: Use your fingertips to handle the meatballs. This avoids heating them too much with your hands, and again, will avoid dry turkey meatballs.
- Bake the ground turkey meatballs. Cook until just cooked through and broil to brown for the last few minutes of cooking.
- Make sauce for Asian turkey meatballs. Whisk together coconut aminos, sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic powder, black pepper, and molasses (optional!). Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until reduced and thickened.
TIP: The baked turkey meatballs sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, so do not heat too much.
How Long To Bake Turkey Meatballs?
These ground turkey meatballs take about 10 minutes to bake. The baking time for turkey meatballs will depend a little on the size and the oven temperature.
I bake these at 400 degrees and they are almost cooked through in about 10 minutes. I under-cook them a tad so that I can finish them in the broiler.
You can also use a meat thermometer to ensure that you don’t overcook them.
Are Turkey Meatballs Keto Friendly?
Yes, this turkey meatball recipe is keto friendly! Each serving of healthy baked turkey meatballs has just 6 grams of net carbs.
Can I Make Turkey Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs?
Yes, you can make turkey meatballs without breadcrumbs! In this Asian turkey meatball recipe, we use a simple and flavorful swap for breadcrumbs… pork rinds!
Crushed pork rinds act like a flour binder, without the carbs, and with even MORE flavor. They work so well!
Some of my other meatball recipes are made with almond flour, but the pork rinds work perfectly in this recipe and avoid adding any carbs. We save those for the sauce in this case. 😉
How To Store Baked Turkey Meatballs
After these Asian turkey meatballs have cooled, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can toss them with the sauce before storing, or store both separate and reheat in the microwave or oven until meatballs are hot.
How To Freeze Ground Turkey Meatballs
These keto turkey meatballs can also be frozen for quick and easy meals. After cooling, freeze in a single layer in a baking sheet. Once the meatballs are frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer bag for easier storage. Freeze the sauce separately.
Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Healthy Meatball Recipes
If you like this healthy turkey meatball recipe, you might also like some of these other meatball recipes:
- Spiralized Zucchini Spaghetti & Meatballs – The classic comfort food meal, without the carbs! You’ll love this keto and low carb version of spaghetti and meatballs.
- Healthy Creamy Ground Chicken Meatballs – These chicken meatballs make a great appetizer or serve them with a veggie side or salad.
- Italian-Style Keto Low Carb Meatballs – If you love classic Italian style meatballs, this recipe is for you!
- Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs – Another way to use your ground turkey! I recommend thickening the sauce with cream cheese or xanthan gum for the low carb version.
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs – This twist on Italian meatballs is a favorite with buffalo sauce. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping.
Tools To Make Baked Turkey Meatballs
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Glass Nesting Bowls – I use these bowls all the time, they are perfect for mixing and nice enough for serving this ground turkey meatball recipe.
- Nonstick Baking Sheet – I like to line my baking sheets with foil or parchment paper before baking, it ensures no sticking AND makes it easier to clean up this keto turkey meatball recipe!
- Small Cookie Scoop – Using a scoop for these Asian style meatballs makes the formation of meatballs quick and easy!
Keto Baked Asian Turkey Meatballs Recipe
Asian Turkey Meatballs Recipe
Learn how to make healthy, keto Asian turkey meatballs that are full of flavor, with 10-minute prep! This baked ground turkey meatball recipe has simple ingredients and just 6 grams net carbs.
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Ingredients
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Turkey Meatballs:
Asian Sauce:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, stir together all meatball ingredients except ground turkey. Add the turkey and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
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Use a small cookie scoop to scoop 1-inch balls. Handling them with your fingertips, place them onto the prepared baking sheet.
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Bake for about 10 minutes, until just barely cooked through. Switch the oven to broil. Broil for 1-3 minutes, until browned.
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Meanwhile, in a small 1-quart saucepan, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until reduced and thickened. It will thicken as it cools, so don't reduce it too much, or it will become hard and too gooey.
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Toss the sauce with meatballs before serving. Garnish with additional green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 6 meatballs
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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51 Comments
GJA
0Great recipe, simple, easy, quick and tasty. I used ground flaxseed instead of pork rinds or almond flour. This adds Fibre and compliments the nutty flavor of the sauce.
Lisa Ketcherick
0These were great! I put them over Heart of Palm white “rice”.. so good.. definitely will make again and double the sauce!!
Bartek
0Delicious
Mary Morris
0My husband and I love these meatballs. Just wondering if I can cook them in an electric skillet instead of the oven. We live in the desert and I hate to heat up the house with the oven.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mary, I have not tried it but it sounds like it should work out for you.
Cathy
0Tasty but a bit salty. My meatballs were a little dry – would be better if they could sit in a sauce but not sure how to make that keto! Overall – really good.
Marilyn
0We love this recipe! It really makes ground turkey, which can be very boring, taste great. It is so flavorful. I should double the sauce.
Heather Stamey
0Black strap molasses is full of sugar and carbs. Not sure how this aligns with a keto lifestyle.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Heather, There is only 1/2 tsp in the whole recipe so the carbs are minuscule but still adds in a rich flavor. You can omit it if you don’t want to use it.
Christin
0Great recipe!! I used just over a pound and a half of turkey and about doubled the seasonings and it was perfect! I serves it with zucchini noodles and it was soooooo good!
Diane
0This was delicious! I served it with cauliflower fried rice. I doubled the sauce recipe but not sure I really needed to. I will definitely make again!
Celeste
0Way too hard to not overeat these. So flavorful and making for 2nd time in one week!
Bonnie
0What can I substitute for pork rinds ?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Bonnie, Almond flour can be used in place of the pork rinds. Enjoy!
Mary Blaize
0Made these using ground pork. Served over fried cauliflower rice. Delicious!
Chrissy
0This was SOOOO good!! I substituted about a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger for the ground ginger in both the meatballs and the sauce. Perfect meal. My daughter had them over white rice and I had them over cauliflower rice. Will definitely make these again!
Cynthia
0Very tasty and easy to make.
Torri
0Hi it would be nice to list how much 1/2 ounce of crushed rinds is in a simple measurement for those that don’t have a scale I just ended up using almond flour
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Torri, It would be about 1/4 – 1/3 cup crushed pork rinds.
Lynn
0Hi!! I made these tonight to the T with the exception of using Braggs Liquid Aminos instead of the coconut. Almost too salty to eat and I didn’t even put the extra sauce on them. I cooked them in my air fryer and they turned out great! I try them again with the coconut aminos.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lynn, Sorry these didn’t turn out as expected. The sodium content is a lot higher in the liquid aminos than the coconut aminos.
Amber
0I have ruined recipes with Braggs Liquid Aminos before, it is much saltier than regular soy sauce or coconut aminos. Just FYI..Coconut aminos are naturally higher in sugar, although some brands contain less carbs than others if that is a concern. If it is, I would use regular or lite soy sauce. If you can’t eat wheat (which soy sauce has in it), you can use tamari soy sauce.
Lois Walton Russell
0I’m thinking about pairing these with your Lo Mein recipe. too much flavor? – Not possible!!
Jen
0The meatballs are very tasty! I didn’t make the sauce, and I can honestly say they don’t need it! Mine came out very moist, I used almond flour. I also used soy sauce instead of coconut aminos.
Lori M.
0This has wonderful flavor but I found the meatballs disappointingly dry and firm when made with ground pork and almond flour using the oven. Then I realized I was actually craving without-the-carb-wrapper dumplings. So on my 2nd attempt, I used ground beef with pork rinds in steamers; then on my 3rd I covered them in the oven. I preferred the steamed. They are tender enough to be eaten with a spoon nibbled from the top down. The flavors of this recipe work whether you use green onions, chives and/or cilantro. The molasses subs for some of the complex flavor of hoisin sauce (miso, spiced and sweetened) but has no soy and starch. The sauce works whether you use powdered spices or minced garlic and ginger. One note about salt, on my 2nd and 3rd tries: I didn’t add salt – I just used a serving or two more of pork rinds (by accident on the 2nd try where 1/2 oz became 1/2 cup) as they have over 210 mg per serving – while keeping in mind the egg, molasses and coconut aminos all have salt in them. Thanks for the recipe as it was one tasty step to get to dumplings.
Janitzy Murillo
0Hello I am making this recipe and was noticing that Blackstrap Molasses is pure sugar I’m following the keto diet and wanted to ask if there is substitute I may use, or would the meatballs taste just as great if I omit the molasses. I was thinking of adding monk fruit as a substitute, but I wanted to get you thought 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Janitzy, The blackstrap molasses is optional for this reason – omit it if you need to. It’s there for flavor, not sweetness. Don’t substitute monk fruit, which does not have the same flavor at all. If you do decide to include it, to put it into perspective, the amount of blackstrap molasses in this recipe would only add 3/16 teaspoon molasses per serving, or 0.3 grams of sugar per serving.
Deb
0We followed this recipe to the T but it was so salty we could not eat it. I will say the meatballs had great flavor if only they were not so salty. I think omitting the sea salt altogether might be perfect and then salt to taste when the recipe is done cooking. Not sure if it was the sea salt or the aminos but we will make these delicious meatballs again minus the salt!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Deb, I’m sorry the meatballs were too salty for your family. Definitely feel free to scale back the amount of salt if you need to!
Sheila
0Hello, I’m going to make these later today but had a question before I begin. I don’t have sesame oil. Can another oil be substituted like Olive Oil or Avocado Oil?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sheila, Sesame oil adds quite a bit of authentic flavor to the dish, but you can omit it (or use either oil you mentioned) if you don’t have any on hand.
N
0Heads up… Pork rinds tend to be salty so take that into consideration before adding more sea salt. I’m having this for supper and I’m using chicken instead of turkey. Easy to make, quick to throw together, and delicious. No need to broil. The sauce is dark and coats the meatballs beautifully… A keeper recipe!
Kathy
0Hi, I made these last night and liked them a lot. However I was concerned about parchment paper under the broiler, so just baked them longer. I just looked up whether or not it’s safe to use parchment paper under the broiler, and apparently it’s easy to catch on fire! You might want to change that in your recipe to just use foil.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kathy, I understand your concern. As long as you have the parchment weighed down with the meatballs, it shouldn’t catch fire. The paper may turn brown from the heat, but it’s fine. If your parchment curls at the ends or hangs over the pan, definitely, remove it before putting your meatballs under the broiler.
Debra Dusseault
0The Turkey meatballs came out really good. I made them tonight for New Years eve. The family loved them. Your website is really awesome. It’s cheerful and practical with great ideas and terrific recipes. Thank you.
Alissa
0Did you use the parchment paper and broiled the meatballs for the 1-3 minutes or did you broil without the parchment paper? Don’t want to burn the kitchen down !!!! Lol
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Alissa, They are broiled on the same pan they are baked on, so yes, parchment lined. You may want to move your oven shelf down if the parchment is too close to the element.
Lizzy
0What can you use instead of egg in the meatballs to make it dairy/ egg free?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lizzy, You could use a flax egg to replace the regular egg.
Christine
0Mine came out very salty. Next time I’ll cut back.
Magdalena Love
0I loved it, will be making this again, I also made your cheesecake raspberry keto cookies today for dessert, tomorrow I’m making naan bread, thank you for great ideas, I’ll be subscribing
Suzie Clary
0Also, I only had black sesame seeds, and I heated them in a pan first, since they weren’t roasted already. The white would’ve looked better.
Suzie Clary
0Thank you so much. I quadrupled the recipe, made 170 one inch sized meatballs. My mistake was quadrupling the black pepper! Whoah… way too hot. I added espresso powder, then I started adding sweeteners, quite a bit of it to quell the burn. Then, though the sauce still had a good bite to it, I figured a little with the meatball would be fine. Lots of thumbs up I rec’d for the dish. Yay!! Question: a lot of lovely flavored liquid released in the pan. Did I have them too close together maybe? One pan had 70, one 50, and one less. But they all drained.
Molly P.
0These meatballs were very easy and tasted great! I tasted them before adding the sauce. I tried substituting Soy Sauce for the coconut aminos because it’s what I had on hand. Ugh….sauce ended up making everything way too salty and no longer even edible. If I do it again, I’d either just buy coconut aminos or leave out the salt in the recipe if I have to use soy sauce. Will try again!
Alex Velasquez
0Love your website first and foremost but I am a little bit confused on how to manage the calories. I have done the paleo pancakes and the bread so far and they are delicious but I’m following a strict calorie guide. How many meatballs is a serving? same thing with the bread and pancakes? Thanks in advance.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Alex, A serving is 6 meatballs. All serving sizes are listed in the “Recipe Notes” section. I hope this helps.
Sharon
0I found the sauce to be very salty. I actually rinsed the sauce off in a colander and served with cauliflower fried rice but would definitely half the salt in the meatball recipe as well. I will adjust recipe and try again. Thank you for sharing it was a lovely presentation.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sharon, I’m sorry you were unhappy with the saltiness of the recipe. You can definitely scale the amount used back to suit your tastes. I am glad you were able to make them work for you. Please let me know if you decide to try them again.
Layla
0Delicious! 😀
As soon as I saw this recipe, Maya, I knew I had to give it a go. Very tasty and an excellent balance of Asian flavors! My Hubs, who is not a fan of Ground Turkey Recipes (or Keto for that matter, lol!), even approved 😉
I made some minor changes (2 tbsp Soy Sauce instead of Coconut Aminos for the Sauce and adding 2 tbsp of Heavy Cream to the meat mixture since I had Ground Turkey Breast on hand rather than Ground Turkey) but the heart of this recipe remained the same. I’m already planning to add these Meatballs to my future Meal Plans!
P.S. This made a great addition to my Keto Crack Slaw leftovers, too!
Mary C Ekroos
0Greetings! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes! I was wondering if the Cello Whisps might work to replace the Pork rinds, I don’t eat pork. I did see the Almond Flour replacement, but haven’t tried either substitution, looking forward to making these!! Great recipe! Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mary, As long as you don’t mind the parmesan flavor, I think they would work well!