You can have fork-tender turkey meatballs that are golden yet moist, thanks to the air fryer! Pair with fun zoodles, your favorite jarred tomato sauce and an extra pinch of Parmesan for a delicious and wholesome meal.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 2 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds zoodles (spiralized zucchini noodles, from about 3 medium zucchinis; see Cook’s Note)
- Kosher salt
- 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 8 ounces ground turkey
- 1/4 cup ricotta
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups jarred tomato sauce
Instructions
- Toss the zoodles with a good pinch of salt in a large bowl. Let sit until the zoodles begin to soften and release some excess liquid, about 10 minutes. Pat them dry and set aside.
- Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a medium bowl and let sit while the breadcrumbs soften and absorb most of the liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey, ricotta, parsley, Parmesan, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper to the breadcrumb mixture, then mix thoroughly with your hands to combine. Form into 12 meatballs (each about 1 1/2 tablespoons and 1 inch wide).
- Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F. Add the meatballs, leaving some space between each for air circulation. Air fry until golden brown on the outside and just cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning the meatballs about halfway through the cooking time.
- Meanwhile, warm the tomato sauce in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the sauce, lower the heat to low and keep warm.
- Season the zoodles with a 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Air fry at 400 degrees F, tossing halfway through, until tender and starting to brown at the edges, 5 to 6 minutes. Divide the zoodles between 2 dinner plates or shallow bowls, then top each with 6 meatballs and spoon the warm tomato sauce over top. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 2 servings |
| Calories | 1673 |
| Total Fat | 31 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 269 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 15 g |
| Sugar | 15 g |
| Protein | 80 g |
| Cholesterol | 385 mg |
| Sodium | 1621 mg |
Reviews
Delicious, but spray your air fryer with non-stick vegetable spray. Turkey is lean, and my meatballs stuck to the basket and fell apart when I tried to turn them.
Great recipe. I doubled it and added grated garlic and minced onion. Very easy to do in two batches in the air fryer. Left over meatballs were good a day or tow later. Defiantly will make it again.
The meatballs were delicious, but I found that they cooked pretty fast. I used store bought zoodles and the wilted quite a bit in the air fryer
This recipe was great. I have a ninja foodi and I’m always looking for healthy, easy recipes. The meatballs came out great, really nice flavor and very moist. I did end up checking on them and not cooking as long as the time said as they were browning nicely. I will definitely be making them again!
So quick and easy, and the meatballs were super flavorful. I’ll definitely make again!
This recipe is truly a keeper while my meatballs were cooking in the air fryerI used my food network spializer with thelarge ribbon blade ,laid the zucchini flat on a sheet pan and baked them at400 for 10 to 15 minutes until crisp tender thank food network