These Easy Eggless Turkey Meatballs are juicy, tender, and full of flavor. They’re quick to put together. A delicious dinner that is ready in a flash, and the whole family will love it.
Oriana’s Thoughts On The Recipe
Meatballs are always a hit in my house, especially with my kids—they could eat them every single day! But making juicy, flavorful meatballs without eggs? Now that’s a challenge I was determined to conquer. After lots of testing (and taste-testing), I finally nailed the perfect recipe. These Easy & Juicy Eggless Turkey Meatballs are tender, full of flavor, and hold together beautifully. They’re made with simple ingredients, come together in no time, and are a total dinner lifesaver on busy weeknights.
What I Love About This Recipe
Make Meatballs Without Eggs
When making egg-free meatballs, it is important to use a good binder and the right meat. Use ground meat that is no leaner than 85 percent. The fat in the meat, combined with the starchy binder, will help create a moist texture that holds them together.
How to Bind Meatballs without Eggs
There are several options to substitute eggs in a meatball recipe:
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk per egg.
- 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt per egg.
- 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese per egg (my personal fave).
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce per egg.
Of course, you will also need a starchy component, such as bread crumbs or saltine crackers crumbs.
My Go-To Eggless Binder For Meatballs
Here is the equation I follow to make my eggless meatballs.
1 pound meat + 1 slice of sandwich bread (crushed into fine crumbs) + 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese, or 6 saltine crackers (crushed into fine crumbs) + 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese.
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Amounts are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down). You’ll need:
- Ricotta Cheese, Buttermilk, or plain yogurt.
- Breadcrumbs: I like to use a slice of sandwich bread or saltine crackers. I put them into my food processor and crush them into fine crumbs.
- Veggies: You’ll need onion and garlic.
- Seasoning and herbs: You’ll need dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Spinach: This is totally optional. As usual, I didn’t waste the opportunity to hide/camouflage some veggies to add an extra bit of wonderfulness to these meatballs. This time was spinach, but I’ve added red pepper or baby kale other times.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese will give you the best flavor.
- Ground turkey: I typically use 85% lean ground beef. It’s not overly greasy while still containing enough fat to make the meatballs moist and juicy. You could also use half turkey and half ground pork or Italian sausage.
- Oil: Any oil you have handy will work for this recipe. I use extra-virgin olive oil.
- Marinara sauce: You can use homemade or store-bought. When I am short of time, my favorite store-bought marinara sauce is Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce.
- Fresh basil or parsley to garnish.
Food Allergy Swaps
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives. I like to use dairy-free ricotta-style cheese alternatives, such as Kite Hill Ricotta.
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Overview: How To Make Eggless Turkey and Spinach Meatballs Step-by-Step
Detailed instructions are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down).
- Make the Meat Mixture
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta (or buttermilk or yogurt), crushed bread (or crackers), onion, oregano, garlic, spinach, salt, pepper, and parmesan. Add ground turkey; mix well. Using fingers, gently mix all the ingredients until thoroughly combined
- Form and Brown
Form into 1 1/2-inch balls. Heat the oil in a heavy, large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Add Sauce and Cook
Add the marinara sauce. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until meatballs are cooked, about 20 to 25 minutes, or until they reach 165°F in the middle on an instant-read thermometer. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.
Recipe Tips
Do not over-mix the meatballs. When you over-mix the filling, you end up with dense meatballs.
This recipe can be doubled for larger crowds.
To crush the bread/crackers, I use a mini food processor.
You can substitute ground turkey for ground pork, beef, or a mix of meats.
A cookie scoop can help portion out the meatballs easily.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Here are tips and tricks on how you can store your eggless meatballs.
Leftovers
If you have leftover meatballs, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Then, reheat the meatballs in a pan or microwave until heated through.
Freezer
Uncooked meatballs: prepare the meat mixture, form meatballs, place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper, and then put them in the freezer. Leave them in for 30 – 60 minutes. Then transfer them into a Ziploc freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Cooked meatballs: prepare the meat mixture, form meatballs, and cook them as directed in the recipe. Then, let them cool completely, put them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 2 months. When you are ready to eat, let them thaw in the refrigerator and heat them as needed. Then, you can reheat them on the stovetop, microwave, or oven.
Make-Ahead Meatballs
Eggless Meatballs can be shaped and kept covered in the refrigerator for up to a day ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
When meatballs fall apart, it’s usually the binder problem. Too many or too few breadcrumbs and/or buttermilk/yogurt can cause them to lose. Also, if the meat that you are using is too lean (leaner than 85%), this may increase the chance that your egg-free meatballs fall apart.
There are several options to substitute eggs in a meatball recipe: 2 tablespoons of buttermilk per egg, 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt per egg, 1/4 cup ricotta cheese per egg, or 3 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce per egg. Of course, you will also need a starchy component, such as bread crumbs or saltine crackers crumbs.
Absolutely! The key is that you use the combination of the right ingredients. You can also take an extra step and lightly roll the meatballs in plain flour before frying.
While rolling the meatballs in flour provides a golden-brown exterior and helps them to prevent them from falling apart, you will also need to add a binder to the meat mixture. See meatball binder ideas above.
My favorite binder for meatballs is 1 slice of sandwich bread (crushed into fine crumbs) + 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt per 1 pound of meat.
Absolutely! You can bake meatballs on a baking sheet in a 400°F (200ºC) oven for 15 – 18 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. Turning halfway through, so they brown evenly.
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Recipe Card
Easy Eggless Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) whole ricotta cheese, plain yogurt, or buttermilk Ricotta cheese is my favorite because it makes the moistest meatballs ever!
- 1 slice sandwich bread ( or 6 saltine crackers), crushed into fine crumbs (see notes)
- 1/2 cup onion, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (140 g approx) chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated (see notes)
- 1 pound (450 g) ground turkey (no leaner than 85%)
- 2 – 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups (360 – 480 g) jarred marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil to garnish (optional)
Important
You can find step-by-step photos above in the post and/or right here on the recipe card. They’ll walk you through the process and make everything super clear! Just click the camera icon button below on the right to show or hide them. Turn them off before printing if you prefer a cleaner copy!
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta (or buttermilk or yogurt), bread crumbs (or crackers), onion, oregano, garlic, spinach (if using), salt, pepper, and parmesan. Mix until well combined.
- Add ground turkey; mix well. Use your hands to mix the buttermilk mixture into the ground meat thoroughly. Try not to overwork the meat; pinch the meat between your fingers rather than knead it.
- Form the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, about 1.5 tablespoons each. Tip: Use a cookie scoop to make the meatballs equal in size. This will ensure they all cook the same.
- Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Tip: Alternatively, you can also bake the meatballs in a 400°F (200º C) oven for 15 – 18 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. Turn halfway through, so the bottoms don't brown.
- Add the marinara sauce to the frying pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until meatballs are cooked, about 20 -25 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Garnish with fresh basil, if desired. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives. I like to use dairy-free ricotta-style cheese alternatives, such as Kite Hill Ricotta.
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- When making meatballs without eggs is important to use a good binder and the right meat. Use ground beef that is no leaner than 85 percent. The fat in the meat combined with the starchy binder will help create a moist that holds it together.
- The key to light, juicy meatballs is DON’T OVERMIX! Overworking the mixture can lead to dense meatballs.
- This recipe can be doubled for larger crowds.
- To crush the bread/crackers, I use a mini food processor.
- You can substitute ground turkey for ground pork, ground beef, or a mix of them.
- A cookie scoop can help portion out the meatballs easily.
I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
This recipe was originally published in January 2015. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information were added to the post in February 2023 to make it as helpful as possible!
