Asian-Inspired Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, include a burst of flavors and the most delightful sweet glaze (or dipping sauce). Make them as a main dish for your everyday enjoyment or as an appetizer for serving guests.

Blue plate of ground turkey meatballs, ready to serve.

Have you tried making Air Fryer Meatballs yet?

Iโ€™ll be the first to admit that I donโ€™t use my air fryer for just anything and everything. In fact, I reserve it for the times Iโ€™m looking for something to be ultra crispy, or Iโ€™m avoiding a long bake time or lots of cleanup.

Enter: this air fryer turkey meatball recipe.

This is one of those instances where using your air fryer is worthwhile.

You get to skip the step of searing the meatballs in a skillet because the air fryer does a great job of making them crispy, plus they only take 12 to 14 minutes to make.

In this sense, weโ€™re saving time by eliminating work and cutting down on the cook time, while still enjoying a nice juicy meatball.

If you love meatball recipes and have the time to prepare them in the slow cooker with tomato sauce, make my Crock Pot Italian Meatballs.

Asian turkey meatballs in an air fryer.

I make these meatballs gluten-free and soy-free, but I have included options for alterations.

Letโ€™s discuss the fresh ingredients for these Asian-inspired meatballs.

Ingredients for Asian Turkey Meatballs:

Ground Turkey: We use lean ground turkey to make this healthy air fryer meatballs recipe. For fattier, juicy meatballs, use ground beef to make beef meatball.

Egg: One egg helps bind all of the meatball ingredients together and ensures amazing texture.

Avocado Oil & Toasted Sesame Oil: The combination of avocado oil and sesame oil brings some much needed fat to the meatballs. Sesame oil is there for flavor, but if you arenโ€™t a fan of sesame or you donโ€™t have it on hand, replace it with more avocado oil. You can also use olive oil here if youโ€™d prefer. We’re avoiding dry turkey meatballs here.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: Gluten-free flour brings a nice spongy texture to the meatballs. I use Bobโ€™s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, but you can also use any 1:1 gluten-free blend you like. 

If you arenโ€™t gluten-free, use ยฝ cup of panko bread crumbs instead of the gluten-free flour blend.

Fresh Ginger, Garlic, Green Onions: The combination of fresh ginger, garlic cloves, and green onion its what brings a great deal of flavor to the meatballs.

Salt: Add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste. I use about ยพ of a teaspoon to be sure the meatballs are nice and flavorful.

For the Dipping Sauce: coconut aminos, green onion, fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, and garlic are all we need for a delightful sweet and savory dipping sauce. 

If you don’t have coconut aminos on hand, replace it with 3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar or pure maple syrup.

Blue plate of turkey meatballs sprinkled with sesame seeds with green onions in the background.

Recipe Adaptations:

You can experiment with different flavors when making meatballs.

If you’re looking for Italian meatballs, omit the ginger and add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and onion powder, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, and serve the meatballs with marinara sauce (or your favorite sauce) instead of the glaze. Serve with regular pasta and fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Gold fork dipping a turkey meatball into a bowl of dipping sauce.

I definitely recommend making the dipping sauce because they add an amazing pop of flavor to the meatballs and also give them some moisture.

Now that weโ€™re familiar with the simple ingredients list for air fryer ground turkey meatballs, letโ€™s air fry meatballs!

How to Make Easy Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs:

Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs to a large bowl and mix until everything is well-combined. I use my hands to mix everything together but you can also use a wooden spoon or an electric hand mixer.

Ingredients for turkey meatballs in a mixing bowl to make turkey meatball mixture for air fryer meatballs.

If you have a stand mixer, you can use it with the paddle attachment to make meatballs. You can also use a food processor to make the turkey mixture.

Form 10 to 12 meatballs out of the meat mixture. If you have a cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop, feel free to use it to form meatballs.

Raw meatballs in an air fryer, ready to air fry.

Transfer the meatballs to the air fryer basket in a single layer. You may need to do this in two batches if you have a small air fryer.

Air fry at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reach 165 degrees F or higher and the outside is golden brown.

Cooked air fryer turkey meatballs in an air fryer.

Note: Depending on the size of the meatballs (if they are rather small), you may want to adjust the cooking time down by a minute or two so that the meatballs donโ€™t become overcooked. If your turkey meat is very cold and/or you make large meatballs, air fry turkey meatballs for 12 to 14 minutes.

To verify the temperature, insert a meat thermometer into the center of the largest meatball (or spot check several meatballs) and wait until the numbers stop moving.

While the meatballs are cooking in the air fryer, prepare the dipping sauce.

Asian sauce in a measuring cup.

Mix the ingredients for the dipping sauce together in a small bowl or measuring cup until well-combined.

You can use this as dipping sauce, or do as I do and toss the cooked meatballs in a mixing bowl with the sauce to coat them.

Pouring sauce over the meatballs in a mixing bowl.

Serve these Asian Turkey Meatballs as an appetizer, or use them as a main entrรฉe and serve them with your choice of side dishes like steamed rice (zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for low carb) and sauteed vegetables.

Horizontal photo of plate of turkey meatballs, ready to serve.

Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Thatโ€™s it! A fresh and flavorful healthy meatballs recipe that is just teaming with flavor. This simple flavorful air fryer turkey meatballs recipe is the best way to cook homemade meatballs in a hurry for an easy meal.

Make this simple recipe for meal prep to enjoy during the busy workweek for a quick dinner, or serve meatballs as an appetizer at any gathering. 

Blue plate with Asian turkey meatballs on top, ready to serve.

For those of you who enjoy air frying and adore chicken thighs, try my Crispy Air Fryer Asian Chicken Thighs recipe.

If you love making air fryer recipes, also try out these reader favorites.

More Healthy Air Fryer Recipes:

Enjoy these healthy turkey meatballs whenever the craving strikes!

Gold fork dipping a turkey meatball into a bowl of dipping sauce.

Asian-Inspired Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs

5 from 2 votes
These delicious Asian-inspired turkey meatballs are such a cinch to make in the air fryer! Be sure to whip up the dipping sauce so that you don't miss out on a big blast of flavor!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings: 10 -16 Meatballs

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

For the Dipping Sauce / Glaze:

  • โ…“ cup coconut aminos*
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 large clove garlic minced
  • 1 tsp fish sauce optional

Instructions

  • Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs to a large bowl and mix until everything is well-combined. I use my hands to mix everything together but you can also use a wooden spoon or an electric hand mixer.
    Ingredients for turkey meatballs in a mixing bowl to make turkey meatball mixture for air fryer meatballs.
  • If you have a stand mixer, you can use it with the paddle attachment to make meatballs. You can also use a food processor to make the turkey mixture.
  • Form 10 to 12 meatballs out of the meat mixture. If you have a cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop, feel free to use it to form meatballs. Transfer the meatballs to the air fryer basket in a single layer. You may need to do this in two batches if you have a small air fryer.
    Raw meatballs in an air fryer, ready to air fry.
  • Air fry at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reach 165 degrees F or higher and the outside is golden brown.
    Cooked air fryer turkey meatballs in an air fryer.
  • Note: Depending on the size of the meatballs (if they are rather small), you may want to adjust the cooking time down by a minute or two so that the meatballs donโ€™t become overcooked. If your turkey meat is very cold and/or you make large meatballs, air fry turkey meatballs for 12 to 14 minutes.
  • To verify the temperature, insert a meat thermometer into the center of the largest meatball (or spot check several meatballs) and wait until the numbers stop moving.
  • While the meatballs are cooking in the air fryer, prepare the dipping sauce. Mix the ingredients for the dipping sauce together in a small bowl or measuring cup until well-combined.
    Asian sauce in a measuring cup.
  • You can use this as dipping sauce, or do as I do and toss the cooked meatballs in a mixing bowl with the sauce to coat them.
    Pouring sauce over the meatballs in a mixing bowl.
  • Serve these Asian Turkey Meatballs as an appetizer, or use them as a main entrรฉe and serve them with your choice of side dishes like steamed rice (zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for low carb) and sauteed vegetables.

Notes

*Sesame oil is used for flavor here. If you donโ€™t have it on hand, you can omit it or use avocado oil or olive oil.ย 
**You can replace the coconut aminos with 3 tablespoons of soy sauce or liquid aminos plus one to two tablespoons of brown sugar or pure maple syrup.
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Meatball ยท Calories: 103kcal ยท Carbohydrates: 7g ยท Protein: 9g ยท Fat: 3g ยท Saturated Fat: 1g ยท Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g ยท Cholesterol: 41mg ยท Sodium: 333mg ยท Fiber: 1g ยท Sugar: 2g
Author: Julia
Course: Air Fryer
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: air fryer meatballs, air fryer recipes, air fryer turkey meatballs, asian turkey meatballs, healthy meatball recipe, healthy turkey meatballs
Did You Make This Recipe?I want to see it! Tag @the.roasted.root on social media!

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Julia Mueller
Meet the Author

Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller is a recipe developer, cookbook author, and founder of The Roasted Root. She has authored three bestselling cookbooks, – Paleo Power Powers, Delicious Probiotic Drinks, and The Quintessential Kale Cookbook. Her recipes have been featured in several national publications such as BuzzFeed, Self, Tasty, Country Living, Brit.co, etc.

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