Healthy Turkey Meatballs with Ginger Peach Sauce

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Dinner is done in under 20 minutes with these delicious Healthy Turkey Meatballs with Ginger Peach Sauce, a tasty flavor twist for weeknight dinner. Make a double batch for the freezer to make it even quicker next time!

When we were first married (back in the 90s!), my repertoire of recipes was pretty limited. Even though I had been cooking on my own since I was a teenager, I tended to bake more than cook.

Enter these delicious healthy turkey meatballs. The super simple ginger peach sauce is a perfect addition to mix things up from just plain ground turkey meatballs.

I was a Tupperware consultant for a short time and that’s where I first tried this easy turkey meatball recipe. Making recipes like this was one way we featured new products. This recipe was originally made in the microwave, but I’ve modified it to make on the stovetop instead.

This turkey meatballs recipe is also very budget friendly. It’s also made with simple pantry items, some of which you may already have on hand, too. I sometimes find the ground turkey on sale and that makes it even more budget-friendly!

Be sure to check out some of my other Budget Friendly Recipes in this post.

Ingredient Tips

All of the ingredients for this healthy meatballs recipe are easily available at the grocery store. Here are a few tips to help guide you when choosing them.

Ground Turkey – I find this near the ground beef section of the grocery store. Make sure you choose plain variety (versus the seasoned varieties).

Plain Bread Crumbs – This recipe works best with regular (not panko) bread crumbs. They act as a binder to help form the meatballs. I usually purchase prepared but you can also make your own. If purchasing, watch the ingredient label though as some brands have added sugar (what?! Yes!)

Green Onions – These are sold in small bunches in the produce section of the grocery store. I choose a bunch that has thinner green onions. After chopping them, they blend more easily into the meatball mixture.

Egg – One large egg

Salt – Regular table salt here so it blends easily

Ground Ginger – This can easily be found in the spice aisle of your grocery store.

Peach Preserves – I find this in the jellies and jam section of the grocery store. It’s usually on a lower shelf than the more common jellies like grape or strawberry. For me, it is usually a store brand.

Soy Sauce – We prefer the light soy sauce to cut down on sodium.

Ketchup – I usually buy the store brand to save some money here but any kind of plain ketchup works fine.

How to Make These Easy Meatballs

What makes this one of the best turkey meatballs recipes is how quickly I can make it. There are just a few ingredients and I can seriously have this on the table in under 30 minutes.

In a large bowl (affiliate link), start by combining all the meatball ingredients—the ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, ground ginger, salt and chopped green onions (1). I usually just use my hands to combine everything but a rubber spatula (affiliate link) works pretty well, too.

To form the meatballs quickly and easily, I LOVE to use a small metal scooper (affiliate link) (2). I have had a set of them for over a decade and I use them ALL THE TIME. Some favorites include these Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies or Soft and Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies or Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter Energy Bites.

Next, in a large skillet (affiliate link), place meatballs in batches to brown them on all sides (3). I love these non-stick tongs (affiliate link) to help turn them. Not only are they less likely to stick to the meatballs, they hard heat-safe up to 500°F and won’t scratch my pan. I love it!

As you are turning the meatballs, they are cooking through and are done when they reach at temperature of 160°F (4). The easiest way to check is to use a food thermometer (affiliate link) to check the center of a few of them. I have a digital one that is so handy!

Another test of doneness is when they have a nice outer brown crust, the juices run clear and they are mostly firm to the touch.

Next, make the sauce by combining the peach preserves, ketchup, ground ginger and soy sauce (I don’t have picture of that but it’s simple!). Final preparation details are in the recipe card below.

Make Ahead Prep and Storage Tips

I’ve already mentioned how super easy it is to make these ground turkey meatballs but if you’re looking to make dinner prep even quicker I have a few tips to help you out.

Combine meatballs ingredients in one bowl and the sauce ingredients in another bowl. I like to use these glass storage containers (affiliate link) because they have lids and they store easily in the refrigerator. You can take it one step further and form the meatballs then store in a flat storage container with a lid in your refrigerator.

Are These Meatballs Freezer Friendly?

I will sometimes double this recipe so I can make one for the freezer—kind of like a meal kit. It’s simple to do.

Just use the metal scoop (affiliate link) to scoop and roll out  your meatballs. I use a silicone baking mat (affiliate link) in my half sheet pans (affiliate link) to lay them all out (5).

Then I put the baking tray in the freezer to flash freeze the meatballs. Flash freezing means you freeze the food, oftentimes individual items like these meatballs, until they are solid.

Then gather up all the meatballs and store in a freezer safe ziptop bag. I just got some of resusable silicone bags (affiliate link) similar to these and they are pretty cool! I like to use these reusable freezer labels (affiliate link) with them!

You can also combine the sauce ingredient in a freezer safe bag or container. Make sure you store these together so you know that they can thaw and be prepared together when you are ready to cook and enjoy the meatballs.

To thaw the meatballs, you’ll want to place the frozen meatballs on a tray or flat container with a lid (affiliate link). Then thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at least several hours.

The sauce can thaw in the container it was frozen in but be sure you thaw it in the refrigerator for safe food temperatures.

To make them, just follow the preparation instructions in the recipe card below.

Side Dish Ideas for Ground Turkey Meatballs

I like to pair these amazing turkey meatballs with steamed brown rice and a vegetable. My rice cooker (affiliate link) has saved me so many times from having undercooked brown rice! Some of my family’s favorite vegetables include steamed edamame or roasted broccoli—yum!

The ginger peach sauce adds such a wonderful sweet and sour taste to the meatballs. I like that it literally takes minutes to make the sauce and pour over the meatballs before cooking.

Who doesn’t love a quick and easy, budget-friendly weeknight recipe?

This post was originally published in January 2017 and has been updated in September 2021 with updated photos and content.

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