Name: Garlic Parmesan Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey; 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided; 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs, divided; 1 egg; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp ground black pepper; 6 cloves garlic, minced, divided; 4 tbsp chopped parsley, divided; 1-2 tbsp oil; 4-6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided; 3 large zucchini, spiralized

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You know how much I love a meatball recipe, so let me introduce you to one of my favorite low-carb meals: Garlic parmesan turkey meatballs with zucchini noodles! Zoodles are a light (and fibrous) alternative to pasta if you’re trying to cut carbs, and the garlic parmesan meatballs are buttery, garlicky, and perfectly cheesy. The carbs *I* cut, however, are the slices of toasted bread that I serve alongside this easy dinner recipe.

a bowl of zucchini noodles topped with garlic parmesan turkey meatballs and a side of toasted bread

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When I need a light, veggie-packed meal, I love to make a bowl of zoodles with my favorite protein. This garlic parmesan turkey meatball and zucchini noodle recipe is the perfect recipe to add to your healthy dinner rotation. Somehow, spiralizing a zucchini to make zucchini noodles makes it incredibly easy to eat an entire zucchini. The meatballs and noodles are tossed in a garlicky, buttery parmesan sauce with lots of fresh parsley. It’s topped with some toasted panko breadcrumbs to add some texture to the zoodles, too!

Zucchini Noodles with Garlic Parmesan Turkey Meatballs

I’m a lover of all things meatballs (there’s an entire section called “Meatballs” on my blog for a reason). I grew up eating a diet almost exclusively made up of spaghetti and meatballs. As I got older and my metabolism slowed down a bit, but I wanted to keep eating spaghetti and meatballs, I created this lighter, more veggie-packed version of one of my favorite dishes.

There meatballs were also inspired by my favorite kind of wings: garlic parmesan wings. I’m not really a huge fan of chicken wings, but toss them in garlic butter and parmesan and I’ll eat a whole plate.

Why you’ll love this recipe

It’s made in one pan. All you need is a large skillet to cook these meatballs AND zoodles!
It’s delicious. You can’t go wrong with the combo of butter, parmesan, garlic, and parsley. It’s such a simple and delicious sauce!
It comes together so quickly. The meatballs take only a few minutes to mix and roll, about 12-15 minutes to cook in the skillet, another couple of minutes to toss it in the sauce, and the zucchini noodles cook in 1-2 minutes. Dinner is on the table in under 30 minutes for the perfect easy weeknight meal!
It’s low carb. If you’re looking to cut back on your carb intake for any reason, this recipe’s for you. If you’re keeping a keto diet, you can even replace the panko breadrumbs with almond meal or coconut flour.

Ingredients for Garlic Parmesan Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles

Zucchini. A low-carb pasta alternative, and a delicious way to eat more veggies!
Ground turkey. Use 93% lean ground turkey for the best meatballs! Any leaner and your meatballs will be really dry.
Egg. A binding agent in the meatball mix.
Breadcrumbs. You’ll use panko breadcrumbs both in the meatball mix and as a toasted crunchy element to top your zoodles!
Parsley. Adds some freshness to the balls, and used as a garnish.
Garlic. Can’t make garlic parmesan meatballs without lots of garlic!
Parmesan. Can’t make garlic parmesan meatballs without the parmesan!
Butter. This is the base for the garlicky parmesan sauce that we’ll make to finish off the meatballs.

How to Make Garlic Parmesan Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles

Keep scrolling to find the fully written recipe with all ingredients and measurements. Here is a step-by-step visual guide to making this super easy meatball recipe!

Mix and form the meatballs. Add ground turkey, egg, panko, parsley, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and use your hands to mix the ingredients together. Form 14-16 meatballs.
Cook the meatballs. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Then add meatballs and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through to 165ºF internal temperature.
Make the sauce. Add butter to the skillet with the meatballs and let it melt. Then add minced garlic and finely chopped parsley. Toss to coat the meatballs, then add parmesan and toss. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Do not clean the pan.
Toast the breadcrumbs. Add panko breadcrumbs to the skillet and toast for 1-2 minutes, toss and continue to cook until golden brown and toasted. Set aside.
Cook the zoodles. If the pan is dry, add 1-2 tsp olive oil, then add the zucchini noodles to the skillet. Toss and cook for 1-2 minutes until fork tender but not soft and soggy.
Serve. Add the meatballs back to the skillet, top with toasted breadcrumbs and more parmesan. Serve with toasted bread.

ingredients for garlic parmesan turkey meatballs in a mixing bowl include parmesan, ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper, and garlic — In a mixing bowl, combine turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Rolled, uncooked garlic parmesan turkey meatballs — Mix the meatball ingredients together, then form about 14-16 meatballs.

Garlic parmesan turkey meatballs cooking in a skillet — Heat oil in a skillet, then cook meatballs for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping at least twice until meatballs are cooked through to 165ºF internal temperature.

Knobs of butter added to a skillet with garlic parmesan turkey meatballs — Add cold butter to the pan and let it melt.

Garlic and parsley added to a skillet with turkey meatballs and butter. — Add garlic and parsley to the pan with the melted butter and turkey meatballs and toss until meatballs are coated.

parmesan added to a skillet with garlicky turkey meatballs — Add freshly grated parmesan to the pan and toss to coat the meatballs. Then remove from the pan. Do not clean the pan.

Panko breadcrumbs toasting in a buttered pan. — Add panko breadcrumbs to the pan to toast in any leftover butter. Then remove from the pan and set aside.

Zucchini noodles cooking in a pan. — If the pan is dry, add a teaspoon or two of olive oil, then add the zucchini noodles. Toss the noodles for about 1-2 minutes until they become tender, then remove from the heat.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Make it vegetarian. Use a plant-based ground meat instead of ground turkey!
Make it vegan. Replace turkey with a plant-based ground meat. Replace the egg with a flax egg. Use plant-based parmesan and vegan butter.
Make it gluten-free. Use gluten-free panko or gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of regular panko breadcrumbs to make this gluten-free!
Choose your meat. If you’re not a fan of ground turkey, you can use ground chicken, ground beef, or ground pork instead!

Storing and Reheating

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a microwave for 1:30-2 minutes, or reheat the meatballs on the stovetop in a pan over medium heat until meatballs are heated through. Add the leftover zucchini noodles toward the end of reheating so they don’t get too soft.

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