Description
These Air Fryer Ground Turkey Meatballs are juicy, flavorful, and packed with a smoky-sweet chipotle sauce. Made without breadcrumbs or eggs, these meatballs come together quickly using simple pantry ingredients and cook in just 14 minutes in the air fryer, making them perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chipotle Sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 chipotle in adobo peppers (from the can)
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoons honey chipotle sauce (from above)
- 1 teaspoon dried chives (optional)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Olive oil or avocado oil spray (for air fryer basket)
Instructions
- Make the chipotle sauce: Combine honey, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, chipotle peppers, sea salt, garlic powder, and ground cumin in a blender. Blend on high for about 1 minute until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Prepare the meatball mixture: In a large bowl, mix the almond flour, 3 tablespoons of the prepared chipotle sauce, dried chives (if using), sea salt, and garlic powder. Stir well until evenly combined.
- Add ground turkey: Add the ground turkey to the bowl and gently stir until the sauce mixture is evenly incorporated. Avoid overmixing to keep the meatballs tender.
- Form meatballs: Use a tablespoon scoop or spoon to portion out the mixture, forming approximately 14-15 meatballs.
- Prepare air fryer: Spray the basket of your air fryer with olive or avocado oil to prevent sticking. Place the turkey meatballs inside the basket making sure they are not touching or overlapping.
- Air fry the meatballs: Cook the meatballs at 375°F for 14 minutes. After 8 minutes, pause the air fryer and carefully flip the meatballs using silicone-lined tongs to ensure even cooking. Resume cooking for the remaining 6 minutes.
- Rest and serve: Once cooked, let the meatballs cool for 3-5 minutes. Serve topped with extra honey chipotle sauce to taste.
Notes
- Juicy, saucy, and packed with smoky-sweet chipotle flavor, these air fryer turkey meatballs are anything but boring.
- Made without breadcrumbs or eggs, making them a great gluten-free option.
- Ready in just about 20 minutes, ideal for quick, busy weeknight dinners.
- You can customize the heat level by adjusting the number of chipotle peppers used.
- For a lower-fat option, use lean ground turkey breast.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 274
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
