How to Make Good, Quick, and Inexpensive Air Fryer Ground Turkey and Pesto Meatballs (Diabetic Friendly)
- Leigh
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
These meatballs are simple to make and really good, either plain or with a sauce. They also are quick to make in the air fryer and come out nicely browned outside and moist in the interior. You can use homemade or commercial pesto. I like to mix up and cook a batch for dinner, then freeze any extra meatballs for "emergency" meals later. You can simply pop the cooked, frozen meatballs into sauce and heat them up in a pan or even in the microwave. The meatballs, with plenty of lean protein, are great if you're on a diabetic diet or want to "eat healthy." Whole grain English muffins (or bread) increases the fiber content of the meatballs and reduces the likelihood of blood sugar spikes. We like the meatballs "as is" and topped with tomato sauce over whole-grain pasta. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Ground Turkey and Pesto Meatballs (Diabetic Friendly) -- Makes 14-15
16 ounces of lean ground turkey (93 or 90 percent)
1 cup of pesto
1/2 teaspoon of salt (reduce to 1/4 teaspoon if you're using commercial pesto, which is
salty)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of minced dried onion
1 whole-wheat English muffin, crumbled (or use a slice or two of whole-grain bread)
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
Spritz an 8-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside (or line your air fryer basket with a piece of aluminum foil and spritz the foil). In a large bowl combine the turkey, pesto, salt, egg, and dried onion and mix them well. Add the crumbled muffin/bread and grated Parmesan and mix them in until incorporated. Form 14-15 meatballs--I use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to form balls--and drop the balls in the prepared pan/on the foil. Air fry the meatballs at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until browned and an instant-read thermometer registers at least 165 degrees. Let the meatballs stand a few minutes before serving them, plain or with a sauce.
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