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These super easy and moist turkey meatballs with rice are the perfect iron-rich finger food for babies, children of all ages, and adults!
Recipe at a Glance
- Freezer staple: Make a double batch and you’ve got dinner ready on the nights you’re running on fumes.
- No breadcrumbs, no egg: The rice does all the binding, making these naturally easier for babies who haven’t tried egg yet.
- Iron-rich, on purpose: Ground turkey is one of the best early sources of iron and zinc, nutrients babies need more of starting around 6 months.
- One recipe, every age: Whole for baby-led weaning, cut up for a toddler, or eaten straight off the sheet pan by you.
- Budget-friendly: Just ground turkey and whatever vegetables are already in your fridge.
“Love this recipe. Do it with chicken, zucchini, broccoli & carrot and the meatballs turned out perfect. Thank you so much for making this page. Almost everything my baby eats comes from your page. Truly appreciated!” – Emma
What makes turkey meatballs special? The rice! In Asian countries, rice porridge is extremely popular as a first food, and it’s what my family insisted was the only acceptable option for my baby at the time.
They thought I’d lost my mind when I told them I was doing baby led weaning and offering their grandson soft finger foods instead.
If you’d rather take the traditional approach of spoon-feeding purees instead of baby-led weaning, that’s perfectly fine too!
If you started out with purees, be sure to move forward with texture by 9 months. I can’t emphasize this enough. It leads to fewer feeding problems down the line and greater food acceptance.
Love this method? Try Turkey Beet Meatballs, Teriyaki Meatballs, or Baby Led Weaning Meatballs next.
Is your baby 6 months old and up?
Learn all the secrets to starting solids safely while optimizing nutrition!
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
I am highlighting just the ones that need further explanation. The complete list is in the recipe card below.
- Ground turkey – I recommend not going any leaner than 93% lean turkey for the best flavor and texture. Feel free to swap with ground chicken, pork, or beef, if you wish.
- Vegetables – you can use whatever you have on hand. Be sure to chop finely. I love using my mini food chopper for small tasks like this. Go ahead and make extra to enjoy throughout the week in oatmeal, French toast, omelette, etc.
- Rice – short or medium grain will work best.
How to Make Turkey Meatballs
You’ll find the full recipe card with all the exact measurements at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Heat sesame oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook vegetables until softened.
Step 2: Add the rice, remaining sesame oil, garlic powder.
Step 3: Add turkey and combine, taking care not to overwork the meat. Shape into balls and place on lined baking sheet.
Step 4: Shape into balls and place on lined baking sheet. This is a trick I learned during our trip to Korea! In a small oven-safe dish(es), add some water and place in the pan alongside the meatballs. This helps create steam and helps to achieve tender meatballs. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Expert Tips
- Mixing order: Combine everything else before adding the turkey; this lets you mix the meat in gently instead of overworking it.
- Don’t overwork the meat: Your hands are the best tool here; mix only until combined, or the meatballs turn tough.
- Even sizing: Use a small cookie or ice-cream scoop for even sizing and even cooking.
- Wet hands: Work with slightly wet hands when shaping; dry hands are the #1 reason meatballs get overworked and sticky.
- Flip halfway: Flip halfway through baking so both sides brown evenly.
- The water-bath trick: A small oven-safe dish of water baked alongside the meatballs is what keeps these tender instead of drying out in the oven, so don’t skip it.
Serving Suggestions
For 6-9 month old baby
Meatballs were one of the first foods I served to both of my kids. Don’t be surprised if not much makes it into your baby’s belly at first. They will most likely just suck on the meatballs, which is great!
It allows for:
- Exposure to a variety of different flavors and texture
- Iron and zinc consumption – yes! they are found in the juices
- Engagement of all senses as they explore food through sight, touch, smell, and taste
- Development of fine-motor and oral-motor skills (like chewing).
Having said all this, if you’re feeling terrified about offering meatballs to your baby, then don’t! Your baby will sense your energy, and it won’t be good for anyone involved.
There are other ways to serve meat (like chicken and beef) and rice, the two main ingredients in these meatballs. So don’t feel pressured. Ever. These meatballs will be here for you when you’re ready. I promise ;).
Here’s how to build a well-balanced plate for babies
For 9+ month old baby
You can start cutting the meatballs into bite-sized pieces once your baby develops their pincer grasp.
For toddlers
You can cut the meatballs into small pieces to make them easier to eat. But do continue offering a whole meatball so they can learn to take bites.
For another recipe little ones love, try my healthy chicken nuggets — they’re soft, flavorful, and perfect for babies learning to self-feed.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in freezer safe container or bag. I recommend using the flash freeze method to prevent them from sticking together.
Turkey Meatballs FAQs
Turkey is an excellent source of protein and essential nutrients that babies need to grow and thrive, including iron, zinc, choline, and B12.
However, it can be a choking hazard if it’s not cooked properly and not served in an age-appropriate way. Check out my chicken for babies post for specific details. Meatballs are a great way to introduce turkey to your baby.
I personally love the addition of rice in these meatballs but you can swap with other grains, like quinoa, barley, and couscous.
Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth, covered, until warmed through; the liquid re-softens the rice and keeps the meatball moist. If they’ve dried out a bit, crumbling them into a little water or sauce brings the texture right back.
Yes! Flatten slightly and pan-fry over medium heat, flipping once, until cooked through.
More Meatballs for Babies
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Turkey Meatballs with rice
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Ingredients
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey , (can use beef, chicken, or pork)
- 3/4 cup cooked rice (150g)
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 cup finely chopped vegetables of choice (100g), (I used broccoli, carrots, spinach)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
- Add the veggies to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. You can also do this by hand.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook vegetables until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the rice, remaining sesame oil, garlic powder. Combine until well-incorporated. If the rice is too hard then microwave briefly to soften.
- Add the turkey and mix gently using hands (don’t overwork the meat!) . Working with wet hands, shape into small-sized balls. I highly recommend using an ice cream scooper.
- Place on baking sheet. In a small oven-safe dish(es), add some water and place in the pan alongside the meatballs.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Notes
- Combine all the ingredients before adding the ground turkey. This will allow you to gently mix in the meat.
- Don’t overwork the meat. Your hands are seriously the best tools for mixing meatballs. You just want to mix until everything is combined. Otherwise, the meatballs will turn out really tough.
- I recommend using a small ice cream scooper to make them the same size.
- When shaping the balls, work with slightly wet hands to prevent them from sticking to your hands. Otherwise, you may accidentally overwork them.
- Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. I personally flash freeze all my baked goods.
This was one of the early recipes I used for my grandson who loved them. They came in handy for his parents.
Can these meatballs be flattened a bit and pan fried instead of baked?
hi! Yes you can!
I now make these all the time for my baby. After storing they get a tiny bit dry but if you reheat them with some water and crumble them they’re perfect, and it’s such a balanced meal for kids!
After freezing these how would you reheat them?
Hi! I would thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven at 350F until warmed through. You can also reheat on the stovetop with some liquid to simmer in – this will keep the meatballs super moist
Love the look of these but baby allergic to rice. Any substitutes?
You can try with quinoa or barley!
My baby loves these meatballs! Would this also work with brown rice?
I’m so glad! Sure!
Hi!
This looks great, would you be able to use leftover already cooked veggies for this? Thinking of using up leftover frozen veggies.
Thanks!
Sure!
Could these be cooked in a steamer rather than the oven?
Sure! Let me know how they turn out :).