These high-protein turkey meatball don't skip a beat in flavor! They're juicy, full of flavor, super tasty and easy to make!

These high-protein turkey meatballs are such a simple, comforting meal, which is sure to please the whole family. They're juicy, flavorful and so tasty when served with pasta sauce (or without, too!). You wouldn't even guess these are healthier, high-protein meatballs!

These turkey meatballs are made with typical ingredients like ground turkey, diced onion, egg, Italian seasoning and grated parmesan. However, to make them high in protein and low in carbs, we replace milk with cottage cheese and use ground pork rinds as a substitute for breadcrumbs (our favorite substitute!).

We simply serve the meatballs with pasta sauce and grated parmesan. And they can be paired with most veggie sides dishes including roasted veggies, zoodles (zucchini noodles) or a salad.

You can prepare them the night before and store in the fridge before baking.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Ground turkey: We buy 93 percent lean turkey that has 7 percent fat.

Pork rinds:  Ground pork rinds are our favorite substitute for breadcrumbs in meatballs since the rinds produce a tender meatballs. We recommend 4505 Chicharrones Pork Rinds. You can use any flavor — we typically use the classic chili and salt flavor. To grind the pork rinds, simply place in a sealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin to smash and roll into small pieces.

Cottage Cheese: Good Culture is our new favorite cottage cheese, which you can buy as low-fat (2% milkfat). If you buy full-fat cottage cheese (4% milkfat), it will be slightly lower in protein, but not by that much. It's best to buy whatever cottage cheese you prefer.

Parmesan: We use freshly grated parmesan in this recipe, but you can use store-bought grated parmesan as well.

Onion & Garlic: Be sure to mince the garlic (we use a microplane grater) and chop the onion finely. We use sweet yellow onion, but any onion you have on hand will do.

Seasonings: We season the meatballs with Italian seasoning, but you could use a combination of similar herbs. Be sure to add salt and pepper (a half teaspoon of each)! We also like to add red pepper flakes for a little kick, but that's up to you.

Step-by-Step Instructions

STEP 1: Heat oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with tinfoil and place a grate on top. Spray pray or spread oil (avocado or olive oil) over the grate.

STEP 2: Pulse cottage cheese until smooth. Smash pork rinds into small crumbs.

STEP 3: In large bowl, mix turkey, pork rind crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic and Italian seasoning. Add whipped cottage cheese and egg and mix until just combined.

STEP 4: Use an ice cream scooper to shape meat into 12 balls (each ball should be a little less than ¼ cup). Place on baking sheet grate.

STEP 5: Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until thermometer reads 165 degrees F at center of meatball. Serve with with pasta sauce and freshly grated parmesan.

WHAT IS CONSIDERED HIGH IN PROTEIN?

We love high-protein meals, snacks and desserts since they help keep you full for longer periods of time. Therefore, you’re less likely to overeat. Wikipedia defines a high-protein diet as more than 20% of calories from protein while Diet Doctor uses 25% go 35% of calories. For more information about a high-protein diet, check out Diet Doctor.

How to Store

You can store the meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More High Protein Meals

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

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