These turkey meatballs for baby are perfect for babies just starting out with fingers foods. They can be whipped up in no time, thanks to a minimal ingredient list and are easy to freeze, too!
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We’re still getting the hang of finger foods over here.
I LOVE the fact that Alex is able to eat some finger foods these days, since it gives me a little more time to eat my own dinner, prep dinner, whatever it may be. But let’s be real…sometimes, the mess that comes with it is worse.
But heyyyy, that’s what this stage is all about right? Constantly cleaning up messes? ; )
Alex tends to have a pretty heavy gag reflex, and he also loves to shovel as much food as possible into his mouth, so for those reasons (combined with the fact that I tend to be a nervous mama bear) I’ve been cautious on the types of finger foods Alex gets. Most of them are soft and easy to mash, such as bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, and squished peas, to name a few.
While we’re good with fruits and veggies, I still wanted to introduce some protein, which is where these turkey meatballs came into play.
They were incredibly quick to throw together, and the texture is super soft, making them perfect for little ones just starting out (or also, in our case, for those that are still all gums!).
I’ve been offering one meatball for dinner lately, cut up in tiny little pieces (also helping him practice his pincer grasp!). I’d say about 50% of it winds up in his bib, maybe 20% on the floor, and the rest in his mouth on the first try.
We’re getting there. ; )
So if you’re in need of something new/different to offer your babe, give these a shot!
Easy Turkey Meatballs for Baby
Easy {4 Ingredient} Turkey Meatballs for Baby
Ingredients
- 1 lb organic ground turkey
- 1 medium sweet potato cooked and mashed
- 1/2 cup oatmeal cereal*
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking dish with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine all ingredients together, form into approx 20 meatballs.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden and internal temperature reads 165 degrees F. Allow to cool and enjoy!
Notes
Looking for some more recipe ideas for your baby or toddler??
Mini Turkey Apple Toddler Meatballs
Easy Cheesy Spinach Pasta (<—one of the most popular recipes here on STSL!)
Oatmeal Banana Toddler Muffins
Do you have little ones at home? How old are they and what foods are they loving these days??
Caitlin says
Yay these look so good! I’m definitely going to try them for Ella. Thanks :)
Carrie this fit chick says
Sweet tater and applesauce in those? Super creative! Is it odd that I would eat these too? They sound good!
Shaqueefa says
Carrie pls
Sue says
I made them for my babe and ate a couple myself – they are tasty!
Annie says
Ooooh these look great! My son is 15 months and basically hates all proteins. Hopefully he’ll give this recipe a try!
Ashley says
Does it have to be oatmeal cereal or could I sub rice cereal?
Courtney says
I think you could definitely do rice cereal! Same texture so I think the swap would be totally fine.
Rachel says
Do you think this could be made with butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes?
Courtney says
Definitely!
Christina says
Are you supposed to make the cereal or just use the powder part of the cereal?
Shaqueefa says
Meatbawls! Nom!
Kaylee says
It really only takes 20 min? My meat thermometer is broken :/
Christin Sanders says
What can I sub for the apple sauce? My son gets a rash from apple sauce! Maybe I could use some baby food for the moisture? Thank you!
Courtney says
Hey Christin! Yes, I’d say any flavor baby food that would be similar (pears, peaches, etc). Good luck!
Cassie says
Do you freeze them before or after you bake them?
Courtney says
After! :)
Amanda says
Maybe silly question but how do I reheat them after frozen?
Courtney says
I just defrost in the microwave for about 20 seconds at a time until they’re ready!
Andrea says
Is it normal for them to be a little mushy on the inside still? I had them in the oven for almost 30 minutes!!
Courtney says
Hmmm, they shouldn’t be?? Then again, the texture is a little different from a regular meatball. Hopefully they turned out okay for you!
Noelle says
Mine came out mushy from too much sweet potato and applesauce. I added more Turkey and they firmed up nicely. Great recipe!
Kristina Freire says
I kept cooking mine because i wasnt sure if they were done.. i must have cooked them for like an hr and im still not sure they are done i dont have a meat thermometer. They are a bit myshy on the inside but maybe i used too much sweet potato and applesauce.
anne says
Can I use cooked carrots that I pureed for the sweet potatoes?
Courtney says
Sure!
Lindsey W. says
Thank you for this! My son is allergic to eggs but I’ve been looking for recipes to get protein into him! Also, love that these use baby oatmeal that I have leftover! Trying these tomorrow!
Lisa Wilken says
Making these today with a little spinach added and 3 prunes blended in to help keep my squish from getting backed up! Great recipe :)
Danielle says
Made these tonight with organic ground turkey, homemade organic sweet potato purée, homemade organic apple sauce and organic baby oatmeal. And my 7 month old LOVED it thank goodness! I cooked it for 35 minutes just to beat safe. They came out great. Very soft which is perfect for a baby with no teeth yet. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Danielle Z says
Made these tonight with organic ground turkey, homemade organic sweet potato purée, homemade organic apple sauce and organic baby oatmeal. And my 7 month old LOVED it thank goodness! I cooked it for 35 minutes just to beat safe. They came out great. Very soft which is perfect for a baby with no teeth yet. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Barbara says
Thanks for this recipe. My grandson (and son and daughter-in-law) live with us and I care for him during the day. He’s only seven months old but doesn’t want the bottle most of the time and is really ready to eat real food. I was trying to figure out how to get around using eggs in meatballs and love your ingredient list.
Lynn says
Can you use ground meat instead of turkey for this?
Courtney says
I’m sure you could! I’ve never tried it but I would say to just monitor the time and check the internal temperature to make sure they’re fully cooked
Eve says
What is the best way to freeze these?
Courtney says
I freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet then once frozen, toss them into a freezer bag or container!
Eve says
thanks so much! meatballs came out perfectly and my L.O. loves them! :)
Cheryl says
How long are they good for in the fridge and freezer??
Courtney says
I usually do about a week or so in the fridge, and I’ve kept them in the freezer for a few months with no issues!
Cheryl says
Thanks. Made them today and my 8 month old loved them!!!
Maria says
How do I reheat these after I freeze them?
Courtney says
I usually let them thaw in the fridge a bit for a day or so (if possible). Otherwise, I typically defrosted them in the microwave until warmed through
Kelsey says
Silly question — for the baby oatmeal, do you mean just the powdered dry oats? Or with the liquid added (actual oatmeal)?
And if it’s the liquid added also…is that a 1/2 cup total, or a 1/2 cup dry?
Alejandra says
1/2 cup of Just the powdered dry Oats, no liquid added when measured.
Alejandra says
Thank you so much for this recipe! My 10 month old loves them!!! I wish you published this recipe when my almost 3 year old was an infant!
Sarah says
I tried these but after 40 minutes, The highest the temperature got outside of the oven was 130°. Not sure what we did wrong. Any advice?
Courtney says
Hmmmm, that’s odd – 40 minutes would definitely be enough time for these. I know I’ve been having trouble with my thermometer lately…maybe that could be it?
Ellen says
I have had this same issue every time I make them… with several different thermometers so I end up cooking them until they dry out just to be sure. Could it be because of the sweet potato and applesauce that they don’t seem to reach temp?
Ashley Chavis says
Is it suppose to be mushy or a little hard like a regular meatball. Had mine in for 20min ahe doesnt look ready. Cooking more.
Courtney says
They’re definitely a bit more mushy than a regular meatball. Having a meat thermometer is really handy to ensure they’re fully cooked!
Neil says
Random/naive question, do you mix the cereal with water/formula, or just add the oatmeal straight in?
Courtney says
Add it straight in :)
Alison says
These are amazing. I just made them and tried them and can’t wait to feee them to my babe ! She has an egg allergy so it was great to find a meatball sans egg. The consistency seems perfect. I followed ingredients exactly. I cooked at 350 for 15 minutes and flipped them over and let them cook another 15-20 at 300 degrees while I showered. Awesome recipe!
Lisa says
Mine came out way too mushy as well. I wanted a healthy finger food for my 10 month old. However, they fell apart while he was trying to pick them up. So I had to feed with a spoon. Little one really liked them though. Too bad they were so mushy because what I wanted was a finger food. Will search the internet for another recipe.
Sara says
Thanks for sharing how big of a mess babies feeding themselves is! I’m such a clean person and cringe when my daughter (8 months) gets food EVERYWHERE. It’s so much easier to feed her with a spoon, but I have to keep reminding myself that she has to learn to do it herself!
I’m going to give these turkey balls a try this week. Thanks so much for sharing!
Jessica says
My daughter LOVED these!!! I actually used gerber purees because my daughter won’t touch them and I have a whole cabinet full… I used the sweet potato, apple, pumpkin one. She literally ate the whole thing!!! I had one myself.. delicious!
Lucia Salas says
I made this recipe without applesauce and my 8 months old baby boy loved it!! 😊 Thanks for sharing this 😉
Sarah says
Do you just make them with raw meat or do you have to cook the groung turkey before hand??
Courtney says
You use raw meat :)
Heather says
Can you use an egg instead of the applesauce? And what about jarred sweet potato baby food?
Christina says
I’m looking for the same answer..? Can we use an egg instead of applesauce ???
Brynne says
When you say a ‘medium’ sweet potato, what are the approximate dimensions or what’s the equivalent amount in cups? The average sweet potatoes we have at my grocery store are GIGANTIC; I just weighed the one I have in my pantry on my kitchen scale and it’s 2.5lbs and almost as big as my head.
Courtney says
OMG well not that big, lol!! I’d say maybe around 10ish ounces should be good!!
Ciara says
I have to say these turned out terrible for us. after 20 minutes they weren’t remotely close to being done and looked like they had burned on the bottom. I left them for 30 minutes and flipped them and sure enough, the bottom is scorched and they aren’t near as crispy on the outside as i had hoped. Super disappointed.
Erika says
Delicious! Made them for my toddler and 8 month old and they both loved them! Thank you for this!
Patrick says
Can i use like chicken or pork instead of turkey? its not easy to find it here!
Susan Dubose says
I made this for my nearly 10mo daughter and she absoutely scoffed it down. I added some extra veg to the sauce and omitted the parmesan cheese as she’s dairy/egg intolerant.
Eve says
If I want to add a green vegetable to this, what would You recommend? Broccoli or spinach? If so, how much. Thank you!
Callie says
I love finding new ways to jazz up turkey meatballs since I make them so often and I love the combination of flavors in this recipe. I’ll definitely be trying these!
Lori says
Wow this is an amazing recipe! It was very easy to follow and my 20 month-old loves it! Thank you for sharing.
Emily Stimpson says
They can be whipped up in no time
Lisa says
These turkey meatballs these for baby are perfect for babies just starting out with fingers foods. Thank you for sharing!
Daphne says
I made these for my 7 1/2 month old tonight and he gobbled them up! I used 1/2 cup canned sweet potato purée (lazy mom for the win!) and subbed quinoa flakes for the baby oatmeal. I also made them more of an oval shape so I could cut up long strips for him to self feed (not much of a pincher grasp over here yet). They came out perfectly after 15 minutes at 350. Will definitely be making these again!
K says
These look great—I’m going to try this for my pup. :-)
Emily says
Mine also came out mushy, my daughter couldn’t hold it without smushing it. Should I try putting it back in the oven? Or air fryer?
Sue says
These turned out nice and moist which I have been searching for in a meatball recipe for my 10 mo. Not sure why some said they weren’t done even after 20 minutes. Mine were done according to the thermometer and in just looking at them in 15 minutes like the recipe says.