Name: Easy Blueberry Turkey Meatballs {Whole 30, AIP}
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes; 1 pound ground turkey; 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen); 1 cup chopped kale or spinach (fresh or frozen); 1 teaspoon salt; Optional: See flavor variations above

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With only 5 ingredients, these blueberry turkey meatballs are easy to make and pack not only great flavor, but also great nutrition!

This recipe is egg-free, breadcrumb-free, and flour-free!

Wondering how these meatballs hold together without binders like egg, breadcrumbs, and flour?

The secret is the shredded sweet potatoes!

Sweet potatoes have enough starch to hold these meatballs together without any other binding agents.

Step-by-Step Directions for Blueberry Turkey Meatballs with Pictures

Start by shredding the sweet potato.

I usually use my food processor for shredding tasks, however, this is such a small amount to shred, that it also doesn’t take long to do by hand with a grater.

Once the sweet potato is shredded, I recommend turning the oven on to 400 degrees since the remaining steps go fairly quick.

Add the shredded sweet potato and all of the other ingredients to a large bowl.

Use your hands to thoroughly combine the ingredients.

Next, use a cookie scoop or a spoon to portion out the mixture to roll into meatballs.

Feel free to make your meatballs smaller or larger depending on your scoop size or if your family likes a different size better.

You might also consider making them on the small side if you are going to use these as an appetizer, so that they are more bite-sized.

Regardless of the size you pick, you want to aim for them to be even sizes so that they all take the same amount of time to cook.

I usually make 1-inch sized meatballs since that’s the cookie scoop size that I have.

As you roll together the meatballs, place them on a cookie sheet.

Some people suggest putting down parchment paper first, which makes for faster clean-up and ensures the meatballs don’t stick to the sheet.

However, I have a great “wavy” baking sheet that I can use so that my meatballs don’t stick to the pan (see the ridged bottom in the pictures?).

Once all of the meatballs are rolled out, put them in the oven for 20 minutes.

Once the timer goes off, use a meat thermometer to check to make sure that the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees.

Remove from oven and serve hot!

Flavor Variations for Blueberry Meatballs

While these are great on their own, I also realize that I kept the seasoning very simple in this recipe.

I did this intentionally!

This recipe makes a great canvas for you to add additional flavors if desired.

I would try the base recipe the first time, and then make them again with one of these flavor variations!

Thanksgiving Herb Blueberry Meatballs

Just like you are making a Thanksgiving turkey, break out some sage and thyme to season these meatballs!

Add a 1/2 teaspoon each of dried seasoning or 1-1/2 teaspoons each of fresh chopped seasoning.

Both sage and thyme are AIP safe spices.

Spicy Blueberry Meatballs

While I am not a big spicy food person, I do have friends that add hot sauce to seemingly everything.

If you are more in the camp of spicy food, try adding spices with a bit more of a kick.

Try adding either 1 Tablespoon of chili powder, 1 Tablespoon of hot sauce, or 1 teaspoon each of chili powder and paprika.

Please note that these are NOT AIP safe spices.

Blueberry and Basil Meatballs

I love fresh basil!

So obviously I love a good excuse to use basil in my recipes (like in my basil lime chicken stir-fry and in my tomato basil egg casserole).

Try adding 1 Tablespoon of dried basil or a 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil to the meatballs.

Basil is an AIP safe spice!

Cheesy Blueberry Meatballs (not Whole 30 or AIP approved)

Depending on the cheese you choose here, you could add either a subtle flavor or more of a flavor punch to these meatballs.

For a more subtle addition of cheese, try mozzarella, a mild Havarti, or a mild cheddar.

If you want your cheese to be a more predominant flavor, try sharp cheddar, Swiss, or Monterrey jack.

Regardless of which flavor of cheese you choose, add a 1/2 cup of shredded cheese to the recipe.

Dipping Sauces and Glazes for Blueberry Meatballs

Another great way to change up the flavor on these meatballs is with a dipping sauce or glaze.

The dipping sauce that I have shown in the pictures is a homemade blueberry BBQ sauce.

You could also you a regular BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard,or even ranch for dipping sauces.

If you like glazed meatballs, try a balsamic glaze out of a 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 Tablespoons of a sweetener your family uses, a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Cook for 10 minutes or until slightly reduced and pour over the meatballs.

In keeping with the blueberry theme, you could also add a cup of blueberries to the balsamic glaze. Use a blender cup to puree the glaze after it cooks.