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WW Recipe of the Day: 5-Ingredient Low Calorie Lemon Pepper Meatballs
It's that time of year when my husband and I are trying to lose a few pounds. We both tend to be in the habit of walking in the door famished and grabbing the first thing in sight, which is usually chips.
To help us make smarter choices, I try to have quick and easy vegetable and protein options available—ready to just grab and eat—like these easy, healthy, Low Calorie Lemon Pepper Meatballs made with ground turkey. With just 5 ingredients they come together in a snap.
Low Calorie Lemon Pepper Meatballs
And I've moved the chips to a cabinet in the garage! Out of sight, out of mind is proving to be very effective, just link Brian Wansink teaches in his sensational book - Mindless Eating.
Now when we open the refrigerator, we can easily find washed and chopped vegetables, hard boiled eggs, deviled eggs, or some type of protein like these low calorie meatballs. All they need is a quick warming in the microwave (affiliate link) or you can even eat them cold.
How Many Calories and WW Points in these Lemon Pepper Meatballs?
According to my calculations, each 4-meatball serving has 194 calories and:
5 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
How to Make Low Calorie Meatballs
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs and lemon pepper seasoning.
Ground Turkey, Lemon Pepper Seasoning, Lemon Zest & Bread Crumbs
Step 3: In a separate small bowl (affiliate link), whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest (if using) and eggs.
Fresh Lemon Juice
Step 4: Add lemon juice mixture to turkey and gently fold all ingredients together until blended. Using a small cookie scoop (affiliate link) (about 1 tablespoon), shape turkey into meatballs. Place about 22 meatballs on each prepared sheet pan and baked for 17 to 22 minutes, until fully cooked and golden brown.
Making Lemon Pepper Meatballs
Lemon Pepper Turkey Meatballs Recipe Notes
I used a small cookie scoop (affiliate link) (approximately a tablespoon size) to form the meatballs which really speeds up the process and eliminates the need to roll them.
I like this low calorie ground turkey recipe, but if you prefer you could use any type of ground meat - chicken, pork or beef.
To make these meatballs gluten-free or Paleo friendly, just use shredded zucchini or any other type of squash or ground nuts in place of the bread crumbs.
Cooked Lemon Pepper Meatballs
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve meatballs with a baked sweet potato and roasted Brussels sprouts.
- Add to a pita along with lettuce, tomato, and a pickle. Top with tzatziki.
- Serve turkey meatballs alongside rice and a greek salad.
- Keep a serving (4 meatballs) in a small ziplock baggie for a "grab and go" healthy snack.
Leftover Ideas
- Make a delicious low calorie soup by adding them to chicken broth, lemon juice, orzo and fresh spinach.
- Sauté several diced meatballs along with chopped red pepper and potato, add 4-6 beaten eggs to make a delicious frittata.
- Freeze them to use later.
Are You Ready To Firmly Plant YourselfOn The Path To Lasting Weight Loss Success?
If you've made this Low Carb Meatballs, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Lemon Pepper Meatballs
This easy meatball recipe will have you snacking on protein-packed, low-carb lemon pepper meatballs in 30 minutes or less.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time18 minutes mins
Total Time28 minutes mins
Servings (adjustable): 11
Calories: 194
Author: Brenda Garrison | Simple Nourished Living
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- ½ cup bread crumbs, plain (gluten-free or regular)
- ½ lemon, juiced (optional to add the zest of lemon)
- 4 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 eggs beaten
Instructions
Preheat over to 350F degrees.Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease pans and set aside.
Add ground turkey to a large mixing bowl (affiliate link).Add breadcrumbs and lemon pepper seasoning over turkey.
In a separate small bowl (affiliate link) add lemon juice (and zest, if using) and eggs.Whisk until well combined.
Add lemon juice mixture to the turkey bowl.Use your hands to gently fold all ingredients until blended.
Use a small cookie scoop (affiliate link) or shape a tablespoon of turkey into meatballs.Place approximately 22 meatballs per prepared sheet pan.
Cook for 17-20 minutes until meatballs are golden brown.
Recipe Notes
I used a small cookie scooper (approximately a tablespoon size) to form the meatballs, which really speeds up the process and eliminates the need to roll them.
I like this low calorie ground turkey recipe, but if you prefer you could use any type of ground meat.
To make it gluten-free or Paleo friendly, just use shredded zucchini or any other type of squash or ground nuts in place of the bread crumbs.
Serving size: 4 meatballs
Click here to see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site.
5 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Pepper Meatballs
Amount Per Serving (4 meatballs)
Calories 194Calories from Fat 91
% Daily Value*
Fat 10.1g16%
Carbohydrates 4.3g1%
Fiber 0.5g2%
Protein 24.3g49%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy 5-ingredient meatballs, lemon pepper turkey meatballs, low carb meatballs
Did you make this recipe?Mention @simplenourishedliving on Instagram and tag #simplenourishedliving - we love to see your creations!
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
If you enjoy these Lemon Pepper Turkey Meatballs, you might also like:
- Slow Cooker French Onion Meatballs
- 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs
- Skinny Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
Brenda is a licensed esthetician and former small business owner after completing over 15 years of service with the United States military.
She is an essential oil enthusiast and avid home cooking for her husband and their two dogs.
Brenda and her family spend most of their time in the American Southwest, but they also love hitting the road for adventure.
One of her new passions is creating easy, healthy family-friendly freezer meals which can be prepared at home and frozen, and then cooked while traveling the country in their travel trailer.
She looks forward to sharing everything she learns with you here on Simple Nourished Living.
More articles and recipes by Brenda Garrison
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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