7 Frozen Turkey Meatballs, Ranked

I love a good meatball. They are such a versatile food. There are all sorts of meatball brands available at the grocery store, from a traditional Italian-style meatball on top of a plate of pasta or a savory Swedish take to Vietnamese style with chili sauce or a tender Mongolian option, there are so many varieties to choose from. Heck, you'll even find an array of plant-based meatball options in freezer aisles all over the world. Sweet, savory, beef, pork, chicken, sans meat — all can offer something different by way of taste, texture, and cooking flexibility. For this article, I looked at turkey meatballs to see which brands are out there and which ones offer up a great bite.

While you won't find quite as large an array as their beef counterparts, there's a pretty decent selection on grocery store shelves. Let's look at seven top brands to see which options are worth the buy and which options should stay far away from any pasta dish you are cooking up. Spoiler alert: This list was pretty underwhelming, but I'll help you decide the best option for your next meal.

Ironically, placing last is the Our Best brand, and I have to say, if this is their best, they should leave the meatball game. I get that turkey meatballs will never be the same as a beef or pork option, but this one just wasn't for me. I'm not sure who it's actually for, but let's look at the breakdown.

I don't know why, but the first flavor I got in the bite was soap. I know this one offers a mix of veggies and herbs within the meat, but there were no fresh flavors here. There was too much herb after a few bites, clogging my palate with unpleasant notes. On top of it all, these were the smallest meatballs in the bunch, offering a tiny bite with a less than appealing flavor. I get that they may have been going for a healthier option here, but this brand (and bite) is a hard no. 

Up next is the Good & Gather brand from Target, offering up their version of the frozen turkey meatball. Unfortunately, this was another fail on my list, as the flavors missed the mark in various ways.

My first question: How are these meatballs super salty, yet they have no discernible flavor? The only thing I could taste was a version of dishwater, not that I'm drinking dishwater on the reg. There were no hints of turkey, no herbaceous notes, and nothing in the profile I liked. They tasted like watered-down meat. How can a food item lack so much flavor with such savory foundations?

While the texture was fine, and they were a decent size, those points are not going to be enough to eat these again. I did like seeing the no antibiotics or hormones on the label, but without the flavor, that label stays on the shelf.

I'd seen the Simek's brand along my travels at stores like Whole Foods, but I'd never stopped to try their many meatball options within the freezer case. From Italian-style to Angus Beef, they have the widest selection on the list. 

Unlike the others, Simek's offers what they deem a classic turkey meatball, featuring Romano and ricotta cheese, along with garlic. From packaging alone, this was the only other option on the list that offered tasty additions mixed into the meat. In theory, it sounded great. In practice, this wasn't exactly a win.

I had one taste reference I couldn't shake with each bite: Wendy's cheese sauce. I have no idea why or how, but that's the aftertaste of these unique turkey meatballs. I wouldn't necessarily say this is a compliment — the cheese is doing something within the meat to remove any connection to turkey or meatballs. Overall, these smell like something you'd order at the mall food court, so when it comes to turkey meatballs, these will not be my go-to brand. However, I am game for trying their other options.

Up next is Walmart's Great Value brand. If you're looking for a breakfast sausage that's masquerading as a turkey meatball, this is your pick.

What I liked right from the start was the smell. I got heavy notes of oregano and a blend of other herbs and spices. This was the only brand to offer an appealing start. They smelled and tasted like a breakfast sausage, a welcome change from some of the other profiles. While it may not be a traditional turkey meatball flavor, it was a much-needed change with a decent bite. 

However, decent isn't great. The smell was far more powerful that the taste, which meant these meatballs leaned bland. After a while, that oregano started to build on my tongue, so for me, these couldn't make it into the top three. There was no balance, just herb. While the texture was fine, these meatballs were small compared to the rest. Would these work well with a pasta sauce? I'm sure. These meatballs land on the unhealthier side of things, but I'm here for flavor — not nutrition.

Breaking into the top three is the Signature Select brand, but let's not get too excited; this one wasn't an epic winner. It simply wasn't the worst.

Featuring no artificial colors or flavors, Signature Select offered a more traditional turkey meatball taste with light salt and some turkey notes, but to be honest, these were still pretty bland. "Lightly seasoned," indeed. They made it to third place because they didn't have any negative lingering flavors, and the size of the meatballs were one of the biggest in the bunch.

While Signature Select's turkey meatballs did taste a little processed, you didn't find that in the texture, which was a total win. I'd say this is a good pasta option, for sure. Pick the right sauce, and these will do just fine in your favorite dish. Just don't expect the best of the best. As I said, this list was underwhelming.

Taking the runner-up spot is the Cooked Perfect brand. This one is a tried and true bag in most grocery stores, offering up a small array of meatball options. While they're not actually perfect, these meatballs were pretty good!

I enjoyed Cooked Perfect's turkey meatballs because they were the first option to have actual flavor, offering some salt and onion within each bite. While they weren't super bold or herbaceous, they were the closest to anything homemade on this list outside of the first place pick. They placed second because after a few meatballs, that onion flavoring grew, but paired with the right sauce, I think they'd add a lot to any pasta dish. 

Overall, Cooked Perfect offered a decent turkey meatball. They were a great size and had no real pitfalls. This is a pretty good turkey meatball option if you're looking to stay away from pork and beef.

Coming in first place is the Rosina brand with their shot at turkey meatballs. I wouldn't call these ones my favorite, and I'm not saying these taste like homemade turkey meatballs, but with the rest of the list being pretty underwhelming, Rosina's flavors got them the gold.

While these meatballs cooked up a little watery (no, not juicy) compared to the rest, the flavor profile was neutral. I did find some of that same breakfast sausage flavoring as Great Value, some light salt and pepper, and I'm pretty sure I tasted some parsley. Honestly, these meatballs offered the most complex bites in the bunch. 

If you're in need of a turkey substitute, I'd go with Rosina. They are middle of the road when it comes to size, and the profile would go great with any pasta or sauce. Don't expect magic, but when it comes to your options in the grocery aisle, this is the one I'd pick.

For this taste test, I went on the hunt for as many frozen turkey meatball brands as I could find. Unfortunately, many brands like Whole Foods' 365 and Aldi have discontinued their turkey meatballs. I found seven options and cooked them all up to determine which meatballs are worth the buy.

I tried one of each, assessing the flavor profiles and textures. I went back in for round two, trying them all again to see if I had my list right. I was mainly looking at flavor, seeking a balance of spices and herbs. While texture and size were noted, they didn't play a part in the overall ranking unless I needed a tie breaker. If the taste was off, they went to the bottom of the list.