Heat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs and milk until it forms a paste. Let it sit for about 2 minutes so the breadcrumbs fully absorb the liquid. This mixture is what keeps your turkey meatballs juicy—don't skip this step.
Add the ground turkey, egg, onion, garlic, parsley, and mint to the breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper on top. Here's where I usually gently fold everything together with my hands for about 30 seconds.
Don't overmix—that's the enemy of tender meatballs. You want a slightly sticky mixture that just barely comes together. If it looks a little wet, that's perfect and means you're gonna get moist turkey meatballs.
Scoop the mixture into balls using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or your hands. Roll gently between your palms and place them on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about an inch apart. You'll get roughly 20 meatballs from this recipe.
Drizzle the olive oil over the meatballs and roll them around on the sheet to coat lightly. This helps them brown beautifully without drying out. I usually spend about 2 minutes making sure they're evenly coated.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until the outside is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165°F. They'll still feel slightly soft to the touch—that's exactly what you want. Mine always stick a little to the parchment and that's totally fine.
Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving. This lets them firm up so they hold together better when you move them. You can serve them warm or at room temperature, which makes them perfect for meal prep.