Finely dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces and mince the garlic cloves. Chop the parsley finely. Measure out the bread crumbs, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes into a small bowl so everything is ready to add at once. I always use room temperature eggs because they incorporate more evenly into the meat mixture, creating better texture and binding.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, bread crumb mixture from Step 1, diced onion, minced garlic, chopped parsley, room temperature eggs, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix gently with your hands until just combined—overworking the mixture will make the meatballs tough and dense. Stop mixing as soon as everything is evenly incorporated and the texture is uniform.

Using your hands or a small ice cream scoop, form the mixture from Step 2 into 1-inch balls. Place formed meatballs on a plate or parchment paper. At this point, you can choose to bake or pan-fry: baking is more hands-off and produces evenly cooked meatballs with less oil, while pan-frying creates a golden crust and richer flavor. I prefer pan-frying for better texture and browning.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, carefully add the meatballs and fry for 5-7 minutes, rolling them occasionally to ensure even browning on all sides. Continue frying in batches until all meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F when measured with a meat thermometer in the center of the largest meatball. Transfer cooked meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.

If you prefer the baking method instead, preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the formed meatballs from Step 3 on a wire rack set over a baking sheet (the rack allows air to circulate for even cooking). Lightly brush the meatballs with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. The baked meatballs will be slightly less browned than pan-fried but are quicker and require less monitoring.