Turkey Meatballs
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A weeknight dinner winner, these turkey meatballs are tender and full of flavor – and cleanup is a snap!
Photo by Edalin Photography
These turkey meatballs are a lighter alternative to my classic Italian meatballs. They are tender and flavorful despite the lean turkey, thanks to the addition of garlic, onions, basil, and grated pecorino Romano cheese. Pan-frying the meatballs in a bit of olive oil also adds flavor—and since you only need one skillet for the meatballs and sauce, cleanup is a breeze. If you have a good homemade sauce on hand, go ahead and use it, but for those busy weeknights, a good quality jar of marinara sauce, such as Rao’s, gets the job done deliciously. Serve the meatballs over spaghetti or polenta, beside a roasted vegetable, or stuffed into a hoagie roll for a meatball sandwich. They hit the spot no matter how you eat them!
Table of Contents
“These are the best tasting, easiest turkey meatballs I’ve ever made!”
What You’ll Need To Make Turkey Meatballs
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the egg, basil, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and water.
Mix together until well-combined.
Add the onion, turkey, bread crumbs, and cheese.
Mix with your hands until the mixture is uniform.
Lightly wet your hands with water and form the mixture into balls just slightly larger than golf balls. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the meatballs in a single layer.
Brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total.
Pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly with a lid, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with more basil, if desired, and serve.
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Turkey Meatballs
A weeknight dinner winner, these turkey meatballs are tender and full of flavor – and cleanup is a snap!
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil (plus more for serving)
- Heaping ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons minced yellow onion, from 1 small onion
- 1⅓ pounds 93% lean ground turkey (see note)
- ⅔ cup dried Italian style bread crumbs (such as Progresso)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese (plus more for serving)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for cooking
- Large jar (24 oz) good quality Marinara sauce (such as Rao's)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, basil, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and water. Add the onion, turkey, bread crumbs, and cheese, and mix with your hands until the mixture is uniform.
- Lightly wet your hands with water and form the mixture into balls just slightly larger than golf balls (keep wetting your hands as you go to prevent the meatball mixture from sticking to your hands).
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly with a lid, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with more basil and cheese, if desired, and serve.
- Note: For best results, I recommend using 93% lean ground turkey, which is a combination of light and dark meat, rather than 99% lean ground turkey breast, which is all white meat.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meatballs can be frozen in their sauce for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until the meatballs are hot in the center.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 347
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Sodium: 779 mg
- Cholesterol: 113 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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can i use parmesan cheese instead of ramano ?
Sure, Jan, that will work. Enjoy!
I made these tonight for my family. They loved them! Absolutely delicious!
Would these be good with ground beef instead of the ground turkey?
Hi Adrianne, if you want to use beef, I’d suggest this recipe instead. 😊
Just made these! Absolutely delicious.
This is a fabulous recipe – makes tender, moist, delicious meatballs. Highly recommend!
I followed the recipe exactly, and this was delicious. I’ve made a lot of meatballs through my years of cooking & these were probably the best, tender & flavorful. We enjoyed these with spaghetti, a tossed salad, and a glass of really good red wine. Perfection!