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These easy ground turkey meatballs with sauce are super tender and flavorful. They’re great for anyone trying to eat less red meat or looking for lighter options. You can even make them ahead of time and freeze them!
Table of Contents
- Why These Turkey Meatballs Are So Great
- Ingredients for Turkey Meatballs
- Tomato Sauce Ingredients (Optional)
- Recipe Variations & Modifications
- How to Make Turkey Meatballs With Sauce
- Recipe Tips
- Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- How to Serve Ground Turkey Meatballs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Tasty Ground Turkey Recipes…
- Easy Ground Turkey Meatballs With Sauce Recipe
Ground turkey isn’t exactly known for being super flavorful and moist, but these ground turkey meatballs offer a wonderful surprise with their super tender texture and big flavor. Much like my popular turkey burger recipe! Additionally, these meatballs are SO EASY, as is the sauce they’re cooked in.
Looking for more ground turkey recipes for dinner? These stuffed peppers with ground turkey are fantastic. Ground turkey stir fry is a great weeknight option, and this lasagna with ground turkey meat sauce is Sunday comfort food perfection.
Why These Turkey Meatballs Are So Great
- They’re tender—Ground turkey has a reputation for being dry since it’s leaner than beef and pork. But this recipe results in very tender meatballs every time.
- They’re flavorful—Since fat equals flavor, people prefer ground beef and pork meatballs. But between the seasoning in these meatballs and the sauce they are simmered in, you end up with delicious meatballs that could rival any other.
- They’re healthy—These turkey meatballs are a great option for anyone trying to eat less red meat.
★★★★★
“I recently made your Easy Turkey Meatballs with Sauce, and they were fantastic! The meatballs were tender and flavorful, and the sauce complimented them perfectly. I was impressed by how straightforward and fuss-free the recipe was. This dish has definitely become a new favorite in my household.”
—TAVO
Ingredients for Turkey Meatballs
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground turkey—A 93/7 blend is best.
- Seasoning—I like using my homemade Italian seasoning blend
- Breadcrumbs—I use panko here, but Italian will also work. The breadcrumbs act as a binder to keep the meatballs intact and help with moisture.
- Worcestershire sauce. This adds umami to what’s normally a bland type of meat.
Tomato Sauce Ingredients (Optional)
The homemade sauce is optional; you could also use your own or your favorite store-bought sauce. A full list with measurements can be found in the recipe card.
- Crushed tomatoes. I like a bit of texture to my sauce sometimes so with this recipe, I went with crushed tomatoes. Before adding the meatballs I quickly run an immersion blender through the sauce to smooth it out a bit, but there’s still texture. If you prefer a smooth sauce, you can use puréed tomatoes instead.
- Parmesan cheese. A bit of grated parmesan cheese finishes this sauce off wonderfully. If you save your parmesan rinds, you can pop one in the sauce as it simmers to add some richness and depth.
Recipe Variations & Modifications
- Tomato sauce—The sauce recipe here is so easy, so I love to make it with my meatballs. But you could use your own homemade sauce or a jarred favorite to make things even quicker and easier!
- Breadcrumbs—I use panko, but Italian or homemade breadcrumbs also work.
- Oregano—You can use 1 teaspoon of dry oregano instead of 2 teaspoons of fresh.
How to Make Turkey Meatballs With Sauce
Step 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Place all of the meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl and blend it until with your hands everything is evenly distributed.
Step 2. Scoop about two tablespoons worth of the mixture out of the bowl and roll it into a ball, again, using your hands. Place the meatball onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until the entire mixture has been used up, then pop the tray into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Step 3. Heat the oil in a deep pan until hot. Add the onions and the garlic, and sauté until softened—about 3-5 minutes.
Step 4. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, oregano, and bay leaf. Add a parmesan rind if you have one.
Step 5. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it go, partially covered, for about 20-30 minutes. If you want a smoother sauce, run an immersion blender through it until you get the consistency you prefer. Finally, add the grated parmesan cheese.
Step 6. Once the meatballs have set, carefully add them to the simmering sauce one by one. Spoon some sauce over them and partially cover again. Let the meatballs simmer on low until they’re cooked through.
Recipe Tips
- If your sauce tastes too acidic, even after simmering for a while, stir in 1/4 tsp of baking soda. It’s an alkaline that will help balance the acidity. Don’t add too much, and let it simmer for a bit before doing another taste test because an initial tasting will seem a bit off.
- If the meatball mixture feels sticky, don’t worry. This can happen with ground poultry. Just rub some olive oil into your hands and when you start rolling, the meatballs will form a lot more easily.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- These meatballs and the sauce will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze the meatballs and the sauce separately by spooning the meatballs out with a slotted spoon (there will be some sauce on them, and that’s fine). Let the meatballs cool, then place them into a freezer-friendly bag. Press the air out and seal them in tightly. The sauce can be stored in a freezer-friendly air-tight container.
- To reheat, simply place the meatballs and sauce in a deep pan and simmer on low, partially covered, until the meatballs are heated through.
How to Serve Ground Turkey Meatballs
I love serving these saucy meatballs over pappardelle pasta. It’s also great with a nice fresh hunk of Dutch oven bread and a salad with some delicious homemade Caesar dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Having a good binder is important, like breadcrumbs or an egg, and refrigeration is key. Just 30 minutes in the fridge will help the meatballs keep their form.
It depends on the style of the dish. In this recipe, since we’re working with Italian flavors, garlic, onion, and herbs work super well. I like to add some Worcestershire sauce for richness and depth, as well.
More Tasty Ground Turkey Recipes…
If you try these Ground Turkey Meatballs With Sauce, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Easy Ground Turkey Meatballs With Sauce
Ingredients
TURKEY MEATBALLS
- 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated to a paste
- 1 TBSP worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp freshly chopped thyme, If you don't have fresh thyme, you can use dried thyme or dry Italian herbs
MARINARA SAUCE
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes (jar, carton, or canned), Use puréed if you want a smoother sauce
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 TBSP freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese
- 2 tsp freshly chopped oregano, You can use dry, but if using dry herbs, only use 1 tsp
- Sea salt and cracked pepper, to taste
TO SERVE
- Freshly chopped basil
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set it aside.
- Put all of the meatball ingredients into one large mixing bowl. With your bare hands, blend until everything is well distributed.
- Using a spoon, scoop up about two tablespoons worth of the meat mixture and roll it into a ball. Place the meatball onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat this until the entire mixture has been used up.
- Transfer the tray into the fridge; chill for 30 minutes. (This will let the meatballs set so that they don't fall apart.) Now, get your sauce started.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium-low. Add the onions and the garlic, and sauté until they're softened and fragrant—about 3-5 minutes. Next, stir in the tomatoes, salt, oregano, and bay leaf. (If using a Parmesan rind, add that now as well.)
- Let the sauce come to a simmer and then simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes, partially covered. If you want a smoother sauce, run an immersion blender through it until you get the texture you desire. (I partially blend mine so it's smoother but still has some chunky tomatoes present.) After 20-30 minutes is up, stir in the grated parmesan cheese.
- When the meatballs are ready to come out of the fridge, carefully transfer them to the simmering sauce one by one. Spoon a bit of sauce over them and partially cover the pan again, letting the meatballs simmer on low until cooked through with an internal temperature of 160-165º F.
Love this turkey meatballs recipe, looks so delicious and is easy to make. Will have to make this for dinner soon. Thanks for sharing :)