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Tender, well-seasoned ground turkey meatballs in a good sauce. They’re lighter than the beef version, just as satisfying, and the kind of thing worth making a double batch of and keeping in the freezer.
Ground turkey isn’t exactly known for being super flavorful and moist, but these ground turkey meatballs defy expectations in every single way. Simmered in a savory, tangy tomato sauce, the meatballs are tender, well-seasoned, and simple enough to keep in regular rotation.
While you’re swapping out red meat, bookmark this turkey burger recipe—it’s a reader favorite! Then consider these cheesy stuffed peppers with ground turkey or my weeknight-friendly ground turkey stir fry. And when you want something more involved, the lasagna with ground turkey meat sauce is Sunday comfort food perfection.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love These
- Ingredient Overview
- How to Make Turkey Meatballs With Sauce
- Substitutions & Variations
- What I Learned While Testing This
- Storage & Reheating
- Ways to Serve Ground Turkey Meatballs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tender Ground Turkey Meatballs With Sauce Recipe
- More Tasty Ground Turkey Recipes
Why You’ll Love These
- Easy prep: No bread-soaking required to achieve tender turkey meatballs.
- Tender and flavorful: The right amount of breadcrumbs and seasoning is what makes the difference here.
- Light but still comforting: Leaner than beef or pork meatballs, but still super satisfying.
- You can freeze them: Make a double batch for future use!
★★★★★
“I recently made your Easy Turkey Meatballs with Sauce, and they were fantastic! The meatballs were tender and flavorful, and the sauce complemented 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
Ingredient Overview
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground turkey: A blend of 93% lean and 7% fat is ideal to achieve the right amount of tenderness. Fat-free could yield dry meatballs.
- Seasoning: Italian seasoning is a great option because it covers all of the herbs you want. I use my homemade Italian seasoning blend.
- Breadcrumbs: I like panko, but Italian will work. The breadcrumbs act as a binder to keep the meatballs intact and ensure moisture.
- Worcestershire sauce: This adds umami and helps with moisture retention.
- Tomato sauce: I’ve included a quick and easy tomato sauce recipe in the recipe card below. If you have your own homemade sauce you prefer, or if you want to streamline things and use a store-bought jar, that’s totally fine.
How to Make Turkey Meatballs With Sauce
Step 1: Form the Meatballs
Blend the meatball ingredients, then scoop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture from the bowl. With your hands, roll it into a ball and place it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until the entire mixture has been used, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Make the Tomato Sauce (Optional)
Heat oil in a deep pan until it’s hot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, oregano, and bay leaf. Let it all simmer, partially covered, for 20-30 minutes. Stir in the grated Parmesan.
Tips
- If you have a Parmesan rind kicking around, pop it into the sauce for extra flavor and richness.
- For a smoother sauce, run an immersion blender through it until you reach the desired consistency.
Step 3: Simmer the Meatballs In the Sauce
Once set, transfer the meatballs to the sauce. Spoon a bit of sauce over them, then simmer, partially covered, until the meatballs are cooked through and register 160ºF with a meat thermometer. This should only take about 15-20 minutes.
Substitutions & Variations
- Gluten-free option: Use Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs instead.
- Add a bit of heat: Add a few pinches of red chili flakes to the meatball mixture or the sauce as it simmers for a nice little kick.
- Soy sauce: Use in place of Worcestershire sauce if needed; opt for a low-sodium variety.
What I Learned While Testing This
- When the tomato sauce tastes too acidic—it’s usually one of three things: the tomatoes weren’t quite ripe, you used a naturally acidic variety, or you let the sauce cook down a little too enthusiastically.
- The fix: add a small pinch—about ¼ teaspoon—of baking soda and give it a stir. It’ll bubble up a bit (that’s the acid doing its thing), helping mellow out the sharpness and bring the sauce back into balance.
- Sometimes the meatball mixture is too sticky to roll—this is pretty common with ground poultry, which tends to be softer and stickier than beef.
- The fix: A little olive oil rubbed onto your hands before rolling goes a long way. It keeps things from getting messy and helps those meatballs come together beautifully.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Ground turkey meatballs can be stored in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Transfer the meatballs to a sheet pan with a slotted spoon (some sauce will remain on them and that’s fine). Place the sheet pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until frozen solid, then transfer the meatballs to a freezer-safe bag in a single layer. Press the air out and seal them in tightly. Store the sauce in a freezer-friendly, airtight container. Transfer to the fridge the night before.
- Reheat: Place the meatballs and sauce in a deep pan and simmer on low, partially covered, until the meatballs are heated through.
Ways to Serve Ground Turkey Meatballs
- With pasta: I love them over thick, chewy pappardelle pasta, but you can serve them over any of your favorite noodles.
- On a hoagie: nestle the meatballs into a fresh hoagie with some sauce, top with slices of provolone, and pop them under the broiler for a few short minutes to melt the cheese.
- With salad: my go-to is a nice Caesar salad with homemade Caesar dressing or a nice big Greek salad with feta.
- Veggies: Parmesan-roasted zucchini, roasted mini potatoes,
Frequently Asked Questions
To keep turkey meatballs from falling apart, I rely on 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and 1 egg per pound of ground turkey, plus some time in the fridge to set (at least 30 minutes).
Though an egg isn’t a strict requirement, it’s doing real work here. It binds the meatballs and holds onto moisture that ground turkey, being leaner than beef or pork, would otherwise lose. Skip it, and you risk meatballs drying out or falling apart.
Tender Ground Turkey Meatballs With Sauce
Ingredients
- 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 Italian seasoning
- 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
- 2 24-oz jars of your favorite marinara OR make the sauce below.
Marinara (Optional)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped 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, from the ground turkey to the chopped thyme, into one large mixing bowl. Blend with your bare hands until everything is well distributed—care not to overmix.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop up about 2 heaps 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 to chill for 30 minutes. (This will let the meatballs set so that they don't fall apart.) If making the marinara, you can start that now.
Marinara Sauce
- Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté until they're softened and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- 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. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes, partially covered.*For 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 it still has some chunky tomatoes.)
- After 20-30 minutes, 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 with a meat thermometer.
Notes
Nutrition
More Tasty Ground Turkey Recipes
View more ground turkey dinner recipes here!
Love this turkey meatballs recipe, looks so delicious and is easy to make. Will have to make this for dinner soon. Thanks for sharing :)