Tender Ground Turkey Meatballs With Sauce
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.
Servings: 12 meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated to a paste
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon 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 teaspoons 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 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese
- 2 teaspoons 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
Is your sauce too acidic? Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. This will neutralize the acidity—you'll even see it react as it foams! Let the sauce simmer for a bit before doing a follow-up taste test. If the sauce is still acidic, repeat.
The meatball mixture will feel sticky. This is normal. Just rub a bit of olive oil in your hands to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands and being tacky. This will help you form nice and smooth meatballs.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatball with sauce | Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g
