The Best (and Healthiest!) Turkey Meatballs

This truly is the best turkey meatball recipe (in my humble opinion ;-)), and my husband would tell you that it’s his favorite recipe of mine. Leftovers are delicious, so feel free to make extra!

Meet Maggie, my new foster dog!

Doesn’t she have the sweetest face? She is crazy snuggly (which is my FAVORITE).

Because she is so darn cute, Maggie has already been adopted, but we are taking care of her for another week until she is off her medication and all clear to play with other dogs. Like all of our foster dogs, Maggie is very curious about all of the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.

I have been making these turkey meatballs for months now, and it seems like every foster dog goes wild for these. I love watching their little noses perk up as they sniff the air and then begin to scour the floor for a dropped bite.

Our first foster dog used to lick the air continuously when he smelled food in the kitchen — I think he was hoping something would eventually appear in his mouth? It never really got him anywhere, but you can’t fault him for trying!

I know I have said I love trying new recipes whenever I can, but I gotta tell you, I think I make these meatballs once a week now. My coworkers have definitely started to catch on considering how often they make an appearance in the conference room at lunch (they reheat really well). Some have asked for the recipe and now they’re hooked, too!

The weird thing is, I’m not sick of them yet.

I can’t really tell you how many people this recipe feeds. My boyfriend could easily sit there and eat the whole batch (yes, they are that good). But for me, depending on how big I make them, I usually eat 3-4. I’ll leave it up to you.

I like to double the batch so I have extras for lunch the next day. And dinner. And lunch again. Delicious, I tell you!

I serve mine with whole wheat pasta, extra parmesan for sprinkling and sometimes red pepper flakes and fresh basil. These meatballs are also very filling without the pasta, so a side of veggies would be just fine.

They’re addicting!

Print

The Best (and Healthiest!) Turkey Meatballs

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

These are THE BEST Turkey Meatballs! They're healthy and so delicious! Make a large batch and you can freeze the leftovers for future meals.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Ground Turkey, meatballs, pasta, Spaghetti

Author: Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground turkey (I like Empire White Ground Turkey)
• slightly less than 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup
• 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Canola Oil or Avocado Oil
• Any jar of tomato sauce (I love Rao's and Whole Foods 365 Sundried Tomato and Basil)
• Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine the ground turkey, parmesan, egg, ketchup, whole wheat breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. 

2. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of oil to the pan. Form the meatballs to desired size (mine were slightly larger than a golf ball). When the oil begins to smoke, add about 5 meatballs to the pan, ensuring not to overcrowd. Brown the meatballs on all sides, but do not cook through. Remove the browned meatballs a plate layered with paper towels to cool (the paper towels soak up extra oil). Continue this process until all of the meatballs are browned. Remove pan from the heat.

3. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Return all of the meatballs to the pan. Pour about 3/4 of the jar of tomato sauce over the meatballs. Cover the pan and turn the heat to low and bring the sauce to a light simmer. Simmer until the meatballs are cooked through (about 15 minutes), flipping them halfway.

4. Remove from heat and serve immediately on top of whole wheat spaghetti. Garnish with extra parmesan, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil if desired.

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