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+ servings
ground turkey meatballs on a plate with pasta and slad

Ground Turkey Meatballs

Liz Olberding @ Up North Nosh
Packed with traditional Italian flavors and a little bit of spice, this easy recipe for Ground Turkey Meatballs gives you flavorful and moist meatballs to pair with your pasta every time...but there is a secret ingredient that you can't leave out!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course, Pasta, turkey
Cuisine Italian
Servings 14 people
Calories 80 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large bowl
  • 1 large pot
  • 1 cookie scoop or Tablespoon measuring spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground turkey (93/7)
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 t salt
  • 1 T parsley
  • 1/2 T Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 c parmesan cheese grated
  • 1/2 c bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 c marinara sauce (make my easy homemade version here)
  • 3/4 T crushed red pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, 1 clove of garlic (minced), 1t of salt, 1T dried parsley, 1/2T Italian seasoning, 1/4c grated parmesan cheese, 1/2c plain breadcrumbs, 1 egg.
  • Now for the secret ingredient...1/4 c marinara sauce. Its what keeps the meatballs so moist while they cook. Try my homemade version here.
  • Add 3/4T of crushed red pepper flakes. I always add this to mine and my young kids eat it with no issues as it adds a subtle heat. But if you are sensitive to spice, you can omit this step.
  • I try to keep my meatballs fairly consistent in size for even cooking, so I like to use a cookie scooper or 1T measuring spoon to scoop the meat mixture. Then use the palm of your hands to roll into a tight ball form. (This meat mixture will yield approx 28 meatballs).
  • To cook, drop the meatballs in a pot of marinara sauce and simmer over low-medium heat for 25-30 mins or until they are cooked though.
  • Serve over top of your favorite pasta and Mariana sauce.

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This recipe makes about 28 meatballs which is more than I need for my family for a typical dinner, so I usually freeze half of the batch. Store meatballs in an ziploc baggie in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 2meatballsCalories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 8gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 299mgPotassium: 122mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 247IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg
Keyword ground turkey meatball, meatball
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!