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!
1/4cmarinara sauce (make my easy homemade version here)
3/4Tcrushed 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.