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Turkey Meatballs
The best turkey meatballs—juicy, easy, and healthy, simmered in Italian tomato sauce and perfect for pasta, sandwiches, or meal prep.
Ingredients
- 1.3 pound package ground turkey (93% lean)
- 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (or gluten-free crumbs)
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese ( or Parmesan cheese, grated)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 egg
- 1 large clove garlic (grated or minced)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (and fresh black pepper, to taste)
For the marinara sauce:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (extra virgin)
- 4 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (I swear by Tuttorosso)
- 1/2 small onion (cut in half but don't chop)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup chopped basil (fresh )
- kosher salt (and fresh black pepper, to taste)
Instructions
- In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. Add crushed tomatoes, onion, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and bay leaf. Stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer on low 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic and cheese. Using wet hands, mix all the ingredients well until everything is combined. Form small meatballs, about the size of a ping ping ball (1/8th cup each).
- Brown the meatballs in a skillet, or in the broiler on a sheet pan until the tops are golden, 7 to 8 minutes. You can also bake them in the oven 400F about 18 to 20 minutes. If you want to save time, gently plop them right into the sauce without browning.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer on low about 20 minutes, covered. Discard the bay leaf and onion and serve over pasta or whole wheat Italian bread.
Notes
You can make them with 99% lean turkey although they will be more dry, if you do.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days.
Meal Prep: Double the batch and freeze them up to 3 months.
Meal Prep: Double the batch and freeze them up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 4meatballs with sauce, Calories: 280kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 25.5g, Fat: 11.5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 104mg, Sodium: 997mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 10.5g
- WW Points: 2