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August 25, 2014

Easy Turkey Meatballs

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Easy turkey meatballs
These turkey meatballs are so easy you’ll want to add them to your weeknight dinner rotation!
Easy turkey meatballs with pasta and tomato sauce
 

Easy Turkey Meatballs

 
More often than not I set aside a random Sunday to make big batches of classic meatballs to keep on hand in the freezer. Sometimes I keep an emergency bag of frozen store-bought meatballs on hand because I’ve found that spaghetti and meatball cravings hit at unusual times and it is the worst (!) to not have what you need on hand to feed that comfort food craving. So, long story short, for a long time I didn’t think spaghetti and meatballs was a doable dinner on a random weeknight.
 
And, as is the case with a lot of my long-held beliefs, I proved myself wrong recently. Some days call for long drawn-out prep and cooking and others, like a Tuesday night, need a few shortcuts. These easy turkey meatballs take advantage of the pantry and cook quickly on the stovetop. Translation: Tuesday night spaghetti and meatball craving resolved.
 
Turkey meatballs in skillet

Some Recipe Notes

  • Turkey meat is less fatty than beef and sometimes it’s nice to have lightened-up meatballs, but you can substitute beef or pork (or combination of both!).
  • Put your spice rack to good use! Using onion and garlic powder and dried oregano (or Italian seasoning) means you don’t have to chop or dice anything beforehand.
  • I add some tomato paste to the meatballs for extra flavor.
  • For the cheese, use what you already have on hand. I used feta because it’s what I had on hand when I first made these, but Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano work, too!
Easy turkey meatballs with spaghetti
 

More Meatball Recipes

Citrus-Glazed Chicken Meatballs
 
Braised Meatballs with Buttered Noodles
 
Honey-BBQ Chicken Meatballs
 
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Easy turkey meatballs with pasta and tomato sauce

Easy Turkey Meatballs


  • Author: April @ Girl Gone Gourmet
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 18 meatballs 1x
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Description

These turkey meatballs are so easy you’ll want to add them to your weeknight dinner rotation!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • fresh ground black pepper, 5-6 turns of the mill
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 2 cups store-bought marinara sauce

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl combine the breadcrumbs, egg, cheese, tomato paste, oregano, garlic and onion powders, salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the ground turkey and, mix until just combined.
  2. In a large pan heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. While the pan is preheating quickly form golf ball sized meatballs. Add the meatballs to the pan. Depending on the size of your pan you may need to do this in batches. You want the meatballs to have some space so they brown properly. I used a 5 quart saute pan.
  3. Give the meatballs a chance to brown all over by periodically rolling them around. You may need to adjust the heat up or down. Once browned, lower the heat to medium and add the tomato sauce. Gently stir the meatballs around so they get coated with the sauce. You want the sauce to simmer, so adjust the heat to medium or medium-low. Allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce for at least another 10 minutes. Serve with pasta.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian-American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3 meatballs
  • Calories: 281
  • Sugar: 5.5g
  • Sodium: 906.9mg
  • Fat: 18.8g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.3g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 13g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 10.2g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 18.7g
  • Cholesterol: 90.5mg

Keywords: easy turkey meatballs

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2 Comments

About April Anderson

I’m a passionate home cook, cookbook author, recipe developer, freelance writer, food photographer, and dog mom ❤ I garnish (almost) everything with parsley and believe you can make deliciously amazing dishes with everyday ingredients.

« Cavatappi with Mexican Chorizo & Black Beans
Dinner for One: Easy Pasta with Olive Oil & Garlic »

Comments

  1. Eva says

    August 25, 2014 at 7:57 pm

    I used to hate making meatballs because I din’t like to spend time making the balls and them frying them, but I’m making them more often now. I either put them in the oven or cook them directly in the tomato sauce. I must try them with the feta cheese, it looks yummy. I just use parmesan.

    Reply
    • April Anderson says

      August 25, 2014 at 10:41 pm

      Feta is a nice switch-up on the cheese sometimes — it’s subtle, but a good addition. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m April! Welcome to my food world where I share easy recipes made with everyday ingredients ❤ Whether you’re looking for great dinner recipes or ideas for breakfast, appetizers, sides, or desserts, I have so many delicious recipes to share with you! Learn more… 

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