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    Home » Recipes » Chicken & Turkey

    Hearty Turkey Meatballs

    Published: Sep 24, 2013 · Last Updated: May 10, 2022 · 9 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Meatballs are classic comfort food no matter where you hail from.  Here I offer you my take on turkey meatballs made with herbs, onions and gluten-free breadcrumbs (but you can use wheat). Meatballs, done healthy, for fall and winter. Serve meatballs for dinner or a hearty game-day snack with toothpicks.

    Turkey meatballs in a serving dish
    Turkey meatballs with sauce in a serving dish.

    Meatballs: Classic and Economical

    I have been making a lot of turkey burgers for lunch lately, so I decided to use some of the extra meat for turkey meatballs. They came out so good, I couldn't wait to share the recipe.

    Meatballs are a nice dinner going into cooler weather and they are economical too. This recipe uses just one pound of ground turkey and serves 4-5 people.

    Add onions, garlic, herbs and gluten-free breadcrumbs. You can use regular breadcrumbs if you are not gluten-free.

    Making turkey meatballs
    Portioning meatballs with a tool called a disher makes it fast and easy.

    Tool Tip: The Easy Way to Portion Meatballs

    One the my favorite kitchen tools is called a disher.  They look like ice cream scoops with a squeeze handle. I have them in sizes #16, #30,# 40, #60 and #100 to portion everything from muffins to salads and desserts to appetizers.

    The perfect size for meatballs is the #40.  You can buy them on Amazon. If you don’t want to use a disher, use a tablespoon for a rounded, approximately 1 ½″ meatball.

    Scoop a level portion of turkey mixture with the disher. Plop onto a plastic lined rimmed baking sheet. When you have all of the turkey portioned out, go back and gently roll them into balls with your hands. Disposable kitchen gloves help.

    meatballs

    Cooking Meatballs

    To cook, brown the meatballs in a little olive oil, turning them as they cook in a non-stick saute or fry pan. When brown all over, pour the sauce over the top and simmer, covered, until turkey is no longer pink. It will take just a few minutes.

    Turkey meatballs browning in a pan
    Turkey Meatballs Browning in the Pan

    Sauce for Meatballs

    To top the meatballs, use your favorite, healthy jarred sauce or make my Roasted Tomato Marinara or 30 Minute Pasta Sauce. The rich flavors and chunky style work great.

    30 minute pasta sauce in jars
    Homemade 30-minute pasta sauce.

    Meatball Serving Ideas

    Serve meatballs as a main dish or as an appetizer (with toothpicks) for watching your weekend games. I love leftovers for lunch, and they freeze well.

    To Serve as a Main Dish

    For the base, use either a brown rice pasta, soft, creamy polenta or for lower-carb, use zucchini noodles or baked spaghetti squash. If you are using brown rice pasta, the best brand I have found is Jovial. Try their spaghetti and other shapes as well. No one would ever know it was not regular pasta! The taste and texture are terrific.

    Never made polenta? It’s easy, and another good gluten-free option. I use Bob’s Red Mill polenta. Both are non-GMO corn, so chose what is best for you. I cook my polenta in chicken broth for a little more flavor than water, and add garlic, onion, Parmesan and chives.

    Turkey Meatballs with Polenta

    For a grain-free meatballs recipe try these easy grain-free meatballs with your favorite sauce.

    Turkey meatballs

    Turkey Meatballs

    Classic comfort food, all cultures have their take on meatballs. Here is my recipe, made with ground turkey and gluten-free breadcrumbs.  I use roasted tomato marinara for sauce and serve over creamy polenta. You could also use brown rice pasta. Garnish with extra sprinkles of grated Parmesan and fresh chopped herbs if desired.
    Print Recipe Rate Recipe
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    Course: Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: meatballs, Turkey
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 286kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound ground turkey 93%
    • 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs (GF or wheat) preferably homemade
    • â…› teaspoon red chile pepper
    • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
    • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
    • ½ cup finely chopped onion
    • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
    • 3 cloves garlic minced fine
    • 2 teaspoons olive oil plus extra for pan
    • 1 large egg
    • ½ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper

    To Serve

    • 3-3 ½ cups Your favorite pasta sauce
    • Polenta, pasta, zucchini noodles or baked spaghetti squash

    Instructions

    Blend Meatball Mix

    • In a medium bowl with your hands, mix ground turkey, breadcrumbs, red pepper, herbs, onion, Parmesan, garlic, oil, egg, plus salt and pepper.

    Form Meatballs

    • Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and portion out approximately 26 meatballs. Use a #40 disher or a tablespoon. Gently roll them into round balls. Meatballs should be about 1 ½″ in diameter.

    Cook Meatballs

    • Drizzle a little extra olive oil (about 1-2 teaspoons) into a large non-stick pan. Over medium heat, cook meatballs on all sides until lightly browned, turning as needed. Pour marinara over the top and bring to a strong simmer, until bubbling hot, turn heat down to low, cover and cook until turkey is barely pink when you cut open a meatball, about 8-10 minutes.

    Add Sauce and Serve

    • Serve over polenta, pasta of choice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash noodles or alone with the sauce and a garnish of grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped herbs if desired.

    Notes

    Nutritional values do not include the sauce or type of pasta chosen or sauce. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 258IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says

      September 25, 2013 at 10:38 am

      What a good idea to serve over polenta. Another great dish.

      Reply
    2. Sarah says

      September 28, 2013 at 8:36 pm

      This looks amazing! I can't wait to try it. Thank you!!

      Reply
    3. Mary@SiftingFocus says

      September 28, 2013 at 8:56 pm

      Sally, this is truly one of my most favorite meals - meatballs over polenta. I make meatballs all the time but I am rarely wowed by their flavor. Since I prefer turkey meatballs over beef, I am going to give your recipe a try.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        October 02, 2013 at 9:43 pm

        Hi Mary. Know what you mean. Turkey can be bland, so I tried to up the taste with the herbs, aromatics, and a very flavorful sauce, then Parmesan polenta. You probably have your own recipe. I will post mine soon. Easy and tasty whether you eat GF or not. Let me know what you think on the meatballs. Hope you like them.

        Reply
    4. Tonya Holcomb says

      November 04, 2013 at 6:43 pm

      Sally, Would you please e-mail me the Polenta recipe? Since I have some Bob's Red Mill Polenta, I would like to try this comfort food. I will have to tell my southern family it is grits, since they will not know polenta! 🙂

      all my best, Tonya

      Reply
      • Sally says

        January 01, 2014 at 2:24 pm

        Be happy to Tonya! You've reminded me I did not post it. Got to get that done!

        Reply
    5. Annie says

      February 16, 2014 at 4:19 pm

      Hi -

      Do you have any tips on making these to freeze and use at a later time?

      Reply
    6. Annie says

      February 26, 2014 at 8:14 pm

      Hi! Do you have any tips for making these and freezing for future use?

      Reply
      • Sally says

        February 28, 2014 at 12:44 pm

        Hi Annie. I do that all of the time. Cook them all of the way, place in a tight container and cover with sauce. Try the new 30 Minute Tomato Sauce I just posted. It's great wtih the meatballs. Be sure to label and date your container.

        Reply

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    Hi!, I'm Sally, a professionally trained chef and health coach. Join me in living and cooking gluten-free for your best life ever!

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