Italian Baked Turkey Meatballs

By Rena Awada | Updated On April 29, 2023

Need a little change from your regular meatballs? Try this Gluten-free and dairy-free Italian Turkey Meatballs recipe. We have no doubt that you will love it! Pair them with some quinoa or some whole wheat spaghetti.

italian turkey meatballs


Who isn’t a fan of meatballs? These Italian Turkey Meatballs are great on sandwiches, in pasta dishes, or even just as an appetizer. Meatballs are a favorite because they are so versatile in the kitchen. For example, they can be mixed with a variety of fresh green herbs and spices to change up the flavor. They are also great for those into meal prepping their meals!

Why you will love this recipe

  • Healthy: This turkey meatball recipe is high in protein and made with healthy ingredients to feed the family a delicious nutritious meal.
  • Easy to make: This recipe is super easy to make with just 15 minutes of prep time and is ready in under 30 minutes.
  • Comforting: Nothing tastes more comforting that a nice bowl of meatballs and spaghetti
Italian Turkey Meatballs

This recipe for healthy Turkey Meatballs will leave your mouth watering. These delicious perfectly shaped balls of flavor are made with ground turkey instead of ground beef. This makes them not only healthier meatballs but also gives a slightly different flavor that you are sure to love. Easy homemade turkey meatballs that are perfectly served over whole wheat spaghetti or zucchini noodles.

Ingredients you will need

  • Ground Turkey: use at least 90% lean turkey. You may also use ground beef or ground chicken
  •  breadcrumbs use gluten-free versions if needed: you can also make your own breadcrumbs. Here is how you can make your own breadcrumbs.
  • Seasonings: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried basil, chopped fresh parsley.
  • 1 egg: used as a binder
  • 3 cups marinara sauce Look for a low-sugar, low-fat variety, warmed
  • cooking spray

HOW TO MAKE TURKEY MEATBALLS

  • Preheat the broiler: First, line a sheet pan with foil and coat the foil with cooking spray.
  • Prep the meatball: Place the turkey, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, egg, and water in a bowl; mix until thoroughly combined. You may need to add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to get a smooth mixture.
  • Roll Meatballs: Take approximately 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll it into a ball. Place the meatball on the sheet pan and repeat with the remaining meat.
  • Cook: Spray the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray. Broil for 10 minutes or until meatballs are just done.
  • Serve: Place the meatballs on a plate and pour the marinara sauce over the top. Finally, sprinkle with
    parsley and serve immediately.
italian turkey meatballs

Frequently asked questions

What to serve with turkey meatballs?

These turkey meatballs in a marinara sauce can be served with a variety of side dishes. Here are some options for what you can serve these meatballs with:
Zoodles (also known as zucchini noodles)
Whole grain pasta
Quinoa
Roasted veggies
Cauliflower rice

Can you freeze cooked turkey meatballs?

Freeze-cooked turkey meatballs for up to 2-3 months. Also, allow the meatballs to cool completely and then place them in a tightly sealed airtight container before placing them in the freezer.

How long to cook turkey meatballs?

Time varies depending on the method you are using to cook your turkey meatballs. Here are some methods and how long each takes:
Stovetop: If using a skillet and cooking over your stovetop, then cook the meatballs for about 3 minutes on each side.
Baking: Bake in the oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until a food thermometer reads 165F.
Broil: broil meatballs for about 10-12 minutes or until browned. You may also use a thermometer to be sure

homemade turkey meatball recipe

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Check out these other easy recipes we think you will love:

healthy turkey meatballs

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easy turkey meatball recipe in tomato sauce

turkey meatballs recipe

Italian Turkey Meatballs Recipe

Easy turkey meatballs that are perfect served over whole wheat spaghetti or zucchini noodles.
4.50 from 38 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Low Calorie
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 218kcal
Author: Rena

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey 93% lean
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs use gluten-free version if needed
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 3 cups marinara sauce look for a low-sugar, low-fat variety, warmed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  • Preheat the broiler. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat the foil with cooking spray.
  • Place the turkey, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, egg and water in a bowl; mix until thoroughly combined. You may need to add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to get a smooth mixture.
  • Take approximately 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll it into a ball.
  • Place the meatball on the sheet pan and repeat with remaining meat.
  • Spray the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray. Broil for 10 minutes or until meatballs are just done.
  • Place the meatballs on a plate and pour the marinara sauce over the top, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Alternate option:
If you prefer a warmer sauce, cook the sauce in a skillet over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. Then add the turkey meatballs over the sauce, toss until combined and then serve. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 1526mg | Potassium: 997mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 905IU | Vitamin C: 14.1mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3.6mg
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turkey meatballs recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sam says

    5 stars
    Made these several times and they get better each time. I always do the broil method. Quick, easy, family loves them! Thank you!

  2. Stephanie Gonzalez says

    5 stars
    It’s so simple and delicious. I love it for quick dinners because u just make the meatballs and throw them in the oven and do very little work.

  3. Angela says

    5 stars
    I made these this morning to serve later this week. Both my husband and I had a sample and thought they were very good. Served with marinara or spaghetti sauce, this will be an awesome meal. The meatballs took only a few minutes to mix up, which was a plus. The only changes I made was to add less salt since I need to lower my salt intake and used plain Panko crumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs. Thanks for the recipe!

  4. melany says

    5 stars
    Hello, I am curious, what brand marinara sauce do you use? I’m trying to keep track of my macros so the nutritional info is great but it wont be accurate if I use a different sauce than you.

    Thank you!

  5. Olivia says

    5 stars
    These are so good! I forgot to get breadcrumbs at the store so I had to improvise and I used whole grain rolled oats instead and that worked!

    They’re also so filling – with some pasta I can only have about 3. I doubled the recipe and I freezed the rest and they were still great even days later.

    • Rena says

      I do mostly medium because I tend to get busy doing other things and I burn my food lol. I hope you like it. Come back and let me know how they turn out.

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