Turkey zucchini meatballs are not only healthy, but the addition of Greek-style flavors makes them a delicious weeknight meal that your family will love.
What's the deal with meatballs? No matter how I make them - with salmon, teriyaki-style or meatless - my family loves them. And I'm not just talking about the kids. The little boy in my husband makes an appearance when he hears what's baking in the oven. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised - I've felt the same ways about meatballs ever since I was little and, to this day, I can't resist a plate of classic spaghetti and meatballs.
I prepared these turkey zucchini meatballs a little differently than the usual meatballs I make. Typically I would cook them on a baking sheet, then baste with teriyaki sauce or simmer in a saucepan of tomato sauce. Instead, I nestled the meatballs in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, covered them a quick homemade tomato sauce, topped with feta cheese and popped the whole thing into the oven. Twenty-five minutes later, the meatballs and sauce were piping hot and ready to be served over a bed of brown rice, quinoa or whole wheat pasta.
My best tip for making these turkey zucchini meatballs (or any others) is a simple one. Buy yourself a cookie scoop that scoops out 1 ½ tablespoon portions, such as this one. You'll have evenly portioned meatballs in no time!
Other healthy ground turkey recipes:
Cookin' Canuck's Slow Cooker Turkey & Potato Soup
Cookin' Canuck's Grilled Turkey Burgers with Curry Hummus
Beyond Mere Sustenance's Healthy Picadillo (Cuban Style)
My Mommy Style's 30-Minute Healthy Meatball Soup
Joy.Food.Sunshine.'s Slow Cooker Thai Coconut Ground Turkey
Printable Recipe
Greek Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
Ingredients
The meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- ¾ cup grated zucchini water squeezed out
- ½ yellow onion grated
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
The Sauce:
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
The Meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 13- by 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread â…“ cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, zucchini, grated onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, ¼ cup parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Using 1 ½ tablespoons per meatball (a large cookie scoop works well here), form meatballs by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the meatballs, in a single layer, in the prepared baking dish.
- Cover the meatballs with the rest of the tomato sauce and sprinkle with the feta cheese.
- Bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 25 minutes.
- Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the parsley.
The Sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sandi (@fearless_dining)
I love the hidden veggies in these meatballs. Can't wait to try these out 🙂
Laura
These sound AMAZING and So healthy! I usually cook my meatballs before adding sauce as well...but I love that in this recipe you can simply toss everything into one dish and serve!! So healthy!!
Danielle
I've been looking for recipes to use up my zucchini, so I made these for dinner tonight using chicken, they are delicious! Very moist & tender, thanks for the dinner idea!
Dee
These look fantastic. Thanks for the tip -- I'll have to try it next time I make meatballs. 🙂
Cathy Trochelman
Yay for turkey meatballs...and the zucchini makes these so much better! I MUST try them!
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer
Dara, I do not even eat meat but these look FANTASTIC! My family will never turn this recipe down!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
Meatballs are my weakness (my grandmother made the best, and my mom is a close second :)! These look fabulous, and I love the Greek twist to these. Beautiful!
Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen
I love all the nutrition in these and the fact that I could be feeling good about eating meatballs! They look fabulous!
Stephanie
These sounds super flavorful and yummy!