These Greek-style baked turkey meatballs are packed with flavor and are so, so tender. Bake them in a dish with homemade tomato sauce, topped with tangy feta cheese.
What's the deal with meatballs? No matter how I make them - with salmon, teriyaki-style or meatless - my family loves them. And these baked turkey meatballs are no exception. 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 simmer in tomato sauce. Instead, I nestle the meatballs in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, cover them with a quick homemade tomato sauce, top with feta cheese and pop the whole thing into the oven.
Twenty-five minutes later, the meatballs and sauce are piping hot and ready to be served over a bed of brown rice, quinoa or whole wheat pasta.
Top Tip
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!
How to make baked turkey meatballs
- Start by making the sauce. If you prefer to use a store-bought or another homemade marinara sauce, skip this step.
- To make 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 gentle boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with the rack set in the middle of the oven. Lightly coat a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and spread ⅓ cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom. It will be a very light layer.
- To make the meatballs mixture, combine the ground turkey, zucchini, grated onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Use about 1 ½ tablespoons of the turkey mixture for each meatball. A medium cookie scoop works brilliantly for portioning out the meat! I use this medium cookie scoop. Roll each portion between your hands to form a ball. Test with one meatball - if you find that the meatball is too soft, stir additional breadcrumbs into the mixture.
- Line up the meatballs in the prepared baking dish and dollop the rest of the tomato sauce over top. Cover the dish with foil.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the meatballs and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 more minutes. The internal temperature of the meatballs should be 165 degrees F. Use an instant-read thermometer.
- Garnish with the remaining parsley. Serve them up! We like to serve them over brown rice, but cooked quinoa or pasta are good options, too.
Meal Prep and Storage
There are a few make-ahead options:
- REFRIGERATE THEN BAKE: Form the meatballs, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Make the tomato sauce and refrigerate it in a separate container for up to 3 days. When you're ready to serve, combine the meatballs and sauce in a baking dish and bake as directed in the recipe card below.
- FREEZE THEN BAKE: Place the uncooked meatballs on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and flash freeze for about 2 hours. Transfer the meatballs to a ziplock bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze the sauce separately for up to 6 months. Defrost both in the refrigerator overnight.
- FOR LEFTOVERS: Bake the dish as directed. Allow any leftovers to cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Take care not to microwave for too long to avoid rubbery meatballs.
What to serve on the side
- Serve the meatballs and sauce over brown rice, quinoa or orzo pasta. If you like, sprinkle in some quartered Kalamata olives.
- Keep it simple with a side of steamed veggies, such as broccoli, green beans or carrots.
- Make your favorite green salad such as Apple Pecan Salad or Strawberry Arugula Salad.
Printable Recipe
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Greek Baked Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
The meatballs
- 1 pound lean (93%) ground turkey
- ¾ cup grated zucchini water squeezed out
- ½ yellow onion grated
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs I used whole wheat, but regular panko works, too.
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ 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 kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
The Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a with cooking spray. Spread ⅓ 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 medium cookie scoop works well), form meatballs by rolling between the palms of your hands. Test with one meatball - if you find that the meatball is too soft, stir additional breadcrumbs into the mixture.
- Place the meatballs, in a single layer, in the prepared baking dish. Cover the meatballs with the rest of the tomato sauce. Cover the baking dish with foil.
- Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle the feta cheese over top and bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 more minutes. The internal temperature of the meatballs should be 165 degrees F.
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published on August 22, 2016 and updated on July 23, 2024.
Disclosure: This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!
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!