Meatballs are always a crowd pleaser. The ones in this Italian Turkey Meatball recipe happily wallow in a pan of homemade tomato sauce. 336 calories and 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
When my husband and I lived in New York City years ago, we regularly hit various Italian restaurants around the city, from the authentic joints in Little Italy to the family-style place near our apartment. While we had our fair share of risotto and shrimp Parmesan (one of my favorites), what sticks in my mind is the tomato sauce. Simple, fresh and beyond flavorful! Even though I’m sure the sauces were being whipped up by some twenty-something chef phenoms, I liked to imagine that an Italian nonna was back in the kitchen, putting together our meals with a pinch of love.
These turkey meatball recipe in homemade tomato sauce remind me of those New York experiences, though I can’t claim to have the touch of an Italian nonna. That being said, this is one of those meals that will appeal to everyone in the family, and is rather forgiving. Lopsided meatballs…no big deal! Too much sauce…fuh-get about it!
Typically when I make meatballs, such as my Baked Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs or Baked Turkey, Quinoa & Zucchini Meatballs, I make morsels that can be consumed in one or two bites. But these…these are serious meatballs. They bake in about 20 minutes, which gives you just enough time to whip up the tomato sauce.
These meatballs can be served over pasta, rice or cauliflower rice, or eaten solo – whatever appeals to you.
Other healthy ground turkey recipes:
Ground Turkey Stir-Fry with Greens Beans & Kale {Cookin’ Canuck}
Turkey Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes {Cookin’ Canuck}
Low-Carb Enchilada Casserole with Ground Turkey & Chiles {Kalyn’s Kitchen}
Heartwarming Turkey & Bean Chili {Foolproof Living}
Italian Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
The Meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1/2 medium onion grated
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
The Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
- 4 basil leaves thinly sliced
Instructions
The Meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the ground turkey, onion, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, egg, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Divide the mixture into 8 portions, form into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
The Sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, bring the sauce to a boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and basil.
- Nestle the meatballs into the sauce and spoon sauce over to coat the meatballs.
- Serve over pasta or rice, or on their own.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on March 2, 2015, and has been updated.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Ali | Gimme Some Oven says
Mar 2, 2015 at 7:20 amThese are beautiful, Dara!! (Ha, and I love what you said about the twenty-something phenoms. So true.)
The Food Hunter says
Mar 2, 2015 at 8:17 amthese meatballs look delicious and I love how healthy they are.
Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch says
Mar 2, 2015 at 8:46 amI’m with you – I could dive on in to the dish of these yummy meatballs and sauce! Delicious!
Paula-bell'alimento says
Mar 2, 2015 at 9:02 amWe’ve been eating a lot of turkey lately. Love these flavorful meatballs Dara.
Stephanie @ Back for Seconds says
Mar 2, 2015 at 9:39 amBeautiful photos 🙂 I think I know what I’m making for dinner tonight! This sounds so so good!
christine says
Mar 2, 2015 at 10:46 amI’ve been trying to swap turkey in place of beef in a lot of recipes lately. Can’t wait to try out your meatball recipe.
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
Mar 2, 2015 at 11:52 amNow that is a meatball dinner! I love the size and the homemade sauce!! Perfect dinner choice!!!
Brenda@Sugar-Free Mom says
Mar 2, 2015 at 12:09 pmI love your spin on the typical Italian meatball made healthier but still looks so comforting!
Catherine says
Mar 2, 2015 at 3:43 pmDear Dara, these meatballs looks marvelous. Love this lighter version. It sounds wonderful! xo, Catherine
Gwen @SimplyHealthyFamily says
Mar 2, 2015 at 5:38 pmHow amazing to live in such a food cultured city, 2o something chef’s or not 😉
These look like the perfect meatballs! Saving and sharing!
Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living says
Mar 2, 2015 at 6:30 pmI don’t know anyone who can turn down meatballs – love this healthy version!
Heather | girlichef says
Mar 2, 2015 at 7:10 pmSometimes you just need a big-ah meat-ah ball! (that was my attempt at writing with an Italian acccent…) I love the sound of the meatballs and the simple, vibrant sauce!
Yvonne [Tried and Tasty] says
Mar 2, 2015 at 7:42 pmI’ve been dying to have meatballs, these look absolutely perfect!
Julie | This Gal Cooks says
Mar 2, 2015 at 8:16 pmI totally want to swim in a bowl of these meatballs! They are perfect!
Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen says
Mar 2, 2015 at 8:24 pmLove the method and love meatballs made with ground turkey! A simple tomato sauce is the perfect complement to these. Pinning 🙂
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
Mar 2, 2015 at 11:44 pmI have been so into meatballs lately as well! I just make a huge batch at the beginning of the week and it lasts for days! Pinning this for later!
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says
Mar 3, 2015 at 5:26 amMeatballs are the one thing no one in my family can resist. Your version looks fantastic!
Allis says
Mar 3, 2015 at 9:33 amI saw your recipe just before my weekly trip to the store yesterday and I am so glad that I did. I made this dish last night for dinner and it was fantastic! Both the meatballs and the sauce were very flavorful. I will be making this again. Thanks!
bev @ bevcooks says
Mar 3, 2015 at 12:10 pmHALLO, LOVAH.
Bea says
Mar 3, 2015 at 2:03 pmOh those look delicious – I may have a personal weakness for meatballs in tomato sauce. Yum!
Susan says
Mar 3, 2015 at 3:13 pmThere is nothing as satisfying as a really good meatball in red sauce. Looking at these photos and I think yours would do the trick.
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
Mar 3, 2015 at 5:28 pmI’m finding that I enjoy a turkey meatball even more than a ground beef meatball these days. As long as they’re not dry. These look great, Dara. Very pretty pictures too!
olivia - Primavera Kitchen says
Mar 3, 2015 at 8:19 pmAnd now you made me miss meatballs. I think it tastes as good as it looks on the picture 😉
Kim Beaulieu says
Mar 4, 2015 at 12:21 amI’m not sure I knew you lived in New York for awhile. Such a fun city. I love these meatballs so much. There is nothing more comforting than a big helping of meatballs. And you’ve made them healthier so I can eat more and not feel guilty.
Claudia ellis says
Apr 20, 2015 at 9:30 amMade these turkey meatballs and tomato sauce with spaghetti pasta for dinner last night. It was a huge hit with the family. Love love love the turkey meatball version, so juicy and flavorful! And best of all, it came together so quickly! Won’t be buying frozen meatballs ever again!!!
Laura says
Jan 9, 2016 at 6:34 pmThanks for the shout-out! The meatballs look delicious!
Liz says
Jun 23, 2017 at 7:50 pmRecipe is great, tastes good but meatballs took well over 20 minutes to cook through at that temperature more like 30-35 minutes.
Tara says
Apr 18, 2018 at 2:22 pmIs there supposed to be 2 separate quantities of crushed tomatoes? The recipe is confusing to me.
Dara says
Apr 18, 2018 at 2:55 pmHi Tara, I apologize for the confusion. So, there should be a total of 42 ounces of canned crushed tomatoes, which equals one 28 oz. can plus one 14 oz. can. I hope that makes sense!
Kathy says
Jul 29, 2018 at 4:23 pmI have made these several times now. I also forwarded the recipe along to my daughter and two nieces and it has gotten rave reviews.
It really is a wonderful way to make meatballs healthy without giving up flavor.. I also use the sauce when I need a quick sauce even when I don’t make the meatballs. Thanks!
Dara says
Aug 10, 2018 at 5:44 pmI’m so glad to hear that, Kathy! Thank you for letting me know.
Natalie says
Sep 11, 2018 at 12:24 pmI’ve made these before and they are absolutely delicious! So tender and flavorful! I have a question about making them ahead of time. If I were to freeze the uncooked meatballs, how long would you suggest to cook them if they went straight into the oven from out of the freezer. Thanks!
Dara says
Sep 27, 2018 at 7:57 amHi Natalie, I’m so glad you enjoy the meatballs! The general rule of thumb that I use is to cook frozen meatballs about 50% longer than unfrozen ones. That being said, be check them along the way to make sure that they’re not becoming overcooked.