Italian Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Meatballs are always a crowd pleaser. These Italian Turkey Meatballs happily wallow in a pan of easy, homemade tomato sauce. Healthy comfort food at its best!

These Italian turkey meatballs earn me more hugs than almost any other meal. No matter how much older my boys get, meatballs are always a perennial favorite. And who can blame them?! It’s comfort food that never gets old.

Meatballs happen in all forms around here. Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs are a long-time birthday dinner request, Honey Garlic Turkey Meatballs are a weeknight favorite and Salmon Meatballs with a Creamy Avocado Sauce are the food that made my boys falls in love with salmon. There’s just something magical about meatballs.

Typically when I make meatballs, I roll them into morsels that can be consumed in one or two bites. But these…these are serious meatballs. For light eaters, one meatball will probably suffice, two meatballs for heartier eaters. They bake in about 20 minutes, which gives you just enough time to whip up the tomato sauce.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s this…take a few extra minutes to make a homemade sauce to serve with these Italian turkey meatballs. The flavors of freshly sauteed onion and garlic, the richness of simmered crushed tomatoes and the brightness of fresh herbs makes all the difference in the world. Homemade sauce always tastes as though you finished off the meal with a pinch of love.

WHAT YOU NEED FOR THESE ITALIAN TURKEY MEATBALLS:

These are the main components of this recipe (affiliate links included):

• Ground turkey: Use 93% lean ground turkey for these meatballs. While it’s tempting to use extra lean (99%) to cut back on the fat further, it results in dry meatballs.
• Aromatics: Onion and garlic add tons of flavor. Grated the onion on the largest holes of a box grater. Grated onion blends well into the ground turkey without leaving chunks of onion.
• Breadcrumbs: I prefer whole wheat breadcrumbs for the extra fiber, but regular breadcrumbs work just as well. You can also use panko breadcrumbs or a gluten-free version, if desired.
• Egg: One egg for binding
• Herbs: Fresh parsley and dried oregano. Be sure to measure the parsley AFTER mincing it.
• The sauce: Homemade sauce is REALLY easy to make and you just can’t beat the flavor. You’ll need onion, garlic, canned crushed tomatoes, herbs and red pepper flakes (optional).

How to make turkey meatballs in sauce:

This recipe comes together in two parts: The meatballs and the sauce. Start with the meatballs, then make the sauce while the meatballs are baking.

The meatballs:

• Mix together all of the ingredients, then divide the mixture into 8 portions.
• If the meatballs aren’t sticking together well, mix in additional breadcrumbs, one tablespoon at a time.
• Roll the 8 portions into balls and place them on a baking sheet coated in cooking spray. Bake until cooked through and firm to the touch.

The sauce:

• This is a basic marinara sauce – nothing difficult about it. Start by sautéing some chopped onion in a little olive oil.
• Once the onion is soft, add the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Only 1 minute cooking time here – you don’t want to burn the garlic, otherwise it will become bitter.
• Stir in the crushed tomatoes, bring it all to a boil, then simmer. Last but not least – stir in the fresh herbs.

How to serve turkey meatballs:

Our favorite way to serve these meatballs is over pasta, but you can change things up by serving them over rice or quinoa. If you like to freeze quinoa like I do, you can microwave a few portions of frozen quinoa in a minute or two.

For lower carb options, serve the meatballs over spaghetti squash (like in this puttanesca spaghetti squash recipe), cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.

Grate a little Parmesan cheese over top and sprinkle with extra minced parsley, if desired.

Can I substitute ground beef for ground turkey?

Turkey meatballs can also be made with ground beef. I recommend using lean ground beef. This helps to lower the saturated fat grams.

Can I use oats instead of breadcrumbs?

Oats can be used in place of breadcrumbs to bind meatballs. If the recipe calls for seasoned breadcrumbs, be sure to adjust the seasonings when substituting the breadcrumbs with oats.

What to serve with Italian turkey meatballs:

Salads and bread are always popular side dishes for turkey meatballs. Here are a few favorites…

• • Green salad with the best balsamic vinaigrette!
  • Tomato Focaccia Recipe – with caramelized onions
  • Apple Pecan Salad
  • Warm Kale Salad – with caramelized onions & mushrooms

Italian Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Recipe

Meatballs are always a crowd pleaser. These Italian Turkey Meatballs happily wallow in a pan of easy, homemade tomato sauce.

4.86 from 21 votes

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Course: Entrees

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Healthy Dinner Recipes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 336.2kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

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

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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

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the LoseIt! calculator. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Meatballs + 3/4 Cup Sauce | Calories: 336.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.3g | Protein: 30.1g | Fat: 12.5g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Cholesterol: 126.5mg | Sodium: 946mg | Fiber: 7.4g | Sugar: 16.1g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Other healthy ground turkey recipes:

Southwestern Turkey Rice Casserole
Ground Turkey Stir-Fry with Greens Beans & Kale
Turkey Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Pesto Turkey Tortellini Soup

This recipe was originally posted on March 2, 2015, and was updated on April 27, 2022.

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.