Turkey Meatballs

These amazing turkey meatballs are super flavorful and never dry! Make a batch and serve over pasta with marinara sauce. Enjoy!

Our Favorite Turkey Meatballs

These truly are our favorite turkey meatballs! They’re super flavorful thanks to the combination of fresh and dried herbs and never ever dry thanks to the grated cold butter 😀

We’re sharing how to make these delicious turkey meatballs as well as serving instructions for pairing them with marinara and pasta. Oh, and how to freeze them for later! Let’s get into it, shall we?!

PS: we know you love our ground beef Italian meatballs, so we hope you love this variation too!

Ingredients – What You Need

• Ground turkey 
• Egg
• Plain bread crumbs (or feel free to use Italian breadcrumbs!)
• Minced shallots
• Minced garlic 
• Grated cold butter  
• Dried oregano 
• Fresh parsley
• Fresh basil
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil

Serving with Marinara and Pasta?

We love these turkey meatballs served with marinara sauce over pasta. If you’re hoping to serve these like this, too, here’s what else you’ll need:

• 2 jars of 24-oz. marinara sauce (choose your favorite store-bought variety, or make your own!)
• 8-oz. of angel hair pasta (or any kind of pasta!)
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese
• More fresh basil and parsley

How to Make Turkey Meatballs – Step by Step

These meatballs are as easy as 1-2-3 to prepare! Then, we’ll walk you through how to make them with marinara sauce OR to freeze for later below.

Combine Everything Except Butter

Place ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, shallots, garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, ground pepper and salt into a large bowl. Then, use a large wooden spoon or your hands to thoroughly mix all ingredients together.

We recommend using your hands as it’s faster and easier 😀

Fold in Grated Cold Butter

Once everything is combined, fold in cold grated butter to evenly distribute throughout the meatball mixture.

Roll Into Meatballs

Use your hands to form golf ball-sized meatballs, repeating until there is no meat left. This should make around 12 meatballs.

Cooking with Marinara

Brown Meatballs

Brown the meatballs on all sides for around 3-5 minutes over medium heat using a pair of tongs to flip each meatball, being careful not to burn the outsides. Once all sides have been browned, remove them from the heat. The meatballs will not be fully cooked at this point.

Add Marinara Sauce

Pour in your marinara sauce. Then, carefully transfer the turkey meatballs back into the pan.

Bring to a Boil, Then Simmer

Bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the meatballs simmer for around 10 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 165ºF.

Serve Over Pasta

Serve turkey meatballs over your favorite pasta with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.

Internal Temperature for Ground Turkey

The best way to know that your meatballs are fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. Stick the thermometer into the center of your meatball and stop about halfway. The reading for a turkey meatball should be at least 165ºF.

If you’re subbing for other ground meat varieties in these meatballs, the internal temperature should be as follows:

• beef: 160ºF
• pork: 165ºF
• chicken: 165ºF
• turkey: 165ºF

Other Ways to Serve Turkey Meatballs

Don’t feel like eating your meatballs on a bed of pasta? You’re in luck because there are so many different ways you can eat these turkey meatballs:

• Appetizer: eat this turkey meatball recipe on their own. Serve them at a party with a toothpick and you’ve got a quick and easy app.
• Sub or Sandwich: everyone loves a meatball sub! Pop a few meatballs and marinara on your favorite Italian bread, cover it with mozzarella cheese, and bam, you’ve got a brand new meal to feed the fam.
• Bowl: serve your meatballs next to quinoa, your favorite green and roasted veggies.

Try a Different Sauce

Another reason why we love these turkey meatballs is because they are so versatile. Make your meatballs as directed, but instead of simmering in marinara sauce, try one of these sauces instead:

• BBQ: bbq sauce is seriously such an easy thing to flavor any meatball recipe with. Use your favorite brand or make homemade bbq sauce!
• Tikka Masala: tikka masala is made from a mixture of coconut milk, tomato sauce, and garam masala. It’s super simple to make and packed with flavor! Check out our Tikka Masala Meatballs here.
• Teriyaki: our homemade teriyaki sauce is made with 5 ingredients. Serve your meatballs on rice next to your favorite stir fried veggie.
• Coconut Curry: if you’ve never made our curry meatballs, they are seriously SO GOOD. Check out our coconut curry sauce in this post.

Storage

Let your turkey meatballs and marinara sauce cool completely. Then, transfer into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

Freezer Instructions

first Brown Meatballs

Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet making sure the pan is thoroughly greased.

Brown meatballs on all sides for 8-10 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to turn each meatball every few minutes, being careful not to burn the outsides. 

Continue to Cook Meatballs

Cook meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

Let Cool & Store

1. Let the meatballs cool completely.
2. Then transfer them into a gallon-size freezer-safe bag.
3. Remove as much air as possible and then seal.
4. Freeze for up to 3 months. 

How to Reheat Turkey Meatballs

These meatballs reheat incredibly well! Remove the meatballs from the refrigerator.

Simply place the meatballs in a baking pan, and cover with tin foil. Reheat at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, or until the meatballs are heated through.

FROM FROZEN

Place the frozen meatballs in a casserole dish and drizzle them with olive oil or cover with marinara sauce. Cover them with tin foil and bake them at 350ºF and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Add the meatballs to a slow cooker and add 1-2 tablespoons of broth to the slow cooker or cover with marinara sauce. Cook them on low for 2-3 hours.