Turkey Meatballs
Tender, juicy meatballs made with ground turkey, Parmesan, and fresh herbs — light enough for a weeknight but satisfying enough to earn a permanent spot in the rotation.
Ingredients
- 1 lbground turkey(93% lean)
- ⅓ cupbreadcrumbs(plain or Italian-seasoned)
- ¼ cupParmesan cheese(finely grated)
- 1 largeegg
- 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
- 2 tbspfresh parsley(finely chopped)
- 1 tspdried oregano
- ½ tsponion powder
- ¾ tspkosher salt
- ¼ tspblack pepper(freshly ground)
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 2 cupsmarinara sauce(store-bought or homemade)
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 400 °F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 02
In a large bowl, combine the 1 lb ground turkey, ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan, 1 large egg, 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp onion powder, ¾ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper.
- 03
Mix with your hands until just combined — stop as soon as the ingredients are evenly distributed. Overworking the mixture makes the meatballs dense.
- 04
Dampen your hands lightly with water and roll the mixture into balls about 1.5 inches in diameter (roughly 2 tbsp each). You should get 18–20 meatballs. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- 05
Drizzle the 2 tbsp olive oil over the meatballs and roll them briefly to coat, which helps them brown in the oven.
- 06
Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the meatballs are golden on the outside and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165 °F.
- 07
While the meatballs bake, warm the 2 cups marinara sauce in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat.
- 08
Transfer the baked meatballs directly into the marinara sauce and simmer together for 5 minutes so the meatballs absorb some of the sauce.
- 09
Serve immediately over pasta, in sub rolls, or on their own, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Adapted from public domain & community sources