# 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.

_Dinner_

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 40 min · Yields: 4 servings

## Ingredients

- 1 lb ground turkey (93% lean)
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs (plain or Italian-seasoned)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)

## Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the 1 lb ground turkey, 0.33 cup breadcrumbs, 0.25 cup Parmesan, 1 large egg, 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 tsp dried oregano, 0.5 tsp onion powder, 0.75 tsp kosher salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
3. Mix with your hands until just combined — stop as soon as the ingredients are evenly distributed. Overworking the mixture makes the meatballs dense.
4. 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.
5. Drizzle the 2 tbsp olive oil over the meatballs and roll them briefly to coat, which helps them brown in the oven.
6. 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.
7. While the meatballs bake, warm the 2 cups marinara sauce in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat.
8. Transfer the baked meatballs directly into the marinara sauce and simmer together for 5 minutes so the meatballs absorb some of the sauce.
9. Serve immediately over pasta, in sub rolls, or on their own, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley.

## Tip

> Turkey is leaner than beef and will seize up fast if overworked. Mix only until the ingredients disappear into the meat — 20–30 seconds by hand is usually enough. This is the single biggest factor in keeping the texture tender rather than rubbery.

Tags: weeknight, one-pan, comfort-food, 30-minute

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Canonical: https://just-recipes.io/recipes/turkey-meatballs