Healthy Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (easy, kid-friendly!)

This might be one of the most “vintage” dinner recipes I’ve revived, because I literally published it in 2012. Wild!

I remember testing this recipe because when I was making dinner one night, all I had in my cupboard was a jar of pasta sauce. Man, that sauce looked good. Like I sort of wanted to eat it out of the jar and call it dinner.

I ended up searching the freezer and found lean ground turkey, so these perfect, easy,  healthy turkey meatballs came to life, and quickly became one of my go-to meatball recipes.

Get one week of high-protein one pan dinner recipes

This recipe is just one of the 7 delicious meals in my One Pan High Protein Dinner E-Book! Sign up below to get these nourishing recipes, plus a full grocery list and meal prep tips delivered straight to your email.

Fall in love with turkey meatballs

As you’ll notice on my site, I love making homemade meatballs using ground turkey (or ground chicken) rather than beef for a slightly leaner source of protein. One serving of these healthy turkey meatballs packs over 20g of protein! You can also use ground chicken if you’d like, or stick with beef if that’s your jam.

Ingredients in healthy turkey meatballs

These delicious meatballs are simple to make with a few staple ingredients and plenty of spices. You’ll need:

• Ground turkey: I used 93% in this recipe so that there is still some juiciness to the meatballs.
• Binders: you’ll need an egg and panko breadcrumbs to help hold the meatballs together. See below for gluten-free and grain-free options!
• Herbs & spices: we’re adding fresh basil, Italian seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat), salt, and pepper. Trust me, these are bursting with flavor!
• Dijon mustard: a secret ingredient to give these meatballs a little zing.
• Pasta sauce: you can use a pasta sauce of your choice! I like a simple, store-bought tomato basil sauce if I’m short on time. I’ve even added mushrooms to the sauce to jazz it up – so good!
• Burrata cheese: can’t go wrong with gooey cheese, but feel free to leave it out to keep this recipe dairy-free. Fresh or shredded mozzarella will also work.

More delicious sauce options

Since I first shared these meatballs, I’ve created two incredible homemade tomato sauce recipes that you can use:

Can I make them gluten-free or grain-free?

Yes! Simply use gluten-free breadcrumbs, or, to keep them gluten AND grain-free, use 2-3 tablespoons of coconut flour.

I recommend starting with 2 tablespoons to see if your meatballs hold together well and if you can easily shape them into balls.

How to cook turkey meatballs in sauce

I prefer this method of cooking the turkey meatballs because they really soak up all of that sauce flavor.

1. Form your meatballs. In a large bowl, use your hands to combine all of the meatball ingredients and roll them into 16 golf ball-sized meatballs. You can also use a cookie scoop to shape the meatballs if you’d like!
2. Brown the meatballs. Brown the meatballs on all sides in a large skillet or braiser with olive oil. No need to cook them all the way through, and you may have to do this in batches.
3. Add the sauce. Reduce the heat and add your tomato sauce. Spoon the tomato sauce generously over the meatballs. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, and finish cooking.
4. Garnish, simmer & serve. After about 10 minutes, add the basil and burrata, and cover the skillet to melt the cheese into the sauce.

Want to bake them instead?

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Form your meatballs as directed in the recipe and evenly space them on your lined baking sheet.
3. Bake your meatballs for 15-20 minutes until they’re fully cooked.
4. Then, transfer your turkey meatballs to a skillet with your tomato sauce simmering on medium-low, and gently spoon the sauce over the meatballs so that they continue to soak in the flavor. You can continue the recipe by adding burrata as well!

How to prepare meatballs ahead of time

These healthy turkey meatballs can easily be prepped 1-2 days ahead of time!

1. Mix and form the meatballs.
2. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Tightly cover the meatballs with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.

Storing tips

• To store: store meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Yes, you can store them in the sauce!
• To reheat: simply place your meatballs and sauce in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or simmer them on the stovetop.

Freezer-friendly turkey meatballs (2 different ways!)

• Bake first, then freeze: place your meatballs and sauce in a freezer-safe, airtight container or bag and freeze it all for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, let your container of meatballs + sauce thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, and then empty the contents into a pan on the stovetop. Heat them in your pan until they’re nice and warm, and then serve!
• Freeze before baking: you can also freeze these meatballs before cooking them! Form your meatballs as instructed, place them on a baking sheet, and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours. This is called a flash freeze. Then, transfer your frozen meatballs to an airtight, freezer-friendly bag or container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw them, simply place them in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight and then cook them as directed in the recipe.

What to serve with these healthy turkey meatballs

The options are truly endless, which makes this easy dinner recipe super versatile and great for accommodating different dietary restrictions or preferences.

Get more of my side dish recipes here!

I know you’re going to LOVE these homemade healthy turkey meatballs. If you make them, I’d love for you to leave a comment & rating so I know how you liked them. I greatly appreciate it, xo!

The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook

125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day

Healthy Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Basil Sauce with Burrata

byby :Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

ServesServes 4 servings

Healthy turkey meatballs simmered in tomato basil sauce and topped with creamy burrata cheese. These homemade turkey meatballs will be your go-to meatball recipe and make a delicious weeknight dinner with your favorite pasta or scooped up with bread!

Ingredients

• For the meatballs
• 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 egg
• ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs (or if gluten free, sub 2-3 tablespoons coconut flour)
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning (or sub dried oregano)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• For the sauce
• 1 (24 ounce) jar your favorite pasta sauce (we love tomato basil)
• 4-6 large basil leaves, julienned
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more if you like it really spicy!
• 4-6 ounces Burrata cheese (or sub fresh mozzarella), cut into large pieces

Instructions

• In a large bowl, use your hands to combine the turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, basil, dijon mustard, italian seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Mix together until well combined and roll into 16 golf ball sized meatballs.

• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in olive oil. Add meatballs and brown on add sides; this should take about 5 minutes. You don’t need to cook them all the way through.

• Once meatballs have browned on all sides, reduce heat to medium-low and add your tomato sauce. Spoon the tomato sauce generously over the meatballs. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 10-15 minutes while you make your pasta (if making).

• After about 10 minutes, add the basil and burrata in the tomato sauce and/or over the meatballs; cover and continue cooking for 5 more minutes or until the cheese has melted into the sauce.

• Serve meatballs over grain or pasta of choice. Would also be great over spaghetti squash. Serves 4.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to use mozzarella if you don’t have burrata.
See the full post for tips, tricks, and storage & freezing instructions!

Nutrition

Serving: 4meatballs (with 1/4 sauce + burrata)Calories: 319calCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 32gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gFiber: 3gSugar: 6g