Made with a combination of lean ground turkey and Italian herbs, these easy meatballs are both comforting and nutritious. Eat them on their own or throw them on top of pasta or even salad greens. This dish is nothing short of baller!
You may have noticed that we are pretty big on meatballs around here. I love that I can prep them ahead, chuck them in the freezer and pull them out whenever I need a quick protein option. They’re tasty, versatile and comforting. And did I mention FREEZER-FRIENDLY?!
These Italian-inspired meatballs are made with just a handful of ingredients and oven-baked. They’re gluten-free and egg-free, and leaner than most beef-based recipes (read more about my take on beef here). A couple of meatballs always get snatched before I’ve finished making the sauce, however, if you go the distance, the punchy tomato sauce is worth the wait. Bon appétit!
Food Safety Tip
Worried about undercooking poultry? Invest in a meat thermometer and insert it into the thickest art of the meat. When ground meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C it’s safe to consume.
Easy Turkey Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: appetizer, high protein, gluten-free, snacks, lunch, dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Made with a combination of ground turkey and Italian herbs, these easy meatballs are both comforting and nutritious. Eat them on their own or throw them on top of pasta or even salad greens. This dish is baller!
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 lb (450g) 90% lean ground turkey or chicken
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp salt
Spicy Tomato Sauce:
- 1/4 large red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃) and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Pour all the meatball ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Combine the ingredients with your hands being careful not to overwork.
- Roll the meatball mixture into 1-inch meatballs, and place them on the parchment paper. Insert the tray into the oven, and bake the meatballs for 15-20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F/74C.
- While the meatballs are cooking, crush the garlic and finely chop the onion.
- Add the onion, garlic and olive oil to a medium saucepan. Place the saucepan on the stove and turn the stove onto medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until the onions are soft, and the garlic golden brown.
- Pour the tomatoes, red wine, tomato paste, dried basil, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and salt into the saucepan. Cook the tomato sauce over medium-low heat for roughly 15 minutes.
- Arrange the cooked meatballs on serving platter, and pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 meatballs
- Calories: 123.37 kcal
- Sugar: 3.63 g
- Sodium: 287.36 mg
- Fat: 5.32 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.55 g
- Trans Fat: 0.05 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.7 g
- Fiber: 1.62 g
- Protein: 11.34 g
- Cholesterol: 33.22 mg
Hungry for more delicious, healthy recipes? Find them here.
