Baked Turkey Meatballs
These baked turkey meatballs are incredibly tender and flavorful and won't weigh you down. Eat them alone, with spaghetti or zoodles, or amp them up by making them into Italian meatball subs.
Calories: 417kcal
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs or panko
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup minced yellow onion
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup grated parmesan or pecorino
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Big pinch ground cayenne
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- A few good grinds black pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey dark meat or a combination of white and dark meat
- 3 cups of your favorite tomato sauce or mine see note
For the subs
- 4 good rolls
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silpat, or spray with cooking spray.
- Into a large bowl place the bread crumbs, milk, onion, garlic, parsley, cheese, fennel seed, oregano, salt, egg, and pepper. Mix together well with a fork.
- Add ground turkey and use fork to mix well but without overworking.
- Use two spoons or a small ice cream scoop to portion the mixture into 12 roughly equal parts. Then roll each meatball gently between your palms to make it spherical.
- Space the meatballs evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip with a spatula and bake 5 minutes more, until just cooked through.
- Heat tomato sauce in a medium pan, then add meatballs and simmer for a minute or two.
For the Subs:
- Split each roll in half, top with three meatballs, some sauce and a couple of slices of cheese (plus some extra grated parmesan or pecorino if you like).
- Broil until cheese is melted, close sandwich and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- If you'd like to substitute dry breadcrumbs, use only six tablespoons.
- To ensure light, tender meatballs, you won't want to mix more than necessary after you've added the turkey, so be sure to mix the other ingredients together thoroughly before adding the turkey.
- Here's the recipe for my favorite tomato sauce.
- You can make these up to a few hours in advance and leave at room temperature, or make them a day in advance and store in the fridge. Reheat by simmering gently in tomato sauce in a covered pan.
- Store leftovers tightly sealed in the fridge for up to a week.
- Nutrition information for this recipe is for meatballs only.
Nutrition
Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 34.3g | Fat: 13.4g | Fiber: 3.1g