Turkey Meatballs

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An Italian classic every kid loves! You would never know these wonderfully moist meatballs are not made with ground beef! That’s because of the puréed lentils that I sneak in there, as well as moist bread crumbs made from 100% wholegrain sliced bread–here is a brand I love! You won’t know that they are there but they create a dark moist “beefy” texture that is just perfect and delicious and, of course, so much more nutritious! I simmer these in a store-bought simple tomato marinara sauce, so that’s one less thing to fuss about. You can of course make yours from scratch but I find that as long as the brand you use has no added sugar and has those few simple ingredients you would expect in a marinara sauce (tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, onion, garlic and salt), you’ll be all set and can save yourself the time and hassle! I like to serve this over wholegrain pasta–here is a brand I like.

Turkey-Meatballs-r

4.9 from 13 reviews
Turkey Meatballs
 
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Note 1: For the 100% wholegrain bread, I like to use 1 slice of Alvarado street Bakery--California style complete protein bread that I finely grind in a food processor (it yields ½ cup ground crumbs) but you can use any wholegrain bread you prefer, as long as it is 100% wholegrain and has no added sugar Note 2: I like using black beluga lentils for this recipe, but French lentils or brown lentils will do. Just follow package instructions as each is a little different. You will need ¼ cup dry lentils to make the ½ cup cooked lentils you need. You can also use organic canned lentils instead but because they may have added salt, remember to adjust the salt you use in this recipe to make up for it.
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Serves: 16 small meatballs
Ingredients
  • 1 lb lean ground turkey (not extra lean)
  • 1 slice 100% wholegrain bread, finely ground in food processor (see note 1)*
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 free-range egg (with omega-3)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • ⅓ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried onion flakes
  • ½ cup cooked pureed lentils (see note 2)*
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • *32-oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce (make sure it has no added sugar!)
  • *I recommend Wholesome Goodness Marinara sauce, or Rao's Marinara sauce (Do NOT add salt!)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven 375
  2. Place all ingredients (except marinara sauce) in a medium bowl and mix well together.
  3. Roll the turkey mixture into 1½ inch medium-sized balls (I like to use a medium size ice-cream scooper--it works great!) and place on a non-stick cookie sheet.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for no more than 5 minutes--just enough to have them barely hold their shape, but NOT enough to be cooked through, so that they will finish cooking in the simmering marinara sauce and stay moist inside.
  5. Meanwhile, pour marinara sauce in a large pot over moderate heat and cook for a few minutes until very hot, then gently place the almost-cooked turkey balls in the sauce, making sure that they are all covered with the tomato sauce and keep simmering, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes.
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Comments

  1. Oh my goodness, I MISS this meal sooooooooo much! Spaghetti and (turkey) meatballs is I think my favorite dish on the whole planet – so satisfying, so heartwarming, so delish. And this recipe is the absolute best because not only is it bursting with flavor, but I know it’s so hearty and healthy so I feel even better eating it. I love love love this dish, and especially as the temperature drops I can’t wait to have it again !!

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  2. This dinner is on my shortlist of things I miss most since leaving for college! The smell of the beautiful tomato sauce warmed my heart when I would come back from workover the summer…and of course the juicy Turkey meatballs were so satisfyingly filling! I hope to have this again the next time I’m home because no place in Boston even makes Turkey meatballs, let alone any spaghetti and meatballs as delicious as yours! I’ll catch the next bus ride down if you’re making this for dinner just let me know!!

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  3. This recipe took 3 hours including making the lentils from scratch. Doing a big sinkful of dishes took more time. Following the recipe exactly resulted in bland meatballs with an unpleasant baby food texture. While the recipe looked interesting, it was a lot of work for a disappointing result.

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    • Hanlynn, I am truly sorry to hear that! This is first time I ever got such feedback about these meatballs which have been a treasured recipe from my family and friends for as long as I can remember. I am not sure what went wrong since you were so careful to follow the recipe. I feel your disappointment, especially after a sink-full of dishes, that had to be so annoying to boot! I don’t even know what to say, but please know that I am very sorry they didn’t turn out well for you and I commiserate. 🙁

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  4. I made these meatballs tonight and paired this with Rao’s marinara, ( which we have been buying for 20 years…why attempt to make my own sauce when it would be greatly inferior to Rao’s which is unbelievably good). The meatballs were incredible and we were very pleased with the meal! I haven’t had spaghetti and meatballs in many years and this certainly was a huge hit and a treat!

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    • Nora, I love that they were a huge hit!! thank you so much for letting me know, it fills my heart!! 🙂

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  5. Another hit, Catherine. I made the meatballs and they were delicious. My son did not realized that it was turkey because they were so moist. Thanks for sharing your recipes.

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  6. I learned of Cuisinicity at a Dr. Katz lecture and am so grateful for the trusted guidance in healthy eating! The recipes have become staples in our home! I love this meatball recipe and keep them packaged without sauce in the freezer for a quick and healthy meal on the nights we’re rushing around. We dont’ even take the time to make pasta, just serve over green beans. On a slow night our favorite is the carrot ginger chicken.

    Reply

    • Thank you Rachel!! I love to hear that! It’s wonderful that you make them ahead to have on hand and so great that you thought to serve them over green beans! I will do that too YAY!!! And oh my goodness, that carrot ginger chicken is one of my very favorites too! Thank you again for your lovely comment!

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  8. This looks so yummy, comforting AND healthy! So glad I found your site! Adding to our menu for this week, thank you so much for sharing!

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  10. Yay Shirley, you are the best !!! One little caution, just watch out and make sure next time that this particular prego sauce doesn’t have added sugar because I know their marinara with mushroom does, or at least used to a few years back. In any case, so glad they turned out just right for you! Bon appétit! I love seeing your name appear in my inbox!!!

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  11. Delicious! I made the Turkey Meatballs recipe this afternoon. After starting them in the oven, I transferred them to the sauce (Prego) and simmered as directed. OMG! So good. So moist! So tasty! I roasted a spaghetti squash to go with the sauce and meatballs. Guess what is for dinner tonight!! Thanks!

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  13. Yes,Liz, indeed, these meatballs are a variation on the theme of turkey burger and I am glad you brought up putting extras in the freezer because both the burger patties and these meatballs really do freeze well and what a nice surprise to find them there ready to go when you have no idea nor time to make a full dinner on the spot!

    I agree with your comment about the wonderful flavor and consistency (Thank you!). Even if I weren’t nutrition-conscious, I would add pureed lentils to ground turkey for culinary reasons! They really add that moistness and meaty-ness to the usually dry turkey right?

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  14. I’ll admit that when Catherine suggested lentils in turkey burgers it sounded a bit suspicious, but she was right (as always). They add such a wonderful consistency and flavor. I often double the recipe and put the extras in the freezer to use at a later date with brown rice or quinoa as a quick and healthy meal-in-a-hurry.

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