Turkey Meatballs in a Garlicky Tomato Sauce

Preperation time
20 m
Skills level

Serving size
24 medium sized meatballs
Country of origin

Preparation time: 20 m
Cooking time: 2 hrs. m
Servings: 24 medium sized meatballs

Ingredients

  • 2 .5-3 lbs. (85% lean) ground turkey
  • 1 1/2 cups plain panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 Tsp. Italian seasonings or oregano
  • 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan), finely grated
  • ground sea salt
  • Garlicky Tomato Sauce Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 (26 ounce) jars tomato sauce, store-bought is fine
  • 1 Tsp. oregano
  • 1 Tsp or more parsley flakes
  • a dash of garlic powder, sea salt and crack black peppercorn
  • 1/2 -1 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, diced
  • a good quality extra virgin olive oil
Recipe Type:
Course:

These turkey meatballs could be some of the best meatballs I have ever made, next to the one in my cookbook which are made with a combination of pork/veal/beef.  First thing you want to do is choose 85% lean turkey meat. This will ensure that the meatballs have enough fat and will retain their moisture. Using 93% lean turkey will produce dry meatballs. In lieu of the milk, you may use 1 egg, but it’s not really necessary. A jarred sauce works great here, and you can add the seasonings and some butter to add extra flavor and the stock to stretch the sauce even further.

You do need a fair amount of sauce for these meatballs, and everyone has jarred sauce and stock readily available in their pantry. Alternatively, using a crushed tomato sauce in a can works equally as good, but in this case you need to start your sauce a bit sooner and cook down the tomatoes to develop the flavor.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. The meatballs will bake about 45-50 minutes.

Making the Meatballs.

Start by adding the turkey meat to a large bowl along with the seasonings, panko breadcrumbs, and milk (or egg). Prepare 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Mix the meatball mixture really well with clean hands and create golf-ball size meatballs. Be sure to pack them tightly in your hands and roll them around in your palms for a perfectly round meatball. Lay on the parchment paper – 2 rows of 6 – 12 meatballs on each tray. Once the oven is at 350 degrees, place them in the oven. If you have a convection fan, put it on so the heat will be evenly distributed. Turn them halfway through and check to see how they are cooking. You may want to alternate the trays from top rack to middle rack. While these are in the oven, start your sauce.

Making the Sauce.

You’ll need a large ceramic coated cast iron skillet or large stainless steel pan. start by adding a drizzle of olive oil to the pan, and 1 tablespoon of butter. Dice the fresh garlic and add to the pan and cook until translucent. Next, combine all the other ingredients into the pan and simmer for 45 minutes until the meatballs are done.

Once meatballs are done, check with meat thermometer. I like to be sure they reach the proper internal temperature of 165 degrees and that they are no longer pink, then add to the sauce. Let them simmer about 1 hour. As with all meatballs, the longer they simmer, the better they taste, same is true about your sauce! Enjoy!