Turkey Meatballs in Marinara
Light turkey meatballs held together with milk-soaked bread, simmered gently in a simple marinara until they are tender all the way through. They freeze beautifully, so I always make a double batch.
- Course
- Easy Dinners
- Time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
Cooking Notes
- Mix the meatball mixture only until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Overworking lean turkey compacts the proteins and produces firmer, bouncier meatballs instead of tender ones.
- Shape the meatballs with lightly damp or oiled hands and keep them similar in size. Even portions cook at the same rate and make it easier to avoid drying out the smaller pieces.
- Finish the meatballs gently in the marinara rather than boiling them hard. A quiet simmer lets them absorb sauce while staying intact and keeps lean turkey from becoming tough.
Recipe Card
Turkey Meatballs in Marinara
By Gabriella
- Category
- Easy Dinners
- Total Time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 2 slices white bread, crusts removed
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Tear the bread into the milk and let it soak until it falls apart, which is what keeps lean turkey from drying out.
- 2
Mix the soaked bread with the turkey, egg, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, and plenty of salt, handling it as lightly as you can.
- 3
Roll into golf-ball sized meatballs and brown them in oil on two sides, without cooking them through.
- 4
Soften the onion in the same pot, add the tomatoes, and simmer for ten minutes before returning the meatballs.
- 5
Cover and simmer gently for twenty-five minutes, turning them once, until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened around them.
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