Turkey Meatballs in Marinara
Lean ground turkey meatballs simmered in tomato sauce — a thirty-gram-protein main that freezes well and feeds a meal-prep week.
Ingredients
- 500 g Ground turkey
- 700 g Tomato passata
- 1 Egg
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 40 g Breadcrumbs (optional)
- 30 g Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
- 3 tbsp Basil (optional)
Method
- Mix the ground turkey with the egg, breadcrumbs, half the garlic, the parmesan, and the salt until just combined.
- Roll the mixture into walnut-sized meatballs.
- Brown the meatballs in the oil over medium-high heat, turning, until golden all over, about 6 minutes.
- Add the remaining garlic for 30 seconds, then pour in the passata and a splash of water and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer gently until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.
- Tear the basil over and serve, over pasta or on their own.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Turkey Meatballs in Marinara
Turkey meatballs in marinara take the Italian-American polpette al sugo and swap lean ground turkey for the usual beef and pork, keeping the comfort while lightening the load. The template is classic: meat bound with egg, breadcrumbs, and grated Parmigiano, browned for color, then finished by simmering in tomato passata until tender. Turkey is leaner and milder than beef, so the breadcrumb-and-egg binder and the salt-and-cheese seasoning do real work here, keeping the meatballs moist and giving them savory depth they wouldn't otherwise have. It's a forgiving, familiar dish that scales easily to feed a table.
Browning the meatballs first builds a caramelized crust and flavor base, and the trick of folding raw garlic in with the meat and then blooming the rest in the pan gives you two layers of garlic, one mellow and one sharp. Simmered gently, the passata thickens into a clean, bright sauce that soaks into the meatballs while they finish cooking through. Torn basil at the end keeps it fresh. You can serve these over spaghetti in the traditional way, tuck them into a roll, or eat them on their own with vegetables, and since they hold up to freezing and reheating, they're a natural for cooking a batch and eating across a week.
Turkey Meatballs in Marinara: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Turkey Meatballs in Marinara?
A serving has about 374 calories — 31.6g protein, 14.9g carbs, 20.8g fat, 2.2g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 31.6g of protein, roughly 34% of its calories.
Is Turkey Meatballs in Marinara gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Breadcrumbs. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Turkey Meatballs in Marinara dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Parmigiano-Reggiano. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Turkey Meatballs in Marinara take to make?
About 35 minutes start to finish, but only around 20 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Turkey Meatballs in Marinara?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out breadcrumbs, parmigiano-reggiano, basil — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Turkey Meatballs in Marinara make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.