This spaghetti and turkey meatballs recipe is an easy way to get a big bowl of comfort food without spending hours in the kitchen. The turkey meatballs are full of flavor and the sauce is made with a combination of fresh and store-bought ingredients. Getting a family favorite on the table is a snap.
The sauce for these turkey meatballs is made with convenience ingredients like canned diced tomatoes and jarred marinara sauce. But we add a lot of flavor with onions, garlic and spices. Plus, simmering the sauce and allowing it to thicken gives it a “homemade” taste.
Ground turkey recipes are great if you are trying to cut down on red meat or maybe eat a little lighter. Use ground turkey in just about any recipe that calls for ground beef and you won’t miss out. Next time a comfort food craving hits, try this turkey Salisbury steak, or turkey meatloaf.
Meatball ingredients
- Ground turkey – Use lean ground turkey, but not turkey breast, we use 93/7 which is 93 percent lean and 7 percent fat. 85/15 will also work well.
- Herbs and spices – Fresh parsley, dried oregano, salt and black pepper add flavor.
- Produce – Onions and garlic add flavor and moisture.
- Egg – The egg is used to bind the meatballs.
- Breadcrumbs – We use panko breadcrumbs (you could substitute regular if you needed to). Use plain (not seasoned) because we add in our own seasoning.
- Oil - For frying. Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, we use canola oil. You need enough to cover the bottom of a large, deep skillet with ¼ - ½ inch of oil. How much to use will depend on the size of the skillet. As a reference we use a deep 12-inch skillet and used 1 cup.
Sauce and pasta ingredients
- Pantry – Marinara sauce, canned diced tomatoes, chicken broth, spaghetti (or use your favorite pasta).
- Produce – Onion (use yellow or white) and garlic
- Herbs and spices – Dried oregano, salt for the pasta water and for the final dish (if needed) – we use kosher salt.
- Oil – A small amount of olive oil is used to sauté the onions and garlic.
- Garnish and toppings – parsley, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper are good options.
Recipe tips
- Don’t overwork the meat when making meatballs. Mix it just enough to get the ingredients combined. Also, do not over-handle when forming them.
- Use a scoop to portion out a heaping tablespoon of the turkey mixture. That way they will all be roughly the same size.
- Use a large, nonstick skillet to fry the meatballs so that you don’t risk them sticking and breaking.
- Use tongs with silicone tips to turn the meatballs quickly and without tearing.
- Don’t add salt to the sauce until it’s done. The meatballs, pasta sauce, canned tomatoes and chicken broth all contain salt already. You can always add at the end if needed.
Recipe tips
- Don’t overwork the meat when making meatballs. Mix it just enough to get the ingredients combined. Also, do not over-handle when forming them.
- Use a scoop to portion out a heaping tablespoon of the turkey mixture. That way they will all be roughly the same size.
- Use a large, nonstick skillet to fry the meatballs so that you don’t risk them sticking and breaking.
- Use tongs with silicone tips to turn the meatballs quickly and without tearing.
- Don’t add salt to the sauce until it’s done. The meatballs, pasta sauce, canned tomatoes and chicken broth all contain salt already. You can always add at the end if needed.
Instructions
Make the meatballs by adding the ground turkey, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, minced onion, garlic, dried oregano, salt, black pepper and the egg to a large bowl.
Use your hands (or a fork) to combine the ground turkey mixture. Form into balls that are roughly 1½ inch in diameter. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray.
Fry the meatballs
Heat the oil in a large, deep non-stick skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook 2 minutes to brown on one side. Turn each and cook 2 minutes to brown other side.
Take the skillet off the heat remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate or pan. Loosely cover with a piece of foil to keep them warm.
Let the oil cool some, then drain all of it from the skillet but do not wash. There should be no more than a coating of oil left. Leave any bits that were left behind in the pan.
Make the sauce
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in the same skillet on medium. Add the onions and cook 3-4 minutes, until they start to soften and become translucent. Stir frequently.
- Add the garlic and oregano and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes and chicken broth to the pan and stir well.
- Carefully add the turkey meatballs to the pan and stir to coat. Raise the heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Lower the heat medium-low and cover. Cook the turkey meatballs in the sauce for 35-40 minutes. Lower the heat if boiling too vigorously and stir occasionally.
In the meantime, cook the spaghetti to package directions for al dente. Remember to salt the water.
Check that the meatballs are cooked through. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the largest meatball is at least 165°F in the center.
Taste the sauce and add salt, if needed. As a reference we did not add extra salt to ours.
Serve the turkey meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper, if desired.
Make ahead, storing, and reheating instructions
Form the meatballs ahead of time to get a head start on dinner. Form them as instructed, place them on a sheet pan, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Before frying, let them sit out at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to let some of the chill out (provided that it is cool in your kitchen).
Store the turkey meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Make the pasta on the day you will be serving.
Reheat the meatball and sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering and the meatballs are at least 165°F in the center, or use a microwave.
You may also like these ground turkey recipes:
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📖 Recipe
Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
Turkey meatballs ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Turkey use lean ground turkey but not turkey breast – we used 93/7
- ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons Finely Minced Onion about ½ small onion
- 2 tablespoons Parsley finely chopped – plus extra for garnish if desired
- 2 Garlic Cloves finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Egg
- ¾ - 1 cup Oil or enough to cover the bottom of a large skillet by ½ inch (use a neutral/flavorless oil - we used canola oil)
Sauce and pasta ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion finely diced
- 3-5 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 (24 ounce) Jar Marinara Sauce (use your favorite brand)
- 1 (14 ounce) can Diced Tomatoes regular or fire roasted
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 16 ounces Spaghetti cooked to package directions for al dente
- 1-2 tablespoons Salt for the pasta water we use kosher salt
- Chopped Parsley for garnish optional
- Parmesan Cheese for serving optional
- Crushed Red Pepper for serving optional
Instructions
Form the Meatballs
- Add the ground turkey, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, onion, garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper and the egg to a large bowl.
- Use your hands (or a fork) to combine the ground turkey mixture. Do not overwork the meat, mix just enough to incorporate the ingredients.
- Form the ground turkey mixture into balls that are roughly 1½ inch in diameter.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray with cooking spray. Place the meatballs on the pan leaving some space between them so they’re not touching. You should get about 20 meatballs.
Fry the meatballs
- Heat the oil in a large, deep non-stick skillet or pan (that has a tight-fitting lid) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, carefully add the meatballs to the skillet.
- Cook 2 minutes to brown on one side.
- Turn each cook 2 minutes to brown other side.
- Take the skillet off the heat remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate or pan. Keep them warm by loosely covering the plate with a piece of aluminum foil and/or place them in the microwave or oven to keep away from drafts.
- Don’t worry that they are not fully cooked. They will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Let the oil cool some, then drain all of it from the skillet but do not wash. There should be no more than a coating of oil left in the skillet. If there are any bits from the meatballs left, leave them they will help flavor the sauce.
Make the sauce
- Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the same skillet. Place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, cook approximately 3-4 minutes, until they start to soften and become translucent. Stir frequently.
- Add the garlic and oregano and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes and chicken broth to the pan and stir well.
- Carefully add the turkey meatballs to the pan and stir to coat.
- Raise the heat and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Lower the heat medium-low and cover. Cook the turkey meatballs in the sauce for 35-40 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Keep the sauce at a simmer. If it starts boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a little bit, especially as the sauce starts to thicken.
In the meantime, cook the spaghetti
- While the sauce cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt (we use kosher salt) to the water before dropping in the pasta. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions for al dente, drain well.
- Check that the meatballs are cooked through. The internal temperature of the largest meatball should be at least 165°F in the center. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure.
- Taste the sauce and add salt, if needed. As a reference we did not add extra salt to ours.
- Serve the turkey meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper, if desired.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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