These turkey meatballs are loaded with veggies and are a healthier twist to the Italian classic. Flavorful and simple, the entire family will request these weekly! This recipe is also a great way to sneak in veggies for that picky eater.
Why Make These Turkey Meatballs.
They are chock-full of veggies! A great way to sneak in some greens for that picky eater... eh hem - kids!
Allergy friendly. These Turkey Meatballs are allergy friendly! They are dairy free and gluten-free depending on the type of crackers you choose to crinkly up in them.
Versatile for a cozy comfort meal, or a healthy easy meal prep dinner for the weeknight. You can make meatball subs with them (my personal favorite) or top spaghetti or spaghetti squash with them.
Ingredients For This Recipe.
Zucchini. This is a must! It keeps the meat extra moist and adds additional nutrients.
Crackers. I go for soup crackers or saltines! Can also substitute oats for the crackers if you are looking for a gluten free option.
Lean grond turkey. You can use beef, but to keep things a bit healthier I choose ground turkey or chicken.
How To Make These Turkey Meatballs.
Step 1. use a cheese grater to shred up zucchini. discard the stem.
Step 2. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl. Set oven to 400 degrees and get parchment paper prepared on a cookie sheet.
Step 3. Mix together the ingredients well with hands. You may use a mixer but they will be better and less dense if you use your hands.
Step 4. Form equal size balls of meat and place on parchment paper. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
FAQs And Expert Tips.
You can use a lean ground beef, or ground chicken would make a great substitute.
Yes! Choose gluten-free crackers or use gluten-free oats in place of the crackers.
Yellow squash or carrots would make a great substitute for zucchini. Otherwise skip the zucchini and just bake them for 5 minutes less. They won't be a moist but all have more density to them.
These meatballs are a great thing to make in bulk. Pop them in a ziplock and keep them in the freezer for when you need a quick dinner. Just pull them out and let them sit a little bit on the counter to defrost. They can be reheated in sauce on the stovetop, air fryer or microwave.
Other recipes to try:
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Healthy Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- ¾ cup finely chopped white onions
- ½ cup finely chopped spinach (fresh) optional
- ¾ cup shredded zucchini
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp garlic cloves chopped
- ½ tbsp italian seasoning
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 egg
- ½ cup soup crackers *
- 1 tsp worchestershire sauce Optional!
- 1 tsp crushed red peppers
- 1 tsp smoked paprika *
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ⅓ cup marinara
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl mix: ground turkey or chicken, shredded zucchini (use a cheese grater to shred the zucchini), seasoning, parsley, onions, egg, garlic, crackers. Use your hands to mix best. Add in 2 tbsp of marinara and mix in well. Save the rest of the sauce.
- add parchemnt paper to a cooking sheet or spray the sheet with a little oil. Make 1.5 inch balls with your hands evenly spaced on the sheet. Makes about 12 meatballs depending on size.
- add a tsp of red sauce over each meatball. Place in the oven and cook for 18 - 20 minutes. Place on crusty bread with mozzarella for a meatball sub or serve over spaghetti noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
Matt
Those meatballs are fantastic! I love that the lean meat makes it a healthy guilt free option. So good!