These Turkey Meatballs are absolutely stellar, sneaking in mushrooms for those who aren’t a fan. So much flavor, packed into one little bite!
Meatballs and tomato sauce, what could be better than that? They’re made with turkey, but still have a ton of flavor. Plus, they’re not dry at all! I love eating these turkey meatballs on their own (it’s how the Italians do it), but they’re also excellent with pasta, rice, or other grains, like quinoa.
The meatballs are too delicious – they’re browned in a pan for extra flavor, and then they finish cooking in a simple home made tomato sauce. I prefer to make them this way for maximum flavor and juiciness. Other recipes may have you cook the meatballs in the oven for ease. I’ve tried that. This way is better. Much better. Making them in the oven doesn’t get the caramelization pan-searing gets without overcooking them first.
The mushrooms are finely chopped and cooked, before mixing with the other ingredients in the turkey mixture. Yellow onion is finely grated so that there aren’t big chunks of raw onion in the meatballs. The ingredients are mixed with classic meatballs staples, like breadcrumbs, herbs, and egg, plus some Parmesan cheese.
What to Eat These With?
Honestly, I think these turkey meatballs are amazing all by themselves. However, they’re great paired with spaghetti, served over white rice, or on top of any grain really. They’re also be great with my Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes. For a veggie, pair them with my Grilled Broccolini Caesar.
Ingredient Notes:
- Baby Bella Mushrooms – You can also use button or cremini mushrooms if you can’t find the baby bella variety.
- Avocado Oil – I like avocado oil because it’s a healthier option. But you can use any neutral oil.
- Kosher Salt – I always use Diamond Crystal when cooking, it’s not expensive either for a massive box of it. Order it here!
- Parmesan Cheese – I prefer to buy a high-quality block of Parm and grate my own. But buying pre-grated works well, too.
- Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs – I think 4C makes the absolute best gluten-free breadcrumbs (buy them here if you can’t find them in a store), but you can use whatever brand you’d like. You can also use regular breadcrumbs if not making gluten-free.
- Fresh Oregano – I love the flavor of fresh oregano in these turkey meatballs, but if you can’t find it, you can substitute with a third of the amount of dried oregano.
- Fresh Parsley – You can always substitute with fresh chives or basil.
- Ground Turkey – You can use ground chicken or ground beef if you prefer!
- Tomato Sauce – Feel free to use my recipe or use your favorite store-bought brand.
Mushroom & Turkey Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 Cookie Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized
- 1 Medium Pot with a lid
- 1 Immersion Blender or regular blender
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms washed and dried
- Avocado oil
- Kosher salt
- ½ medium yellow onion peeled and grated using the medium-sized holes on a box grater
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and grated on a microplane
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves
- 3 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 pound ground turkey I like to choose a grind with more fat content
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Tomato Sauce recipe below
- Freshly basil or parsley for garnish
- Grated Parmesan for garnish
For the Tomato Sauce:
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- Kosher salt
- 1 28 oz. can peeled whole tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- Pulse the mushrooms in food processor until roughly chopped, similar to the size of pine nuts (Alternatively, you can hand chop the mushrooms if you don’t have a food processor).
- Heat a drizzle of avocado oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and a decent pinch of Kosher salt and stir. Spread out into a thin layer and cook for 3 minutes without touching. Stir mushrooms and spread out into a thin layer again. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Then cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender. Transfer to a plate, season with Kosher salt, if needed, and let cool completely. Wipe out pan to use for meatballs.
- Once the mushrooms have cooled, form meatballs. In a large bowl, add the grated onion, grated garlic, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, oregano, parsley, and water. Mix until evenly combined. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, ground turkey, a generous amount of Kosher salt (I used 2 teaspoons for 16 meatballs), and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well with your hands for 30 seconds – 1 minute.
- TIP: I recommend taking a tiny portion of the meatball mixture and cooking it in a pan with oil until cooked through, to taste and ensure the mixture is seasoned to your liking.
- Scoop into meatballs a little larger than golf balls (I use a 2 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop and overfill them a bit), about 1 ½ inches in diameter. It helps to rub your hands with oil before rolling, the mixture will be sticky.
- Coat the bottom of a large pan with a thin layer of avocado oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, spacing them evenly, and cook for 6 minutes. Flip them every two minutes so that they’re nicely browned on multiple sides.
- Add tomato sauce to the pan with the meatballs, lower the heat to low, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 18-22 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Add in a little bit of water if sauce thickens too quickly. Taste and season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.
- Serve hot sprinkled with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.
For the Tomato Sauce:
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in medium pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and a pinch of Kosher salt and cook about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown.
- Add can of tomatoes, stock, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, then turn heat to low. Partially cover, leaving open a little crack, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and blend until smooth. Season with Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh oregano.
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