5 ingredient turkey meatballs and spaghetti

Turkey meatballs are a go-to staple when you’re looking for a lean protein that is still tender and packed with flavor.

These are my 5 ingredient turkey meatballs with spaghetti – they are so simple, yet everything you’re looking for in a quick weeknight dinner. I love to add greens to the sauce to make this a well-balanced meal.

Private Chef Tips:

• The panko and egg are critical binding ingredients:
  • These are the binding ingredients that allow the meatball to hold its form. If you want to make this recipe but don’t have panko breadcrumbs, you can chop or food-process a piece of bread. (YES, any piece of bread will work here!). The finer, and staler the better, as you won’t get big soggy chunks in your meatball. However, any bread will do. I call for ¼ cup
• Herbs:
  • I’m using cilantro here to bring a layer of freshness to the dish. Feel free to skip the cilantro if you don’t have it or don’t like it and add dried oregano or dried basil instead.
• Wet your palms with some water or oil:
  • Do this before rolling the meatballs to get the round form – this will help prevent getting the meatball mixture everywhere. 
• Use Rao’s brand for the marinara sauce:
  • Rao’s is my personal favorite brand of marinara sauce and it’s almost just as good as homemade. You can also make a homemade version using this marinara sauce, but Rao’s works perfectly for a weeknight dinner!
• Add leafy greens:
  • Quickly make this a well balanced meal by adding some leafy greens to the sauce and meatball mixture before serving. I add spinach because I always have some on hand and it’s a great way to get more leafy greens in your diet. Feel free to swap out with chopped kale or chard.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Made with just 5 ingredients – I love a simple recipe but this is particularly easy with 5 key ingredients (+ salt and pepper!).

Lean protein – Ground turkey is one of the leanest proteins you can have. To be honest, there aren’t too many things I love to cook with ground turkey, but this recipe is one of them. Juicy and tender – Even though this recipe uses ground turkey, it’s still super juicy and tender! The first time I made this recipe, I could barely believe it. The flavor and tenderness comes from the parmesan cheese, egg, and herbs.

Juicy and tender – Even though this recipe uses ground turkey, it’s still super juicy and tender! The first time I made this recipe, I could barely believe it. The flavor and tenderness comes from the parmesan cheese, egg, and herbs.

Ingredients:

Because this recipe has minimal ingredients, it’s critical that each component is included and that you use HIGH QUALITY and fresh ingredients. 

• Ground Turkey – the heart of the meatball! I aim for a 93% lean ground turkey, and if you get an even leaner mix, you can add in a tablespoon of olive oil into the mixture. 
• Egg – used to bind the ingredients together. I have a rule of thumb to use 1 egg per lb of ground meat. 
• Panko Breadcrumbs – another critical ingredient that’s used to absorb up the juices and fats from the meats. I prefer panko breadcrumbs as they are light and don’t add too much additional flavor. Alternatively, you can use traditional Italian breadcrumbs. If you don’t have breadcrumbs, you can finely chop up or food-process a piece of bread and measure ¼ cup from that. 
• Cilantro – an herb I almost always have in my fridge and love to use in this recipe. Feel free to substitute dried oregano, basil or even fresh parsley if you have it. 
• Seasonings – I keep it simple with kosher salt and black pepper, but you can also add garlic powder here if you’d like. I use another rule of thumb to include 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of ground meat. 

Recommended Tools to make this recipe:

Ice cream / meatball scoopers (Small, medium, and large) – I use a small scooper to make these turkey meatballs, and this tool makes the forming process really fast. Scoop ALL the meatball mixture first, then wet your palms and round out each of the meatballs. I got my scoopers on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3UI7hW8 

Vollrath Half Sheet Baking Sheet and Individual Cut Parchment Paper  – Instead of a plate, I always grab a baking sheet and a piece of parchment paper to put my scooped meatballs on. It’s something I learned in a professional kitchen and will always do it at home now! The baking sheets are from Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3KMSmFK, and the parchment paper is also on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3L6B7QV.

Other dishes to pair or make with the turkey meatballs:

Tomato and Kale Pearled Couscous 

Braised white beans

Charred Corn and Kale Couscous

Summer Balsamic Stonefruit Panzanella 

Lemon Asparagus Orzo 

Meatball Sliders

FAQ – 5 ingredient turkey meatballs and spaghetti

Q: Can I substitute ground chicken for the ground turkey?

A: Yes! Ground chicken would be the easiest substitution for this as the ground chicken I typically find has a similar fat percentage as ground turkey. 

Q: Can I prepare these ahead of time? Can I freeze these turkey meatballs?

A: Absolutely! You can make these meatballs and reheat them up to 3 days later. If you want to freeze the meatballs without the sauce, feel free to bake them at 400F for 12 minutes. Let this cool, then freeze on a baking tray. Once frozen, store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. The frozen meatballs can be directly cooked from frozen. I recommend heating the sauce first, then adding the meatballs and cooking until warmed thoroughly, about 15 minutes. 

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Boil Water for Spaghetti:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Prepare Meatball Mixture:

In a mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, chopped cilantro, egg, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Mix well and roll into 1” diameter meatballs, making about 24 meatballs.

3. Cook Spaghetti:

When the water boils, add several tablespoons of kosher salt to the boiling water. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions, about 9 minutes.

4. Cook Meatballs and Sauce:

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then add the meatballs in one even layer. Cook for about 3 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the jar of marinara sauce directly to the meatballs. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add Spinach:

After 10 minutes, the meatballs should be cooked. Add the baby spinach to the sauce and meatballs, cover, and let simmer for another 2 minutes. Remove the lid and wilt the remaining spinach by tossing it with the sauce.

6. Serve:

To finish the dish, plate the spaghetti in a bowl. Top with meatballs, the marinara sauce, and some grated parmesan. Serve immediately.

VIDEO TUTORIAL:

Print