Our favorite turkey meatball recipe has no lengthy cooking times, searing, or baking. The meatballs are cooked right in the easy homemade tomato basil sauce.
Ground turkey meatballs can sometimes be tough and dry, but that’s not a problem with this recipe! You’ll make our easy 5-minute tomato basil sauce, add your raw meatballs, and gently simmer until cooked in the middle. They turn out incredibly tender and juicy.
These easy turkey meatballs are high on my favorites list. For more meatball recipes, see our Italian meatballs, spaghetti and meatballs, or these slow cooker chicken meatballs with a similar tomato basil sauce.
Key Ingredients
- Ground Turkey: I use 93% lean ground turkey when making meatballs, and highly recommend that you do, as well. I find more lean ground turkey too dry. The extra 7-10% fat helps to keep our turkey meatballs moist and juicy in the middle.
- Milk, Breadcrumbs, and Egg: These three ingredients help hold the meatballs mixture together and makes them soft and tender in the middle. I like whole milk and usually reach or homemade breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan: I’m always amazed with how much better meatballs taste with some finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano added to the mixture. Pecorino Romano is a good substitute.
- Spices: I love fresh parsley in my meatballs, and I love to stir in a little dried oregano and salt.
- Tomato Basil Sauce: I make my quick and easy homemade tomato sauce with crushed canned tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil. If you want a shortcut, and don’t want to make a sauce, you can substitute 2 jars of your favorite store-bought spaghetti sauce.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Turkey Meatballs
Tip 1: Use a large skillet with sides. You’ll need a skillet with higher sides since it will do all the heavy lifting for this recipe. You are looking for a skillet large enough to fit the sauce and the meatballs. If you don’t have one, a Dutch oven would be your next best bet.
Tip 2: Make our easy tomato sauce. Start with the sauce, which is so simple to make. Heat olive oil and cook some garlic. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and a big sprig of basil. The basil sprig infuses the sauce with basil flavor, and we will finish with more basil leaves later.
Tip 3: Gently simmer the meatballs. Make your meatball mixture and form it into balls. I use wet hands, which keeps them from sticking too much. Then, drop the meatballs into the gently simmering sauce and leave them without moving until they’ve firmed up a bit. After 10 minutes, you should be able to move them around, which will help them cook more evenly.
Tip 4: Cover and cook through. Allow the meatballs to gently poach in the tomato sauce, keeping the sauce barely at a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook. After 20 minutes or so, they should be firm and cooked in the middle. Finish with extra basil leaves on top.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these incredible turkey meatballs with a dollop of ricotta cheese spooned over spaghetti or rustic bread. I love this homemade focaccia, which would be wonderful for scooping up the tomato basil sauce.
To round out the meal, add a vegetable or salad. I love this Italian chopped salad or fresh salad greens tossed in this easy balsamic vinaigrette. Roasted vegetables are lovely, too. I especially love this roasted broccolini or roasted cabbage (which I use as a bed for the meatballs, just as you would pasta).
More Meatball Recipes
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Swedish Meatballs
- Hot Honey Chicken Meatballs
- How to Make Juicy Meatballs
- Turkey Meatball Soup with Orzo
Easy Turkey Meatballs
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
We love these easy turkey meatballs cooked in our homemade tomato basil sauce. Instead of searing or baking the meatballs in this recipe, we simmer them in our simple Italian tomato basil sauce, making them incredibly tender and delicious.
Use a light touch when mixing and forming the meatballs. When adding these to the sauce, be careful not to stir it for 10 minutes so the meatballs can firm up. You can stir them once they’ve cooked and firmed up a bit.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
Turkey Meatballs1 pound ground turkey, 93% lean (450g)
½ cup panko breadcrumbs or homemade breadcrumbs (50g)
½ cup milk (118ml)
1 large egg
1 ½ ounces finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, about 6 tablespoons
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Tomato Basil Sauce1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes, 2 large cans
1 large basil sprig plus a handful of torn basil leaves
Salt, to taste
Directions
1Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet with sides and lid. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, then cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until the color turns from bright red to orange, about 2 minutes.
2Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer. Add the entire basil sprig, then taste for seasoning. Adjust with additional salt if needed. Continue to simmer while you prepare the meatball mixture.
3Make meatball mixture: Add the breadcrumbs, milk, egg, cheese, parsley, oregano, and salt to a large bowl. Stir until well blended. Add the ground turkey and mix everything until combined, using a fork or your fingers. Try not to overmix for the most tender meatballs.
4Roll into balls: Reduce the heat of the sauce so it is at a very gently simmer. Wet your hands, and then form the mixture into 1-inch balls. You should get about 22 to 24 meatballs. Gently drop the meatballs into tomato sauce. It’s okay if the sauce does not cover the tops of the meatballs.
5Gently simmer: Cover the skillet and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the meatballs will have firmed up, so you can gently shimmy the skillet to move the meatballs around in the sauce. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked in the middle. Just before serving, scatter torn basil leaves over meatballs and sauce.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Leftover meatballs with the sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Shortcut: Use 2 jars of your favorite store-bought spaghetti sauce.
- Make-ahead sauce: The tomato basil sauce can be made in advance and should last in your refrigerator for up to 3 days and in your freezer for about 3 months. We recommend using freezer-safe glass containers or double-layer freezer bags to store sauces. To thaw, leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
- Make-ahead meatballs: Arrange shaped and uncooked meatballs in a dish or on a baking sheet, leaving some space between them. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I’ve been on the hunt for a delicious recipe and these turkey meatballs are that! So moist! I used two jars of good marinara to cook them in and I couldn’t tell the sauce was not homemade. In addition, this is such an easy recipe. Thank you!! 🙂
So happy you found our recipe easy, Janice!
These were the softest, tastiest neatballs I ever made! I switched a specialty $$$ Marinara sauce for the 2nd can of crushed tomatoes, simply because ever since a neighbour brought me a huge box of Roma tomatoes, I made home-made sauce and cannot resist it. I’ve got a question about the tomato paste? Can we leave it out? Mine never turned orange and most burned in the bottom of my pot. It seems that the crushed tomatoes were sufficient for a thick sauce?
Hi Althea, If you tomato paste burned, your heat may have been a bit too high. I do love the extra rich tomato flavor that the tomato paste adds, but if you swapped some of the tomatoes for a marinara sauce, it probably added plenty of flavor.
Ahhh yes, makes sense Joanne! Thank-you.
Egg allergy for one of my grandkids, is there a substitute or can it be left out?
Hi there, you can try leaving it out. The meatballs will be slightly more firm, but should be fine.
I made this tonight and the meatballs were so nice. But my tomato sauce was a little… Lacking…
So I wanted to check! Where the recipe says crushed red pepper flakes – does this mean (dried) chilli flakes?
And where it says tomato paste, does this mean tomato puree? Thanks so much ! x
Hi Helen, This sauce is on the lighter side, but should still be quite flavorful. To answer your questions, we use dried crushed red pepper flakes. Aleppo pepper or gochujang would also be nice. For tomato paste, I love the double concentrate tomato paste sold in tubs as it’s really thick and flavorful, tomato puree would be less concentrated. For more flavor, pop the rind of some Parmigiano Reggiano into the sauce as it simmers or bump up the fresh basil. Hope that helps!
Tried this for the first time. Yum Yum Yum!! Converted measurements to metric for us Australians and used 2 x 400gm Mutti brand crushed tomatoes and 1 x 140 gm Mutti double concentrate tomato paste for the sauce and boosted the garlic. The wet hands to form the meatballs is a great tip! Seved with Fettuccine pasta and a salad plus some garlic butter toasted Turkish bread. Meal fit for a King! Thanks guys. Will make it for our church family now we have tried it ourselves. We highly recommend this easy recipe. Thank you!!
I only have regular dried breadcrumbs. Would I use the same amount listed here for panko?
Yes.
Great recipe. Quicksand easy. And tastes like it was cooked in an italian restaurant 😋
Can I use ground chicken instead of meatballs?
Absolutely!
WOW! This was soooooo good! I usually follow recipes for the first time, exact. Read this recipe and watched the video a few days before I went to the grocery. Ended up getting the higher fat ground turkey (couldn’t remember to get the lean) and it actually turned out delicious! Flavors are not overpowering and the meatballs were so tender and flavorful. Sauce is quick and easy. Will be making this again for sure! Made a triple batch and have some set aside for my son and daughter in law to provide a meal for the arrival of their third child!
Hi Sherry, I am so happy that you enjoyed it so much! Honestly, the more fat with ground turkey, the better. When shopping in my local stores, the highest at content I can find is 7%. If you found higher than that, the meatballs will just be even more flavorful and juicy inside.
This recipe was AMAZING! I had some leftover turkey and was hankering for a yummy pasta dish. This did not disappoint. I was amazed at the depth of flavor created in only an hour. I ended up adding a tad more red pepper flakes and some black pepper and salt to taste, and it was delightful! I also cooked the meatballs about 18-20 min total in the sauce beyond the first 20 min (after tossing) instead of the directed 5-10 due to my mistiming of the pasta, but it was SO YUMMY! Next time I might sear the meatballs, just for a different texture, but my husband loved them just the way they are! Will definitely be making again.
Can I use ground turkey breast 99 percent lean? Whenever I use ground turkey breast, I add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the meat. Ok to do the same with this recipe?
Yes, the recipe still works, although I prefer ground turkey with a bit more fat left.
These were awesome. So soft and moist. My husband even liked the sauce. We made meatball subs on toasted garlic butter rolls topped with parmesan cheese. Hubby told me to definitely keep this recipe. Thank you
This looks sooo good and easy too! I’m lactose intolerant and don’t have milk in the house –could I substitute unsweetened almond milk which I do have on hand for the milk?
Hi Marilyn, Yes, an unsweetened plant-based milk like almond milk will be fine in this recipe.
Hello. I just wanted to say that using half beef and half Italian sausage meat is a perfect meat combo. Way better than just using beef. And baking the meatballs makes them more tender than frying them. Overall great recipe! Ritz crackers works great instead of breadcrumbs. A happy accident 🙂
We love this! I bet sausage meat adds a lovely flavor. Thanks for sharing.
I love these meatballs so much! Could I bake them to save time? If so, what temp and time would you recommend? Thank you!
Hi Alexandra, You can bake the meatballs. We suggest 425°F, and the meatballs should take somewhere around 20 minutes to bake.
Hi Paul, We are sorry that you did not enjoy the recipe. I’m not sure what went wrong, we love these tender, juicy meatballs. You might want to take a look at this meatballs recipe, which calls for searing the meatballs. They might be a bit firmer for you.
How would this recipe hold up without the cheese? The strongest cheese I can eat is a mozerella, will it still be okay without the cheese?
Hi Paige, Yes, you can leave the cheese out. It helps to season the meatballs, so you might lose a bit of flavor.
Just wow! How delicious and moist are these beauties. Lovely and moist and perfect with any type of pasta or lots of lemony cous cous to soak up that gorgeous sauce. A real hit. Thank you
Ah now that’s a good idea and if you an use cous cous then you can use bulgar wheat, I will give that a go!
Hi Jude, We are thrilled that you enjoy them so much! Thanks for coming back and letting us know.
Delicious! I’m 37 years old and have never made meatballs before. Tried this simple recipe yesterday (with the pasta sauce and noodles) and it was a hit! My partner said he could eat it every day – that’s the biggest compliment. Thanks so much for making this as easy and unintimidating as possible.
Oh wow, that is a wonderful compliment, Kelly! So happy you both enjoyed them.
This recipe is very easy to follow, comes together quick and is delicious! It tastes like its been cooking all afternoon, such amazing flavor! My husband, who I thought would give it a 5 out of 10, gives it a 12!
Wow! We are thrilled that you both enjoy them so much, Laura!
I have are this recipe several times. The meatballs are so tender and delicious. Highly recommend.
Thanks for coming back and leaving a review, Karen. We really appreciate it.
I love your recipe for turkey burgers. The ground, cooked, mushrooms keep the turkey so moist. Would ground, cooked, mushrooms work in this recipe as well?
Yes, they would work well in this recipe.
sooo good. served my turkey balls on top of blanched zoodles. was super tasty and added a nice crunch. my housemates and i loved them. i was really surprised at how moist and full of flavour they were, i added a touch more cheese and chilli and i did not regret it. thanks for a great recipe that takes very little concentration
Hi Bernadette, a bit more cheese is never a bad idea! So happy you enjoyed the meatballs!
Perfect result. Fantastic meatballs. I found difficult to follow the recipe as they are in US measures but the result is delicious.
Did you know that there are facilities online for you to convert one set of measures/weights to another, such as cups to grammes or grammes to ounces, etc? This is what I do as I am not American so prefer ounces or grammes.
I have made these meatballs twice for my family and everyone gives them 2 thumbs up. They are easy to make and they are not dry and dense as some meatballs can taste. They stay light and fluffy and moist and the flavor is excellent. This is turning into a regular dinner recipe over here. Thank you!
This is my go to turkey meatball recipe. I have not changed a thing- they always come out moist and tender and flavorful. There is usually enough sauce left over to save for another dish.
These turkey meatballs were fabulous, easy and very tasty. I had mine with cauliflower rice (trying to be more healthy) and veggies on the side, Hubby had his with pasta. We both loved them. VERY easy to make. I shaped balls with a wet (hot water) ice cream scoop, to mess and plopped them right into sauce no fuss! Will definitely make these again!
This was delicious and easy to make. Not browning the meatballs made a world of difference in taste and time. The sauce is similar to what I normally make which I love. So far every recipe I’ve made from your site has been wonderful. Thank you!
Love love loved these turkey balls….so moist…so perfect….I’m doing WW so it was a bit pointy..but I made room for it duting the day. So great for turkey as it normally dry and boring
I’m enjoying your recipes. Would you recommend using mushrooms in the meatball recipe as you do in meatloaf and burger recipes?
That would be excellent.
I tried this recipe tonight for dinner. The best turkey meatballs I have ever made. The sauce was delicious. The meatballs were the most tender and moist. Printed the recipe – it’s a keeper!
I have tried so many turkey meatball recipes. If it had flavor, it was dry. If it was moist, it was bland. I put most of them in the sauce but a few didn’t fit so, I put them in the air fryer and they was delicious and still moist!! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!!
I think I have a new favourite meal. Wow, I’m just trying to cook at home more and helping my Wife with new recipes. I rather have this homemade than go out. Meatballs were impressive! Cooking them from raw in the sauce was the way to go. Unexpectedly had to serve it at last minute to our best friends (Italian). “You must have some Italian blood in you, these are so delicious!” Thanks guys, all your recipes have been a hit.
THese were super easy and even more delicious! We couldn’t stop ourselves from over-eating.
Made it yesterday night and it was very easy and good! I usually don’t care for meatballs but those are really moist and tasty!