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–+ servings
Close-up of juicy Turkey Meatballs in Marinara sauce, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Turkey Meatballs in Marinara

This recipe makes 28 turkey meatballs served in marinara sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 4 6 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatball Mixture
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese more for serving, if desired
  • 1/2 cup panko or other plain dried bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped chives or basil
  • 2 cloves garlic grated on a microplane or minced
  • 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
  • 1.5 pounds ground turkey very cold
  • 1 large egg beaten
Cooking and Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil more as needed
  • 3 cups marinara sauce more to taste

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Large sauté pan

Method
 

  1. In a large bowl, combine cheese, bread crumbs, onion, chives, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes, if using, and mix well. Add turkey and egg and blend with your hands until well mixed. If you have time, cover the mixture and chill for one hour or up to 24 hours. The mixture is easiest to form into balls while very cold. Form into 28 meatballs, each about 1¼-inches in diameter.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan. When hot, add enough of the meatballs to fit in one layer without crowding, and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and brown another layer of meatballs, transferring them to the plate as you brown them. Repeat until all meatballs are browned, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
  3. When the meatballs are all browned, add marinara sauce to the pan and bring it to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits on the pan bottom. Return the meatballs and their juices to the pan, shake the pan to cover the meatballs with sauce, and lower the heat. Partly cover the pan and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. Serve hot, drizzled with more olive oil and sprinkled with more cheese, if you like.

Notes

You will form 28 meatballs, yielding 4 to 6 servings.

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