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    Home » Recipes » Turkey Meatballs In Marinara Sauce

    Turkey Meatballs In Marinara Sauce

    Published: Mar 11, 2013 · Modified: Aug 14, 2021 by Linda Baker · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce are so good and tender. Use low-fat turkey breast and you won't miss the beef or the calories.

    Turkey Meatballs In Marinara Sauce on a plate

    The story behind Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

    Where's the Beef? You won't miss the beef or the calories with these tasty turkey meatballs in marinara sauce!

    Ground Turkey Meat vs Ground Beef

    Turkey meatballs are lower in saturated fats and calories than meatballs made with ground beef because I used lean, ground breast meat.

    Buyer Beware: Turkey breast is lean, but the dark meat isn’t, and some ground turkey contains both. A quarter-pound of regular ground turkey contains 3g sat fat. Compare that to only 2.5g in the same amount of sirloin.

    Ground turkey breast, on the other hand, has just half a gram of sat fat, so the right cut of turkey is a significant fat-cutter.

    So be sure to look at the label. If you can't get lean ground turkey breast at the store, you could buy a half breast and grind it yourself (or ask your friendly butcher to grind it for you), or substitute ground chicken breast, or use lean ground sirloin.

    The Marinara

    For the marinara, you could use your favorite jarred sauce. Or make a simple homemade marinara. I usually make a large batch of fresh, then freeze it. That way I always have some homemade marinara available.

    Pasta Choice

    The choice of pasta is up to you, but these meatballs are best served on long kinds of pasta such as spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine. 

    Turkey Meatballs In Marinara Sauce on a plate

    Turkey Meatballs In Marinara Sauce

    LindySez
    Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce are so good and tender. Use low-fat turkey breast and you won’t miss the beef or the calories
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    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Main Course, Pasta, Poultry
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 257 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound lean ground turkey breast
    • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup Italian style season breadcrumbs or more as needed
    • ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
    • ½ cup finely grated carrot
    • ½ cup finely chopped onion
    • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil) rinsed, drained and finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves plus some for garnish
    • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or dried
    • 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves or dried
    • 1 egg lightly beaten
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • Freshly ground pepper to taste
    • 1 batch Basic Marinara Sauce or 1 (28 -ounce) jar marinara

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat broiler. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet, or cover with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
    • In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey with the olive oil, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, carrot, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, thyme, oregano, egg, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, mix well, if the mixture feels too loose, add a bit more bread crumbs until the meat holds together when forming a ball. Form into 2 inch balls (do not compact the meat, use a light touch when making the meatballs); place on the baking sheet. Place under the broiler for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally so all sides get brown and the meatballs are almost cooked.
    • Heat the marinara in a saucepan. Add meatballs; cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the meatballs absorb some of the sauce. While the meatballs are cooking; prepare pasta of your choice according to package directions.
    • Drain the pasta and divide between 6 heated pasta bowls; top with meatballs and marinara. Garnish with fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

    Notes

    Best served on a long pasta such as spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gSodium: 641mgSugar: 5gFiber: 2gCholesterol: 89mgCalories: 257kcalPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gFat: 6gProtein: 30gCarbohydrates: 20g
    Keyword lean meatballs, lean turkey meatballs, low-fat meatballs
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Related

    « How to make Basic Marinara Sauce with Fresh or Canned Tomato
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    Hi, I'm Lindy.

    I am a home-trained chef who loves to cook and eat delicious food. As I like to say, "Life is too short to eat mediocre food". And I find too much food out there is mediocre. I don't think good food needs to be fussy, or difficult to prepare. Most of my recipes are fresh, quick, easy, and tasty while keeping both calories and fats in check. 

    More about me →

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