↑

Will Cook For Smiles

The Best of Homecooking

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • New Year’s
Home » Seasonal » Turkey » Garlic Parmesan Turkey Meatballs

Garlic Parmesan Turkey Meatballs

Created: December 28, 2018 Updated: December 21, 2021 by lyuba 82 Comments

102.7K shares
Jump to Recipe

Juicy Turkey Meatballs are packed with flavors of garlic, Parmesan cheese, and herbs. These meatballs are perfect for a weekend dinner and can be made ahead of time for a quick weeknight meal. Paired perfectly with a simple Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce.

Turkey Meatballs in a pan

Turkey Meatballs

Turkey meatballs make a healthier alternative since turkey is such a lean meat. But, just because they are leaner and healthier, it does not mean that these meatballs are any less juicy and flavorful.

Some brands make a variety of lean to fat ratio in ground turkey but the most common one is 93%/7% meat to fat. This ground turkey will work great for meatballs.

I don’t recommend extra lean ground turkey because every time I’ve tried it, meat comes out too dry. No matter how much you want to keep the fat out, there just has to be some fat for a moist, juicy meatball.

These meatballs can be served without sauce, of course. You can even serve them with some homemade marinara sauce because the flavors in the meatballs will compliment classic marinara sauce well.

I’ve paired these turkey meatballs with some creamy garlic Parmesan sauce. It’s very easy to whisk together and cook with meatballs. Even if the meatballs are prepared ahead of time or frozen, this sauce can easily be whipped up in a couple of minutes and added to meatballs while reheating.

PIN THIS RECIPE

Juicy Turkey on a serving platter with tooth picks

How to make turkey meatballs:

These meatballs are made on stove top and in the oven, so use an oven-safe pan to cook.

Prepare the meat first by combining the ingredients in the mixing bowl and mixing them well.

Start preheating the pan on medium heat while rolling the meatballs. Preheat oven to 350.

Tip: use a cookie scoop to get an even amount of meat mixture so the meatballs are all the same. I like to use #40 cookie scoop.

Roll the meatballs and place them on a cutting board of parchment paper while the pan is preheating.

Add oil and place meatballs in the pan. Cook for a few minutes on one side. Gently shake the pan to loosen the meatballs and flip each meatball.

Whisk sauce ingredients together and pour it all over the meatballs.

Transfer the pan into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Take out and garnish with a little more shaved Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Turkey Meatballs in a pan with toothpick

Can I freeze meatballs?

These turkey meatballs can be frozen.

To freeze them, use the same method as I use for preparing beef meatballs for freezing. So instead of cooking them on stove-top and then in the oven with sauce, just bake them until done and freeze without sauce.

Thaw the meatballs in the refrigerator overnight.

To prepare the meatballs with sauce, place thawed meatballs in a baking dish and add sauce. Bake for about 15 minutes, until sauce bubbles around the edges.

Juicy Turkey Meatballs with toothpicks

Can these meatballs be gluten free?

Yes! To make these meatballs gluten free you simply swap a regular slice of bread for gluten free bread. Sauce is already gluten free because it’s made with corn starch.

Some more dinner recipes to try:

Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

Italian Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs

Chicken Parmesan

Crock Pot Meatloaf

Cheese Ball Bites

Juicy Turkey Meatballs in a pan

__________________________________________________

If you don’t want to miss any new recipes,  subscribe to e-mail or follow me through my social media channels!

pinterest  facebook  googleplus  instagram  twitter

Don’t forget to sign up for email, so you won’t miss any new recipes.

__________________________________________________

PIN THIS RECIPE

Turkey Meatballs In Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce

Juicy Turkey Meatballs are packed with flavors of garlic, Parmesan cheese, and herbs. Paired perfectly with a simple Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce.
4.63 from 56 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: cream sauce, meatballs, sauce, turkey
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 10 (Makes about 40 meatballs)
Calories: 267kcal

Ingredients

Turkey Meatballs:

  • 2 lbs ground turkey 93/7% lean
  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 extra large egg
  • 2 oz slice of bread
  • 2 tbsp milk for soaking bread
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt

Garlic Parmesan Sauce:

  • 1 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup dry Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
  • salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper

Garnish:

  • shaved Parmesan cheese
  • minced fresh parsley
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • These meatballs are made on stove top and in the oven, so use an oven-safe pan to cook.
  • Gently squeeze out the milk from the bread, place wet bread in the mixing bowl and break it up into small pieces. Add remaining ingredients for the meatballs and mix everything well.
  • Start preheating the pan on medium heat while rolling the meatballs. Preheat oven to 350.
  • Use a cookie scoop to get an even amount of meat mixture so the meatballs are all the same. I like to use #40 cookie scoop. (If you don't have a scoop, just roll the meatballs freehand but try to get them the same size.)
  • Roll the meatballs and place them on a cutting board of parchment paper while the pan is preheating.
  • Add oil to the pan and place meatballs in the pan. Cook for a few minutes on one side. Gently shake the pan to loosen the meatballs and flip each meatball.
  • Whisk sauce ingredients together and pour it all over the meatballs.
  • Transfer the pan into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes.
  • Take out the meatballs and garnish with a some shaved Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Video

Notes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 261mg | Potassium: 373mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 635IU | Vitamin C: 3.2mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

Juicy Turkey Meatballs are packed with flavors of garlic, Parmesan cheese, and herbs. Paired perfectly with a simple Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce. #meatballs #turkey #turkeymeatballs #sauce #creamsauce #dinner #appetizer

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

102.7K shares

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dinner, New Year's, Super Bowl Recipes, Turkey Tagged With: cream sauce, meatballs, sauce

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Kristy says

    January 3, 2019 at 10:01 pm

    How much is a serving size according to nutrition label

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      January 10, 2019 at 3:19 pm

      Hi Kristy!
      There are about 4 meatballs per serving. The whole recipe should make about 40 meatballs scooped with a #40 cookie scoop. I hope this helps and you enjoy the meatballs!

      Reply
  2. lyuba says

    January 10, 2019 at 3:18 pm

    Hi Kristy!
    There are about 4 meatballs per serving. The whole recipe should make about 40 meatballs scooped with a #40 cookie scoop. I hope this helps and you enjoy the meatballs!

    Reply
  3. Kathy says

    January 12, 2019 at 5:56 am

    5 stars
    Hey lyuba,
    how much you are grinding the meat ? the blade size ?

    Reply
  4. Katherine says

    February 11, 2019 at 11:49 am

    What do you mean by “dry” Parmesan? Is that the Parmesan in the green lidded can, or are you referring to the bags of shredded?

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      February 11, 2019 at 1:16 pm

      Hi Katherine!
      Yes, you are correct. I meat the one that is in the green lidded jar and not one that is freshly grated or shaved.

      Reply
      • Katherine says

        February 11, 2019 at 2:37 pm

        Thanks so much for your prompt reply. Can’t wait to try this recipe! Looks amazing!

        Reply
      • Joyce Schlosser says

        June 30, 2019 at 4:11 pm

        I mad this the other day and did not notice that called for dry paresean. I used some freshly grated paresean and the recipe turned out delicious.

        Reply
  5. Holly says

    February 18, 2019 at 10:26 am

    Do you think these could be made in a crock pot either raw meatballs cooking in the sauce, or the thawed (pre-cooked the day before) meatballs and sauce just simmering on low for a while?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 14, 2020 at 9:59 am

      Hi, Holly! I would precook the meatballs first then add them to the crockpot!

      Reply
  6. Kelli says

    February 24, 2019 at 11:07 am

    How much bread do soak in the milk?

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      March 2, 2019 at 12:23 pm

      Hi Kelly!
      I usually estimate 2 ounces. Depending on the brand and type of bread, that will be one or two slices. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  7. Shekinah Barnett says

    March 11, 2019 at 11:23 am

    Not seeing the recipe for this pin

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      March 16, 2019 at 11:49 am

      Hi there! The recipe card should be right above the long photo. Here is the direct link for the recipe card: https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/wprm_print/21379
      I hope this helps!

      Reply
    • Kelly says

      September 6, 2019 at 8:47 pm

      I’m must be blind, what is oven temp supposed to be?

      Reply
      • LyubaB says

        September 9, 2019 at 11:01 am

        Hi, Kelly! It is step 3 and its 350! Hope you enjoy them! 🙂

        Reply
  8. cookinggram says

    March 20, 2019 at 8:59 am

    I have made the meatballs this am and will make sauce/pasta to accompany for lunch. Very flavorful dish. Used veg. broth in place of milk and added sage and sazon.

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      March 30, 2019 at 11:18 am

      That’s great to hear! Thank you so much 🙂
      Enjoy!

      Reply
  9. Michelle says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:23 am

    What else did you make to eat with these meatballs? 🙂

    Reply
    • Teri says

      September 11, 2019 at 10:28 am

      That was my question too!

      Reply
      • LyubaB says

        September 11, 2019 at 11:06 am

        Hi, Ladies! I make these as either an appetizer like is or for dinner you can serve over rice with your favorite veggies. 🙂

        Reply
  10. Katalin says

    May 27, 2019 at 1:22 pm

    Super yummy! It would be great to have the measurements also for European in grams and milliliter instead of cups. Or both. I loved it. It made it to the make it regular recipe book tonight. Thanks a million!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 28, 2019 at 1:13 pm

      Katalin, thanks for your comment! I am so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  11. Jess says

    June 30, 2019 at 5:11 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! Thanks for sharing. I had to use breadchrumbs but it still came out great.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      July 1, 2019 at 3:40 pm

      Jess, I am so glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  12. Wendy says

    July 22, 2019 at 6:08 pm

    Would you alter the sauce ingredients if you used frozen Turkey meatballs and heated them in a crockpot?

    Reply
  13. LyubaB says

    September 9, 2019 at 11:12 am

    Hi, Wendy! I would thaw them out in the fridge the night before then if raw cook before adding to crockpot and if cooked add them straight to crockpot with sauce 🙂

    Reply
  14. Laurie says

    December 29, 2019 at 11:15 pm

    5 stars
    I made this recipe exactly as written and it was delicious. I will make it again. My two-year-old granddaughter loved it too.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      December 30, 2019 at 10:00 am

      Thank you for letting me know you liked it! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Tina says

    January 12, 2020 at 6:24 pm

    1 star
    I will say I liked the texture of the meatballs, soft and moist, however, the flavor for me was not good. I think the oregano was what ruined it for me. I did not care much for the sauce, I think it needed a little more flavor. 😢

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 14, 2020 at 10:00 am

      Hi, Tina! I am so sorry you didn’t like them! 🙁

      Reply
    • Brittany says

      April 8, 2020 at 5:17 pm

      I agree! I was disappointed

      Reply
  16. Regina says

    January 19, 2020 at 2:11 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! I will definitely make this again!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 23, 2020 at 8:59 am

      Thanks, Regina! So glad you liked the recipe!

      Reply
  17. Peggy says

    February 28, 2020 at 4:24 pm

    I am on a keto/low carb diet so is there a replacement I can use rather than the bread?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      March 5, 2020 at 11:36 am

      Hi, Peggy! The bread works like a binder and also holds moisture so the results will be different without it. You could try using pork rinds, I know people use those while on keto and have good results. I have not tried it so I am unsure of the end results but that could be an option.

      Reply
  18. Mindy says

    April 30, 2020 at 9:37 am

    5 stars
    These were really good!!! The meatballs had great flavor and the sauce was cheesy/garlicy and so yummy. My daughter is thinking of making the sauce to use by itself over pasta. This recipe is a keeper.👍🙂

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 1, 2020 at 12:16 pm

      So glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to let me know and for rating my recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Alrilt says

    May 2, 2020 at 11:55 pm

    I made this tonight and it was really good but I halved the garlic portion and it was still pretty strong. I doubled the sauce recipe and served over noodles. Next time I will try it with rice.

    Reply
  20. Vicki says

    May 13, 2020 at 6:10 pm

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious. I will be making this over and over.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 19, 2020 at 12:04 pm

      Hi Vicki,

      Thank you! I am so glad you liked it!

      Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Soup Recipes

spooning some beef soup from a bowl

Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

closeup of Italian wedding soup topped with shaved Parmesan

Italian Wedding Soup

closeup image of crab soup in a bowl centered in a photo

She Crab Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Chicken Meatball Soup

closeup of top view of Cioppino in a bowl

Cioppino – Seafood Stew

A bowl of white bean soup is presented with a spoon on a countertop.

White Bean Soup

vegetable broth in two canning jars next to fresh carrots, garlic, and celery

Vegetable Stock

Our Popular Recipes

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pork Rub

top view of three meatball subs in baking dish

The BEST Meatball Subs

Classic Stuffed Shells

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

side view of a tall glass filled with red frozen cocktail

Strawberry Daiquiri

Spatchcock Chicken

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'Mores Cheesecake Recipe

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

[cp_popup display="inline" style_id="32674" step_id = "1"][/cp_popup]
Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

January 30, 2023
Delicious,...
The Best Classic Tiramisu

The Best Classic Tiramisu

January 14, 2023
Tiramisu...
Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

December 2, 2022
This...
Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

August 11, 2022
Chicken...
Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew

August 10, 2022
Pad...
Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

July 15, 2022
These...
Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

July 1, 2022
Baba...
Painkiller

Painkiller

June 30, 2022
A...
Truffle Fries

Truffle Fries

June 28, 2022
Truffle...
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

June 21, 2022
Thai...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Will Cook For Smiles. Design by Pixel Me Designs