Turkey Meatballs
Tender and flavorful turkey meatballs that are amazing with or without sauce. The secret ingredient is ricotta, which prevents the meatballs from drying out.
Serve these turkey meatballs with pasta, mashed potatoes, rice or roasted vegetables. I also like to pack them in lunchboxes.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16 to 18 meatballs 1x
- Category: Chicken and Turkey
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup panko
- 1 1/4 pounds (20 ounces) ground turkey (I use 93% lean, 7% fat)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Optional: 1/4 cup finely chopped herbs, like parsley or basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Lightly grease two large, rimmed baking sheets or cover with parchment, foil or silpat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, ricotta and panko until blended.
- Add the ground turkey and season with salt and garlic powder. Add the herbs, if using.
- Use your hands to gently mix everything together, until the turkey and the ricotta are well combined.
- Roll and shape the meatballs with your hands into approximately 18 equally sized balls that are about 1 ½ inches. The mixture will be very moist and sticky. Don’t worry too much about making the meatballs perfectly round.
Tip: If your hands are slightly wet, the meatballs will be less sticky in your hands and easier to roll. I usually roll the meatballs next to the sink, with the faucet barely running so I can wet my hands a few times. - Place the meatballs on the baking sheets, evenly spaced out.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway through the cooking time so both sides brown. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the center of the meatballs reach 165 F.
Notes
This turkey meatball recipe is very moist and turns out the best if breadcrumbs (panko) are added to hold the meatballs together.
Find it online: https://www.kitchenskip.com/turkey-meatballs/