Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
The addition of turkey sausage and cheese makes these meatballs tender and flavorful.
Photo by Johnny Miller, Clarkson Potter 2021
I used to be one of those opinionated people who felt you shouldn’t sneak vegetables into your children’s food, but then I gave birth to a picky eater and all that righteousness went right out the window. Parenting is nothing if not humbling, right? These meatballs are a great way to sneak in some spinach, but what makes them really special is the addition of turkey sausage. Not only does the sausage make the meatballs tender, but it also adds great flavor without the need for a ton of other ingredients. Serve the meatballs with pasta, Parmesan smashed potatoes, or polenta and a big Italian salad, and dinner is served!
Table of Contents
“DELICIOUS!!!! I make a full batch and freeze for individual dinners. We serve it with zucchini noodles—really great twist on meatballs.”
What You’ll Need To Make Turkey Meatballs
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, mix the egg with chopped spinach, scallions, and garlic.
Add the ground turkey, turkey sausage, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Mix until evenly combined.
Form the mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls.
Broil the turkey meatballs until golden, about 10 minutes.
Then simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes more.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Gail Simmons’ Epic Spaghetti Pie
- Chicken Meatballs with Tomato-Balsamic Glaze
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Turkey Meatballs
Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs
The addition of turkey sausage and cheese makes these meatballs tender and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 3 ounces baby spinach, chopped (3½ cups whole; 1½ cups chopped)
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.25 pounds 93/7 ground turkey (I use Shady Brook Farms)
- 1.25 pounds Italian turkey sausage, removed from the casings (I use Shady Brook Farms)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (preferably whole milk but low-fat will work)
- ⅓ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
- ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce, homemade or good quality store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack on the second-highest rack. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and grease with the olive oil.
- In a bowl large enough to hold all of the ingredients, beat the egg. Add the chopped spinach, scallions, and garlic and stir until evenly combined. Add the ground turkey, turkey sausage, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and bread crumbs. Using your hands, mix until evenly combined. Shape the mixture into 1½ inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Broil the meatballs until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce in a large pan on the stovetop. Add the broiled meatballs and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: These can be frozen in their sauce for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat the meatballs in their sauce on the stovetop over medium heat until hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 509
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 49g
- Sodium: 1409mg
- Cholesterol: 194mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Made these for dinner last night, because 3 year old wanted spaghetti and meatballs. I didn’t have any turkey sausage and it wasn’t even missed in the recipe. Everyone loved them.
Can I make these in the crock pot? If so how long and what temperature do you suggest?
Hi Rachael, I don’t have any experience using a slow cooker, but I suspect these would work. Here are some tips on adapting recipes to a slow cooker. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
I’ve tried several other meatball recipes all of which with were subpar but finally, FINALLY this one is a keeper. This has been my go-to website for recipes since I discovered it and I haven’t been disappointed yet.
I grew up eating mainly Filipino food. Meatballs were rarely served as part of a meal. Our meatballs were the frozen variety that we poured Yoshida sauce over and that’s the only version we made.
I decided to try this recipe because I needed a kid friendly dish. This was such an easy dish to whip together. My batch made more than 30 meatballs. As stated, I didn’t grow up eating meatballs, so I don’t have much to compare these to, but I enjoyed the flavor very much. Even more so than meatballs from a restaurant. The only other turkey meatballs I have made were the pre-made frozen kind, but now I can safely say I will never buy frozen meatballs again.
From the other reviews, I will try these over zoodles and as a sub sandwich.
I made these meatballs last night for a party of ten. They were delicious. The only thing I did differently was after I broiled them for ten minutes rotating them once, I then put them in a slow cooker along with marinara sauce on low for most of the day. They absorbed the sauce flavor and were moist and delicious
Winner winner turkey meatball dinner! Rave reviews all around and a request to make them again soon.
The meatballs is just one of the many recipes that I have tried. I made the meatballs just the way the recipe was laid out, and they were delicious. Just my wife and myself, so I froze the ones that were left for a later date.
Hi Jenn!
I made your turkey meatballs a couple of weeks ago and although the recipe looked perfect I made a couple of changes. Who doesn’t love eating something with a gooey cheesy surprise? So instead of using grated mozzarella I put a big chuck of mozzarella inside of the meatball – sort of like an arancini (Italian rice ball). They were a big hit with both the adults and the kids!
I served the meatballs on a bed of buttery soft polenta (my favorite comfort food!), homemade tomato sauce made from the tomatoes from my garden and dragon tongue beans that I also grew.
I used this recipe one day when I had two pounds of ground turkey that I needed to cook. I seasoned it with salt and Italian spices and added a cup of grated carrots, an extra 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, and a second egg. It works out great, and now my family just eats the meatballs plain with whatever sides are available. No sauce or pasta needed.
These are AMAZING! Another winner! Family gave this an A+ Thank you👍🏼😀