Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs
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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
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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
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- 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.
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Can these be done with the beef and pork instead? My daughter cannot eat poultry.
Yes, that will work (either one or a combination of the two). Hope you enjoy!
My dtg does not eat pork or dark meat so I used ground turkey breast, spices, spinach, and a tbsp of olive oil so they wouldn’t dry out. Delicious! I opened a can of whole san marzano tomatoes and simmered with fresh garlic, salt, pepper and sprig of fresh basil for 20 minutes. I used an immersion blender to smooth out sauce and proceeded with recipe . omg delicious! Served with big salad and side of zucchini zoodles and for those not weight/carb conscious a fresh from scratch no knead rosemary garlic bread. This meal was 5 star!
This is a genius recipe with the addition of Italian sausage. It is very fast to put together and baking the meatballs makes it even more efficient. Don’t change a thing. I usually make the meatballs smaller in size so I can freeze half of them.
loved the idea of the turkey sausage – I never would of thought of that. I always make turkey meatballs for my and dad I but instead of tomato sauce we enjoy pineapple or mango salsa
I was skeptical the first time I made these, but, as always with your recipes, the results were outstanding. Now I cook these ahead and keep a bag of meatballs frozen for hurry-up meals or when grandkids will be visiting. No changes needed for our family! Thank you so much.
These were fabulous!! Even my three picky kids ate them with gusto! I did add some chopped parsley to the spinach… I served with a side of spaghetti sauce, salad and parmesan cheese. YUM! Your recipes are always the BEST! Can’t wait to get your cookbook!
Love these turkey meatballs! A family favorite. Your site is my favorite for recipes!
Do you think this will work using only ground turkey breast for the meat? It’s a bit drier. Should I add something to compensate? Thank you!!
Hi Karen, there are a number of readers that have commented that they eliminated the sausage and have been happy with the results. If you do that, though, I would definitely stick with the 93/7 turkey; I’m concerned that using all turkey breast will make them too dry.
These are a big hit with my family as my daughter doesn’t eat pork or beef. I was so happy to find a great meatball recipe with turkey meat and I love having greens in them. Much healthier and so moist and tasty!
I have made these turkey spinach meatballs several times now. My entire family loves the recipe. The change I have made is to bake them in the oven in mini muffin pans. They are great. I’ve also sautéed onions and then added the spinach and added Italian spice seasoning. Skipped the Italian sausage that time. It’s just a great recipe that allows you to make it your own. Thanks for the great recipe ideas.