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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Nice to see this recipe come up in the email newsletter! I’ve made these using your recipe many times Jenn, and they are always delicious. I add chopped onions and mushrooms for more antioxidants. This recipe always works. Great job, Jenn!
Hi Jennifer,
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe (hoping my 1 yr old will like it!), but I am wondering how to substitute frozen spinach for fresh? Thank you 🙂
-Danielle
Hi Danielle, I’d use about 1/3 cup chopped frozen spinach (squeezed very dry). Hope that helps!
Tried this recipe on Saturday and it was a hit! I had to substitute smoked turkey sausage for regular sausage because that was the only type I could find, but they were great. I will be making them again soon!
WOW! Love this recipe. Meatballs were very tasty and moist. Perfect.
You have the best recipes!!!
I made these but baked them at 375 for 20 minutes, turned over and broiled for 10…delish! Didn’t cook in sauce because grand daughters don’t like sauce
I made this recipe as much as I could and my son just sent a letter from basic training telling me he misses my turkey meatballs. So, Jen, thank you for making such memorable and delicious recipes!
Awwww…. that’s so sweet! Hope he’s getting through basic training okay! ❤️
Completely delicious. I’ve made a lot of turkey meatballs and this one is the best. Incredibly, every recipe I bake from this site and the cookbook turns out amazing.
Definitely a keeper! I didn’t see the turkey sausage and substituted an Italian chicken sausage. This will definitely be a regular at my home. In fact, I think I will make a double or triple batch to keep in the freezer. My son has Alpha Gal and it’s hard to find flavorful meals to replace beef dishes.
Hi Jen,
Made a modified version of this last weekend. Its hard to find turkey meat so substituted that with just minced beef. It was a lovely dish. We loved that combination of meat and spinach and cheese. We were hoping that our two year old daughter would love it too (that way she will eat some spinach too), but sadly she didnt want to try it even. But this was definitely a great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers.
Emile
I made this recipe with vegetarian ground “beef” and made a small meatloaf instead of balls. It was very juicy and tender, loved it!
Have made these turkey, spinach and cheese meatballs twice now in one week. They are delicious, juicy and so tender. I love that they have the added nutrition from the spinach! My pickiest eater (12 year old son) said that he loved them and he devoured them! That is high praise!! My husband who usually dislikes anything I make using ground turkey adored these meatballs as well! It made my day! Thank you, Jenn, for another go-to recipe which is quick, highly nutritious and tastes scrumptious! You are the best, and your picture showing your use of an ice cream scoop to form the meatballs was pure genius!! What a great tip and hack—thanks a million!!
😊