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.
This was sooo yummy! I had to substitute dairy free cheese but that worked out well!! Would definitely make again.
These are great! A good way to sneak some greens into my kid’s dinner, and they can be frozen and re-heated for a quick dinner!
I make these every Christmas for our annual cocktail party and they are always a big hit! Sometimes have trouble finding ground turkey and turkey sausages, in which case I substitute with ground chicken or Italian sausages if necessary. Perfectly moist and flavourful. Thanks for this great recipe, and thank you for the step by step instructions, so easy to follow!
This recipe is super easy and definitely utilize the freezer directions to use those extra meatballs for another meal! My husband has an issue with tomato sauce, so I substituted the sauce in Jenn’s Swedish Meatballs and it was a huge hit!
I’d love to make these Keto friendly, do you think swapping out the breadcrumbs for something else would work? Just not sure what.
Hi Patty, I don’t know enough about what’s allowed on a keto diet to weigh in – I’m sorry! Perhaps someone else can chime in with some suggestios.
You can use pork rind chips….use food processor or use freezer bag and the rolling pin to grind it to bread crumb consistency and add Italian seasoning.
These are a favorite! They freeze well and I always have a package in the freezer for a quick meal.
I love, love, love these meatballs! They are so light, juicy and full of flavor. I often serve them with zucchini zoodles . A definite go to recipe in my house!
My go-to recipe. Easy, flavorful and healthy. For two of us, the recipe makes enough for freezing half for another night. I cut the amount of cheese back but still great!
These meatballs are top 3 of recipes that EVERYONE in our family like. I’ve never added the spring onions because I always forget to buy and only use a pound of each of the meats because that’s how it usually comes. I sub pepper Jack for mozzarella cuz we like spicy. But seriously, these meatballs are so flavorful and delicious and EASY!!
I have ingredients to make these meatballs. Unfortunately I have to watch my oxalate intake [kidney stones 🙁 ], so I cannot use spinach. What are your thoughts on using arrugala (low oxalate) in these meatballs? Thank you for your time.
Sure, Mary, arugula should work here. Please LMK how they turn out!
Thank you for your response. I am starting them now.
Hi Jenn. I used arugula instead of spinach. The meatballs were excellent. Got another question. I would like to make these again & freeze just the meatballs. How long should I broil these? I don’t want to freeze these with sauce as it would be difficult to take out just what I want. Thank you for your advice. Most of all, thank you for a wonderful website. You are a culinary genius.
Thanks for your kind words and glad they came out well! I’d broil them for about 20 minutes (but if you notice they’re getting too browned, I’d move them down one notch in the oven. Hope that helps!
Wonderful recipe. We love meatballs and are trying to eat lighter so these are a nice change from my usual (beef & pork sausage) stand-by. Really did not take long to mix this all up. I found that 3 meatballs is an ample serving size for us. I divided the meat mixture and froze dinner portions in vacuum bags. Like gold in the freezer for busy days.
What would be a good substitute for the egg in this recipe? I plan on making these for someone with an egg allergy.
Two of the best substitutes I’ve heard about (I haven’t personally tried either of them) are a combination of water, oil, and baking powder, and carbonated water. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for more information about both. I would assume many recipes would also work with some kind of store-bought egg substitute. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much for your quick response. I always feel confident following your recipes and your advice. Always! Thanks.