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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Made it tonight – was amazing! I couldn’t find any turkey sausages in the supermarket in Australia, so I replaced it with Pork sausages instead. Oddly, I couldn’t find shredded mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano either, so I just diced up some bocconcini cheese into it. Paired it with the tomato sauce recipe on the website rather than bottled sauced. Still tasted amazing, as always! Thank you for another rocker!
DELICIOUS!!!! I make a full batch and freeze for individual dinners. We serve it with zucchini noodles – really great twist on meatballs.
Hi Jen, what is a good substitute for spinach in this recipe? Also, can mix the ground turkey with italian pork sausage? Thanks.
Hi Maria, you could replace the spinach with arugula or just omit the spinach. And, yes, it’s fine to mix the ground turkey with pork sausage. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
I’ve made this recipe twice. The first time I followed the recipe except I substituted chicken sausage for turkey sausage and it was delicious. The second time, I omitted the mozzarella and I got rave reviews from my family. The meatballs were less gummy without the cheese and everybody loved them! This will be a definite go-to recipe!
Jenn love your recipes, french apple cake is one of my very favorites. This recipe for meatballs looks scrumptious. My wife has a tomato allergy, can I make some other kind of gravy ? Any suggestions ?
Hi Walter, I’d recommend the sauce from this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
There are delicious! I made them in zucchini boats last week. I froze the extra raw meatballs last time, thawed them out and baked them inside the zucchini. I topped them with mozzarella for the last 10 minutes. I’m making them again today because they were that good! Thank you for the recipe
Hi Jenn
I received your new cookbook on the day it was released. So far, I made the turkey and spinach, cheese meatballs, as well as the fried chicken sandwich! Both were extremely well received.
I figured the chicken sandwich would be a hit as I make your fried chicken tenders and they love those.
My son does not like meatballs, for some reason, but he really enjoyed these turkey meatballs. I made my own marinara sauce, and I was thrilled at how much my family enjoyed this meal!
( used chicken sausage as that was all I could finD in my market)
I’m going to make your Greek Style shrimp next, as I “ cook the book”….
Thanks for your fantastic information, and your recipes, which manage to merge fine dining with home cooking in an absolutely perfect way !
Carol
Hi Carol, thanks for your support with the cookbook and your kind words — so glad the things you’ve made from the book so far have been well-received by your family!!
Counting calories and wondering how many meatballs in a serving?
Hi Jenifer, I serving is 5 meatballs. Hope you enjoy!
If I wanted to make this into a kind of meatball slider what kind of bread would you suggest?? Thank you!!!
Hi Preethi, Any slider rolls will work. If you want something particularly soft, you could go with potato slider rolls (I know Martin’s brand makes them). I’d love to hear what you think of them in slider form!
I want to make these for a large group, about 30 people. Could I make the meatballs the day before, store in fridge and then reheat them in the sauce in the oven day of?
Sure – hope everyone enjoys!
10/10 omg these are so good! Such a delicious, healthy-ish version of a meatball.
I used spicy sausage, because that’s what I had on hand, and love the kick. Will try with the mild next time.
Can I mix ground turkey and chicken sausage? My store was out of Italian turkey sausage.
Sure Lisa, that will work. Enjoy!
We loved these meatballs. Moist and perfect! I ended up spraying them with olive oil and flipping them mid broil. I’ll probably use a little less scallion next time, but that is just a personal preference.