Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs

Tested & Perfected Recipes Cookbook Recipe

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The addition of turkey sausage and cheese makes these meatballs tender and flavorful.

Spoon grabbing a meatball from a dish.

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!

“DELICIOUS!!!! I make a full batch and freeze for individual dinners. We serve it with zucchini noodles—really great twist on meatballs.”

Patti

What You’ll Need To Make Turkey Meatballs

Meatball ingredients including Italian bread crumbs, egg, and olive oil.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To begin, mix the egg with chopped spinach, scallions, and garlic.

Chopped vegetable and egg mixture in a bowl.

Add the ground turkey, turkey sausage, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Unmixed meatball ingredients in a bowl.

Mix until evenly combined.

Turkey meatball mixture in a bowl.

Form the mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls.

Turkey meatballs on a lined baking sheet next to an ice cream scoop in a bowl of meatball mixture.

Broil the turkey meatballs until golden, about 10 minutes.

Broiled meatballs on a lined baking sheet.

Then simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes more.

Meatballs simmering in a skillet of sauce.

That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!

Video Tutorial

Spoon grabbing a meatball from a dish.

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Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs

The addition of turkey sausage and cheese makes these meatballs tender and flavorful.

Servings: 4 - 6 (makes about 30 meatballs)
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Broil the meatballs until golden brown on top, about 10 minutes.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Absolutely delicious recipe ! Love the broiling effect! My family requests these often and they can be frozen. Thanks for another great one, Jenn!

  • These meatballs are delicious and so flavourful. The recipe does make a lot, but they also freeze really well! Delicious!

  • Delicious!

  • One word…delicious! Nothing else need be said.

  • This is a wonderful recipe that my daughter loves to have when she comes home from college. So flavorful and comforting! The technique of broiling the meatballs–not baking them–seems to work so much better than other recipes I have used.

  • Love these meatballs. I doubled the recipe and browned them in a frying pan instead of the oven. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly as written. Very tender and juicy. A real hit for my son who does not eat beef or pork. A new favourite.

  • Another hit – thank you! The 2nd time I made them I did make some tweaks taking from the meatballs made growing up. I used a diced yellow onion instead of scallions- softened in olive oil with a bit of salt to prevent browning. Used garlic powder (1/8t = 1 clove) and more progresso italian breadcrumbs but soaked in milk before adding. Also fried instead of baking because I like a browned/crusted meatballs before adding to sauce. Can roll balls in flour first to add to the browning too. Just delicious!

  • My husband & I enjoyed this recipe very much & so did our friends who joined us for supper…
    Made the Parmesan smashed potatoes too, so good!
    Thank you so much for your “pair with” suggestions, I find it very helpful for meal planning.

  • Hi Jenn, Oftentimes my local grocery store doesn’t carry turkey sausages. What can I use instead of that?

    • Hi Meghna, Any type of sausage will do here- it’s okay if it’s not turkey. Enjoy!

  • Made this a few times exactly as written – very good. Makes a lot of meatballs; Just two for dinner so I froze in three batches, making 4 tasty meals! I had not previously enjoyed turkey meatballs but these are really great. I like how it includes spinach and are broiled instead of fried. Thanks

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