These healthy turkey meatballs in tomato sauce are a delicious and easy to make dinner idea. Your family will love the soft meatballs in a tangy sauce served over a bowl of steaming spaghetti. Ready in under 40 minutes.
Check out also healthy meatballs in mushroom sauce.
Why this recipe works
- It's quick and contains few ingredients! This dish, made from scratch, comes together in under 40 minutes. You can reduce this further by preparing the sauce in advance (see Notes below).
- It's healthy. The meat contains only 7% fat and the sauce is made using a little olive oil and a scatter of parmesan cheese.
- You can use any ground meat to make the meatballs.
- The meatballs are light and fluffy and guaranteed to be a hit with adults and children alike.
Ingredients
How to make fluffy meatballs
Meatballs are easy to make but it's important to keep a few things in mind in order to ensure they are light and fluffy too.
- Use a bit of soft bread and milk or water. The bread will soak up the moisture so even though your meatballs are low in fat they will turn out moist and fluffy. Adding breadcrumbs will not produce the same results.
- Use a food processor/blender to combine the ingredients. This is not only easier and quicker to do than using a spoon but also helps to make soft and fluffy meatballs.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1.To make the sauce in a saucepan heat up 2 tablespoons of oil, add the chopped onion, garlic and celery and fry for 3 minutes stirring often. Pour in the wine and cook for another minute or so.
2. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper, cover and bring to the boil then simmer gently for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from the heat, add the chopped basil and puree the mixture. Cover and set aside while you make the meatballs. Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ gas mark 6.
4. Whilst the tomato sauce is bubbling away make the meatballs. In a blender bowl combine the meat, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, torn bun/bread, milk/water, salt, pepper and onion granules.
5. Blitz (for a few seconds) until well combined and sticky.
6. Form small meatballs (you should get 16-18 meatballs).
7. In a large pan heat up 3 tablespoons of oil and fry the meatballs over a medium/high heat for about 5 minutes turning often until lightly browned (they will finish cooking in the oven).
8. Place the meatballs in your oven dish, pour over the sauce, scatter a little parmesan cheese, approx. 2 tablespoons, (or just drizzle with oil) over the top and bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve over pasta.
Expert tips for making meatballs in tomato sauce
- Meat: use ground meat with around 7% fat. You can swap pork or beef for turkey.
- Herbs: I used fresh basil but you can add oregano or thyme if you prefer.
- Make ahead: You can make the sauce ahead and refrigerate overnight. Then simply reheat before combining with the meatballs and popping the dish in the oven.
- To save time start making the meatballs while the sauce is bubbling away.
- Frying the meatballs: Use a large frying pan so it's easy to turn the meatballs over. They need to brown a little and will finish cooking in the oven.
- Best served immediately so boil the pasta while the dish is in the oven. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Yields 16-18 meatballs.
You might also like
If you are looking for more easy family recipes using ground turkey try this low fat turkey meatloaf with fresh herbs. Check out also this collection of easy one-pot chicken recipes.
Keep in touch
If you make this easy turkey meatballs recipe I'd love to know how it turns out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!
Easy Turkey Meatballs In Tomato Sauce (Healthy)
Equipment
- Food processor/blender
- Non-stick large frying pan
- Medium saucepan with lid
- Medium size shallow oven dish
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
- 400 g tomatoes canned
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 4 sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ½ celery stalk chopped
- 3 tbsp white wine
- 3 tbsp fresh basil finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ⅓ tsp fine sea salt and pepper to taste
For the meatballs
- 500 g ground turkey approx. 7% fat
- ½ soft roll/bun torn into small pieces
- 1.5 tbsp milk or water
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- ⅓ tsp onion granules
- ½ tsp fine sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the sauce in a saucepan heat up 2 tablespoons of oil, add the chopped onion, garlic and celery and fry for 3 minutes stirring often. Pour in 3 tablespoons of the wine and cook for another minute or so.
- Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper, cover and bring to the boil then simmer gently for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat, add the chopped basil and puree the mixture. Cover and set aside while you make the meatballs. Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ gas mark 6.
- Whilst the tomato sauce is bubbling away make the meatballs. In a blender bowl combine the meat, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, torn bun/bread, milk/water, salt, pepper and onion granules. Blitz for a few seconds until well combined and sticky.
- Form small meatballs (you should get 16-18 meatballs). In a large pan heat up 3 tablespoons of oil and fry the meatballs over a medium/high heat for about 5 minutes turning often until lightly browned (they will finish cooking in the oven).
- Place the meatballs in your oven dish, pour over the sauce, scatter a little parmesan cheese, approx. 2 tablespoons, (or just drizzle with oil) over the top and bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve over pasta.
Notes
- Meat: use ground meat with around 7% fat. You can swap turkey for pork or beef.
- Herbs: I used fresh basil but you can add oregano or thyme if you prefer.
- Make ahead: You can make the sauce ahead and refrigerate overnight. Then simply reheat before combining with the meatballs and popping the dish in the oven.
- To save time start making the meatballs while the sauce is bubbling away.
- Frying the meatballs: Use a large frying pan so it's easy to turn the meatballs over. They need to brown a little and will finish cooking in the oven.
- Best served immediately so boil the pasta while the dish is in the oven. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Yields 16-18 meatballs.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
these meatball are looking so wonderful and i am sure it's taste will also be delicious thank you for sharing your recipe
You are very welcome, thanks for stopping by!
I've found you thru your comment on Saucy Saturdays. This looks so good!! 😀
Thank you! I am new to Saucy Saturdays, I'll look out for you there:)
Meatball dishes are a favourite of mine. Love the sound of the pepper sauce. Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare
Thanks Hayley:)
What a gorgeous recipe! I love making meatballs for my children as it's one of the things I can be almost certain they will eat. These ones sound lovely with the fresh basil and garlic. Thank you so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!
Thank you Corina, this is definitely a child friendly recipe, my kids loved it, hope yours will too:)