Healthy Turkey Meatballs

These flavorful Healthy Turkey Meatballs will soon be a go-to with your favorite pasta & sauce. Quick, hearty, and perfect for an Italian-inspired feast!

Growing up in an Italian-American household meant Sundays were spent with the whole family, cooking the traditional food my nonna (grandmother) taught us to make, opening bottles of good Italian wine, and gathering around a table filled with an abundance of tempting dishes. Among them were my uncle’s eggplant parmigiana, my cousin’s saltimbocca, my mother-in-law’s crostata, and, of course, my mother’s polpette, which, by the way, means “meatballs” for us Italians! They were succulent, savory, and so incredibly delicious with some creamy, sage-infused, buttery polenta. My mom only used beef, but one night, I was inspired to make my own variation using the only meat I had in the fridge: ground turkey.

Well, the results were pretty squisito (exquisite), which is why I’m eager to share the recipe with you today. These meatballs use lean ground turkey, but they are not dry by any means. What they are is loaded with delicious flavors that won’t make you miss beef at all! They pair well with so many sides, so what’s not to love?

Are These Meatballs Healthy?

If you compare them to those made with beef, these meatballs have less saturated fat and slightly fewer calories, but that doesn’t necessarily make them a health food. That said, the healthiness of the meal also depends on how you serve the meatballs. If paired with a homemade tomato sauce, some whole-grain spaghetti, and a green salad, you’re doing pretty well. Less so if you serve them over white pasta with a side of buttery garlic bread.

The Many Ways to Serve Meatballs

At my house, serving meatballs was serious business. Though we usually enjoyed them with tomato sauce, piled onto a bowl of creamy polenta, we also served them al forno (baked with tomato sauce and a generous scattering of mozzarella). In that case, we would either plate them up with strands of perfectly cooked tagliatelle or stuff them into rolls, hoagie-style. One of my favorite ways to eat them was al brodo (simmered in a savory stock). In that case, I always scooped some riso (not rice, but actually pasta!) into my bowl. Talk about comfort food!

Serving Suggestions

A classic would be to serve them with this Instant Pot Tomato Sauce. And if you want to channel those Italian Sunday vibes, go for a bowl of Polenta. Have some time on your hands? Look up an Italian music playlist on Spotify, roll up your sleeves, and try your hand at some Homemade Pasta. Of course, no Italian feast is complete without some contorni (side dishes). At my house, we always served Sautéed Spinach with plenty of garlic and olive oil!

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