These slow cooker turkey meatballs are Italian style and made with lean ground turkey, parmesan cheese, herbs and spices. They’re slow simmered to tender perfection in the crock pot and are perfect served over spaghetti or as a hearty appetizer.
Meatballs are always a hit in my house, I often make sweet and sour meatballs, teriyaki meatballs, and these lighter turkey meatballs.
Whenever I’m stuck on what to make for dinner, I turn to spaghetti and meatballs. My whole family adores this comfort food classic! I love to make these turkey meatballs in the slow cooker; they come out tender and flavorful every time, and they’re perfect served over a plate of spaghetti.
How do you make turkey meatballs?
The first step in this recipe is to make your meatball mixture, which is a combination of ground turkey, garlic, herbs, parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. The meat mixture is shaped into balls, then the pan goes into the broiler so that the meatballs can brown. It takes a few more minutes to broil the meatballs before putting them into the slow cooker, but it’s definitely worth it. The meatballs will be more flavorful, and they’ll be less likely to fall apart in the crock pot. The meatballs are simmered in tomato sauce until tender, then all you have to do is add a sprinkling of parsley and serve!
Tips for turkey meatballs
- You can shape your meatballs as big or as small as you like, I typically make mine about 1 1/2 inches in size.
- I use 93% lean ground turkey for these meatballs. I don’t recommend using the 99% lean ground turkey breast as your meatballs will be more likely to turn out dry.
- I like to use Italian breadcrumbs because they include a lot of great garlic and herb flavor. You can substitute plain breadcrumbs, just be sure to add 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning to the mix.
- You can substitute ground chicken for ground turkey for a similar end result.
How long do turkey meatballs last?
You can store your turkey meatballs in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze your meatballs for up to 2 months. Simply place the cooked meatballs in a resealable gallon sized freezer bag and thaw in the refrigerator when you’re ready to use them.
Ways to use meatballs
There are so many different ways to use these meatballs! I often make a double batch so that I have extra meatballs to use for other meals.
- Pasta: Serve your meatballs over spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine.
- Lasagna: Cut up the meatballs and add them to marinara sauce before layering with noodles and cheese.
- Sandwiches: Spoon your meatballs into Italian hoagie rolls, then top with mozzarella cheese and broil until the cheese is melted.
- Pizza: Cut the meatballs in half and use them to top a frozen pizza.
- Calzones: Meatballs make a great filling for both calzones and stromboli.
These meatballs are a great lighter version as compared to the traditional beef meatballs. They’re packed full of flavor, and your family is sure to love them as much as mine does!
More meatball recipes
- Mexican Meatball Soup
- Cranberry Meatballs
- Cheesy Meatball Bake
- Teriyaki Meatballs
- Farro Meatball Soup
Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey I use 93% lean
- 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- cooking spray
- 28 ounce jar marinara sauce
- 16 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Place the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, onion powder, egg, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Shape the meat into 1 inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Broil the meatballs until browned, about 8-10 minutes.
- Place the meatballs in the slow cooker. Add the marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and stir gently to combine.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Top the meatballs with a sprinkling of parsley and parmesan cheese, then serve.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 1, 2015 and was updated on July 26, 2019 with new content.
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
These would disappear in our house!
Jacque Hooper says
I am loving all your slow cooker recipes; especially this one! Now that school is about to start back up, I need some recipes that are easy to prepare and are ready by dinnertime! These hit it out of the park! Delicious!
Lora says
This is perfect turkey meatball recipe! So easy to make and so full of flavors!!
Catalina says
Meatballs are always a favorite in our house! I will make them tonight!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
YUM!! I can’t wait to try these turkey meatballs!! They sound fantastic!!
Chrissie Baker says
Your pictures look stunning! I’m anxious to try this. Sounds delish.Thanks!
Debbie says
I make them whole wheat bread crumbs and they come out wonderful!
John says
I made these meatballs and they are delicious. I dipped them in ranch dressing. Great!
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
Those meatballs look so good!!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
OMG how cute are these?? What a fun twist on a meatball appetizer!
Ali @ Home & Plate says
Wow Sara! These would disappear in my house in no time. We are all fans of buffalo anything. Love that you included a recipe for the buffalo sauce. Can imagine it is so much better than the bottle. Yum!
Christie says
I absolutely adore that you made your own buffalo sauce! I have to try your meatballs ASAP.
Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says
YUM! Love this twist on a classic. Not sure my kids would appreciate the heat of these, but I sure would adore them.
Adriana says
I love turkey and never thought of serving them as a replacement for buffalo chicken wings though this is genius!
Sara @ Bitz & Giggles says
Perfect for game day! I think the whole family would love these!
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious says
Yes and yes again. My kids would love these 🙂
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
These look soooooo yummy! Would love to pop a few for lunch right now!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
Yum!! I am pretty much addicted to buffalo anything! And your pictures are gorgeous…makes me wish I could just reach in and help myself!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
Oh wow! I nearly drooled on my keyboard! These look fantastic, and I just love that you made your own buffalo sauce, incorporating big, big flavors from chipotle pepper, ancho chile powder and honey! And that dipping sauce … creamy and studded with blue cheese, yet made so much healthier with Greek yogurt and reduced-fat sour cream! Wonderful! 😀
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
What a great twist on buffalo wings! I’ve been trying to buy organic meat as much as possible now so I’ll have to look for this turkey 🙂