Turkey Meatballs with Smoky Marinara Sauce

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How to Form Meatballs

Meatballs are really easy to shape and you can make sure they are uniform by using an ice cream scoop (a small sized one works best) or a tablespoon measure.

Roll the meat in between the palms of your hands until the surface of the meatball is smooth and shiny. By rolling the turkey meatballs until smooth it helps lock in the moisture and stops them from breaking up during cooking.

Baking Vs Frying

Baking meatballs is a great way to make the dish lighter as your reducing the amount of oil and fat you’d have with frying. They can dry out if you overcook them so it’s important to keep an eye on your cooking times and spray them with a little oil before cooking.

Baked turkey meatballs can also have slightly less color because you’re not getting the char from browning them in a pan but don’t worry they taste just as delicious.

How to Make Turkey Meatballs with Smoky Marinara Sauce

1. In a large bowl stir together turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic, eggs, paprika, salt, and pepper.
2. Line two rimmed sheet pans with aluminum foil; spray with cooking spray.
3. Using a small scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out meatballs, and place on prepared baking sheets.
4. Drizzle meatballs with olive oil; bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in the container of a blender or a food processor, combine marinara, peppers, toasted bread, almonds, olive oil, and smoked paprika.
6. Blend or process until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat.
7. Reduce heat to low; simmer gently for 10 minutes.
8. Serve meatballs over couscous, quinoa, or salad greens; garnish with additional cheese and parsley

Making Romesco Sauce

The sauce is a great alternative to regular marinara sauce and it’s super easy to make at home. Using jarred peppers is a great way to pack in a ton of flavor with very little effort, they give the sauce a delicious fresh and tangy flavor.

Traditionally, Romesco sauce is made with bread and nuts which are used to thicken the sauce and really gives it a unique flavor. If you don’t have a high-speed blender you might find that the bread and nuts create a thick and chunky texture. You can either blend for longer until you get the consistency you like or you can cut the bread and nuts by half for a smoother texture.

Serving Suggestions

These turkey meatballs are so versatile and can be eaten traditionally with spaghetti or your favorite pasta, over creamy polenta or try serving with couscous or quinoa for a lighter option.

Storing Leftovers

In the fridge – you can store these meatballs with or without the sauce in a sealed container for up to 3 days. You can easily reheat them on the stove in a skillet until hot all the way through.

Tip: you may need to loosen the sauce with a splash of water when reheating.

In the freezer – these meatballs will freeze really well in a container or ziploc bag. Just defrost overnight and reheat in a skillet until hot.

Top Tips for Making this Turkey Meatball Recipe

• You can prep the meatballs in advance and store them in the fridge covered until ready to be baked
• If you’d like a little heat you can add fresh or dried chili to the sauce or meatballs
• If you can’t find smoked almonds you can use regular almonds which will help thicken the sauce but you’ll lose the smoky flavor
• Make sure to use fresh garlic and not ground as you won’t get the same fresh and bold flavor
• To keep the meatballs uniform in size use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon measure
• If you can’t find manchego cheese for the meatballs you can use parmesan but make sure to use freshly grated as pre-grated will dry out the meatballs easily
• The breadcrumbs help to bind all the ingredients together and also help keep the turkey meatballs moist and juicy so don’t skip them
• Make sure to use large eggs
• Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer

If you’ve tried these turkey meatballs with smoky marinara sauce then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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Turkey Meatballs with Smoky Marinara Sauce

Delicious and healthy turkey meatballs with smoky marinara sauce. Serve with your favorite pasta, over polenta or with couscous and salad

Course dinner

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8 -10 people

Calories 167 kcal

Author John Kanell

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 2 lb 93/7 lean ground turkey
• 1 cup bread crumbs 125g
• 1 cup grated manchego cheese 113g, plus additional, for garnish
• ½ cup minced red onion 75g
• 1 tbsp minced fresh garlic 8g
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tsp smoked paprika 8g
• 2 tsp kosher salt 12g
• 1 tsp ground black pepper 6g
• 2 tbsp olive oil 30mL

For the Sauce

• 1 24 oz. jar roasted garlic marinara sauce 680g
• 1 12 oz. jar roasted red bell peppers, drained 230g
• 1 slice whole grain bread toasted and torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup smoked salted almonds 50g
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 15mL
• 2 tsp smoked paprika 4g
• Couscous quinoa, or salad greens, to serve
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil 30g, for garnish

Instructions

For the Meatballs

1. Preheat oven to 425F. In a large bowl stir together turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic, eggs, paprika, salt, and pepper.
2. Line two rimmed sheet pans with aluminum foil; spray with cooking spray.
3. Using a small (1 oz.) scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out meatballs, and place on prepared baking sheets.
4. Drizzle meatballs with olive oil; bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

For the Sauce

1. Meanwhile, in the container of a blender or a food processor, combine marinara, peppers, toasted bread, almonds, olive oil, and smoked paprika.
2. Blend or process until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat.
3. Reduce heat to low; simmer gently for 10 minutes.
4. Serve meatballs over couscous, quinoa, or salad greens; garnish with additional cheese and parsley.

Recipe Notes

• You can prep the meatballs in advance and store them in the fridge covered until ready to be baked
• If you'd like a little heat you can add fresh or dried chili to the sauce or meatballs
• If you can't find smoked almonds you can use regular almonds which will help thicken the sauce but you'll lose the smoky flavor
• Make sure to use fresh garlic and not ground as you won't get the same fresh and bold flavor
• To keep the meatballs uniform in size use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon measure
• If you can't find manchego cheese for the meatballs you can use parmesan but make sure to use freshly grated as pre-grated will dry out the meatballs easily
• The breadcrumbs help to bind all the ingredients together and also help keep the meatballs moist and juicy so don't skip them
• Make sure to use large eggs
• Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer

Food Styling note: The bread and almonds add great richness and flavor to the sauce, but they do yield a slightly chunky texture. Cutting the amounts by half would be an acceptable cheat that would make the sauce behave better, and drape over everything more smoothly.

Nutrition Facts

Turkey Meatballs with Smoky Marinara Sauce

Amount Per Serving (100 g)

Calories 167 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 14g 22%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 65mg 22%

Sodium 600mg 25%

Potassium 140mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 21g 7%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 6g

Protein 19g 38%

Vitamin A 11%

Vitamin C 45%

Calcium 11%

Iron 26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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