I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips. Turkey meatballs are a satisfying, feel-good, fill-you-up kind of dish that can feed a number of people and doesn’t require much prep work. And if you appreciate the convenience of using a slow cooker for chicken and corn soup, slow cooker chicken chili, turkey chili, and honey teriyaki chicken, you’ll love it even more for these turkey meatballs.
Tell Me About These Turkey Meatballs
Flavor: Garlic, onion, and a little parmesan cheese together add heaps of flavor to this slow cooker dinner recipe. Add some herbs and a little salt & pepper round the flavors out. These flavor additions are pantry staples—you don’t need anything fancy here. Texture: By using lean ground turkey, we’re able to keep the meatballs light, moist, tender, and still full of flavor. Compared to many recipes, the meatball mixture is light on the breadcrumbs. Too much can take away from the meatball’s melt-in-your-mouth texture, so add just enough to help bind. Ease: This uncomplicated, unfussy meal doesn’t require much work. Besides some chopping and shaping the meatballs, there’s brief cooking on the stove, but then the slow cooker takes over.
These delicious turkey meatballs will get you all the compliments without all the work. It’s no surprise that it tops my 30 delicious fall dinner recipe ideas. Another reader, Jennifer, commented: “Healthy. easy. make ahead. satisfying…… SO FREAKING DELICIOUS! ★★★★★”
You Need These Ingredients:
For the meatballs, use about 93% lean, 7% fat ground turkey. You could use ground beef or chicken instead, if you prefer. You also need an egg to bind the ingredients together. Breadcrumbs are another binding agent, and you can use panko, regular, whole wheat, Italian seasoned, or even gluten free. You also need fresh parmesan cheese, garlic, and seasonings. You’ll use garlic in the homemade marinara-style sauce, too. Mix everything together, and then roll the mixture into balls.
Sear the Meatballs First
We can skip pan-searing when making chicken meatballs that bake in the oven, but this step is necessary for today’s recipe. Gently searing the turkey meatballs in a skillet on the stove browns the exteriors and seals in all the juicy moisture. (Flavor, flavor, flavor!) If you skip this step, the meatballs will just crumble apart in the crockpot. This step only takes about 10–15 minutes total, and then it’s the slow cooker’s turn to take over.
Marinara Sauce for Turkey Meatballs
I like to keep the sauce simple because these flavorful turkey meatballs are the star of the show. You need some cans of crushed tomatoes, a little tomato paste for thickening the sauce, and some chopped sweet onion and seasoning for flavor. You can use plain crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted, or the kind with basil—just avoid using reduced-salt or no-salt-added varieties. This slow cooker recipe makes a lot of sauce, which is perfect for making magnificently messy meatball subs, or if you’re serving your meatballs over spaghetti. Layer the onion, half of the crushed tomatoes, and the tomato paste into the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the seared turkey meatballs on top, then pour the remaining crushed tomatoes over the meatballs. Add in the remaining seasonings, give it all a stir, and your work here is done! Pop that lid on and let the slow cooker do its thing. You can cook on low for about 6—7 hours, or speed things up by cooking on high for about 4 hours.
Serve Turkey Meatballs With:
Spaghetti & fresh green salad Zucchini noodles Homemade dinner rolls Breadsticks 4-ingredient artisan bread Hearty rolls for meatball subs
