Cheesy baked turkey meatballs

Juicy turkey meatballs baked in rich tomato sauce topped with melty cheese is the perfect dinner served with crusty bread or pasta.

Ingredients

Full recipe + amounts can be found in the recipe card below. 

• Ground turkey / Turkey mince.
• Panko breadcrumbs. Fresh breadcrumbs can be substituted.
• Fresh garlic. 
• Egg. 
• Parmesan cheese. 
• Dried herbs: I used oregano, basil and parsley but any dried herbs will be delicious. You can also use a blend like Italian herbs or Herbs de Provence.
• Chilli flakes / Red pepper flakes.
• Onion. 
• Chopped tomatoes. 
• Balsamic vinegar.
• Salt and pepper. 
• Mozzarella cheese. 

How to make turkey meatballs

1. Make the meatballs: Combine the turkey with breadcrumbs, crushed garlic, a beaten egg, Parmesan cheese and seasoning. Mix until combined. With wet hands, form the meatballs and place on a parchment lined plate or chopping board. Wetting your hands prevents the mixture from sticking. Heat a large, oven-safe skillet or pan (Use a slightly deeper pan to make sure the sauce doesn’t boil over) over medium-high heat. Add a splash of oil then add the meatballs, cooking in batches until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Make the tomato sauce: In the same pan you cooked the meatballs, add chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. You can add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity from the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer then remove from the heat. Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce.
3. Bake: Place the pan in a preheated oven and allow to bake for 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced slightly and the meatballs are cooked through. Remove from the oven, top with the grated mozzarella and place back in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, top with fresh basil and serve.

Can you freeze turkey meatballs?

Absolutely! Rolled meatballs can be frozen in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheetpan until frozen solid and transferred to a Ziploc bag. You can cook them from frozen in tomato sauce this way. Baked meatballs can be frozen for up to 3 months. I prefer doing this in foil containers which makes it easy to bake from frozen to reheat without needing to thaw first.

Serving suggestion

1. Easy focaccia bread
2. Easy side salad with lemon dressing
3. Cooked pasta.

Meatball recipes

1. Lemon Chicken piccata meatballs
2. Cheesy baked meatballs
3. Greek meatballs