A super easy, classic Italian recipe!
Are you looking for an all-purpose Italian meatball recipe? Look no further! This version is super easy – we combine ground turkey with parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan and spices. The result is a tender, moist meatball that is both healthy and delicious! Once you’ve made the mix, you can use it as a wonderful starter, or you can add them to spaghetti, stews, or soups. The possibilities are endless!
A wonderful freezer recipe!
The other thing we love about this recipe is that you can make it beforehand. After you roll the Italian meatballs into 1 inch balls, you can Pop them in the freezer. We like to freeze them flat on a baking sheet before transferring them to an airtight bag or container for storage. Then they are ready to cook whenever you need them. Pull the meatballs out of the freezer and thaw them in the refrigerator the night before. Then cook them as you normally would!
When serving these meatballs as a starter, pair them with some of our favorite sauces!
A quick note on how to cook meatballs
Our preferred cooking method for Italian meatballs is cooking on the stove in a large pan, especially if you plan to serve them with a tomato sauce. You’ll create a nice layer of stock in the pan when the meatballs cook, which is basically a concentrated flavor! If you deglaze the pan with wine, broth, or water and warm up your marinara sauce in the same pan, you will pull up all of these tasty pieces and add them to your sauce. A quick and easy way to make a restaurant-quality sauce without adding any extra ingredients!
You need to control the heat on the stove when you cook the meatballs using this method. If the heat is too hot, burn the outside of the meatballs before cooking them all through. Keep the heat on medium setting and as you cook, turn the meatballs so that they brown evenly on all sides. When they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, you’re done!
Baked Meatballs?
Alternatively, you can use an oven-safe pan (like cast iron) and brown the meatballs on the stove. Then you can put them in the oven to finish cooking. Some people bake their meatballs 100 percent in the oven, but the stovetop is our preferred method. It adds a layer of caramelization to the meatballs which definitely gives them more flavor!
What’s your favorite way to cook your meatballs? Stove? Oven? Slow cooker? Let us know in the comments!
Check out our step-by-step video for those classic Italian meatballs!
- 2 lb Lean turkey or chicken
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoon Italian parsley freshly chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- kosher or sea salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4th Garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 cups Whole grain panko or whole grain bread crumbs
- 1 Cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 Eggs
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Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Form mixture into (24) 1 “meatballs.
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If you’re cooking meatballs, put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan, set it on medium heat, and cook until browned and done on both sides. Note: If you add meatballs to a slow cooker recipe, brown them as directed, but don’t cook them through as they will continue to cook in the slow cooker.
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 4th
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