Fresh and zesty Turkey Feta Meatballs make for a cozy weeknight meal, especially when they only require one pan and just 30 minutes! Pair them with your favorite pasta, spaghetti squash, or load them into a warm hoagie roll. Whatever you choose, it’ll be delicious!
About these Meatballs
Whenever I’m in the mood for a cozy comfort food, my mind automatically goes to meatballs. Something about the savory Italian flavors and warm tomato sauce makes me want to curl up with a blanket and watch TV while twirling some spaghetti. Can y’all relate? 😅
These Healthy Turkey Feta Meatballs are perfect for just that! Flavored with a little balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, tarragon, and feta cheese, they’re a little different from your traditional Italian meatball, but they taste amazing!
The best part about these Healthy Turkey Feta Meatballs is that they come together in just one pan, sauce and all. Because one pan healthy dinner just makes life easier, ya know?
This recipe also includes instructions to pair these meatballs with spaghetti squash. However, if that’s not your thing, you can use regular pasta or load them into a toasted roll. You can even stick toothpicks in them and serve for game day. Whatever you please! These juicy turkey meatballs are loved by all, even your picky eaters!
And if you’re looking for more meatballs try these Asian Cocktail Meatballs or these BBQ Chicken Meatballs, or instead if you’re looking for other ground turkey recipes, check out this round up!
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Turkey: I used 99% lean ground turkey, but 93% lean also works. I’d avoid anything fattier as the meatballs will be much too greasy. You could use ground beef or ground chicken, too!
- Panko Crumbs: These will help our meatballs stick together.
- Tarragon: I recommend using fresh herbs, they pack in SO much flavor. Taragon pairs great with this ground turkey as well as other meats.
- Balsamic Vinegar: This adds slight sweetness that contrasts the saltiness of the meat and feta well.
- Feta Cheese: Trust me, although not traditional, it’s so delicious in these meatballs! Mozzarella, burrata or goat cheese would be tasty swaps.
- Tomato Sauce: I used Rao’s Tomato Basil, but your favorite jarred sauce (or Homemade Italian Roma Tomato Sauce) will work.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
You don’t have to serve these traditionally with red sauce! Instead try one of these different ways to enjoy with the same Feta Turkey Meatball Base.
- Greek Turkey Meatballs: If you love greek food, add a bit of lemon zest/lemon juice to the meat mixture and serve with a Greek salad including cucumbers, kalamata olives, homemade tzatziki sauce and feta sauce for a bowl full of mediterranean flavors.
- Curry Turkey Meatballs: Instead of tomato sauce, simmer the meatballs in a store bought or homemade curry sauce and serve over rice with a sautéed bell peppers and carrots.
- Alfredo: Instead of red, go white! A creamy Alfredo sauce would go well with these meatballs, too.
- Skip the sauce and enjoy as a topping to a fresh spinach salad, meatball sub, or with toothpicks as an appetizer!
How to Make This Recipe
1. First, we’ll start with the spaghetti squash. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut your spaghetti squash in half and use a spoon to remove the seeds from the center.
2. Spray the squash with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place face down on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the squash can be shredded with a fork.
3. Next, let’s prepare the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, panko crumbs, 1/4 cup feta cheese, egg, onion, tarragon, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper.
4. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to form the turkey mixture into meatballs and place onto a greased skillet. Let the meatballs get golden brown on each side, about 5-8 minutes.
5. Then, add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir meatballs so they’re all covered in sauce. Cover skillet with a lid and let the meatballs simmer for 15-20 minutes. The internal temperature of the meatballs should be 165°F.
6. Place your meatballs over the shredded spaghetti squash (or noodles of choice), garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
PRO TIPS
The best way to shape these lean turkey meatballs is using a cookie scoop. It’s a great way to keep your hands clean and your meatballs evenly shaped. If you scoop agains the side of your mixing bowl to really compact the meat with the dry panko breadcrumbs.
Recipe FAQs
Store the feta turkey meatballs in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. These are a great option for meal prep! To reheat, I recommend heating it up in the microwave for 60-90 seconds COVERED to avoid the sauce from splattering.
Yes! I love making a big batch to freeze for busy days. You can freeze them cooked or raw. To freeze, place meatballs on a baking sheet. Don’t let them touch or they will stick together. Freeze until solid. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. They will be good for 3 months.
To bake your ground turkey meatballs, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and form meatball mixture into 12 balls and place separated on the cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
Serving suggestions
I chose to serve these meatballs as a main course with spaghetti squash. I put the squash in a bowl and topped it with the meatballs and sauce. However, you could also make this dish into spaghetti squash boats.
To do this, slice your squash lengthwise prior to roasting. Once it comes out of the oven, loosen up the inside a bit using a fork and peel the flesh away from the skin. This allows the sauce to get in all of the squash crevices. Then, add the meatballs and sauce to your boat. You can then top with cheese and pop it under your broiler for a minute or two to get a melty crust on top. Serve with some Pesto Focaccia for a delicious Italian meal.
If you’re not feeling the spaghetti squash, swap it with regular noodles, a bean or lentil pasta, or even zucchini noodles! If you really want to switch it up, grab a hearty hoagie roll and a slice or two of provolone cheese and throw together an epic meatball sub.
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Turkey Feta Meatballs
Equipment
- Skillet with a lid
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- measuring cups / spoons
- Rubber Spatula
- Cookie scoop
- Mixing Bowl
- Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey, 93% – 99% lean
- ½ cup panko crumbs
- 1 egg
- ½ cup red or white onion, diced
- 1½ tbsp fresh tarragon, diced
- 1½ tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- Dash salt + pepper
Spaghetti Squash
- 1 spaghetti squash
- ½ 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 3.5 oz package crumbled feta cheese, note: I took 1/4 cup from a 3.5oz package to use for the meatballs, and then added the rest to the pasta sauce after cooking
- 16 oz tomato sauce
Instructions
- First, we’ll start with the spaghetti squash. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Cut your spaghetti squash in half and use a spoon to remove the seeds from the center. Spray the squash with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper and place face down on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the squash can be shredded with a fork.
- Next, let's prepare the meatballs. In a mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, panko crumbs, 1/4 cup feta cheese, egg, onion, tarragon, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop meatballs and place onto a greased skillet.
- Heat skillet over medium-heat and let the meatballs brown on each side, about 5-8 minutes. Then, add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Stir meatballs so they’re all covered in sauce.
- Cover skillet with a lid and let the meatballs simmer for 15-20 minutes. The internal temperature of the meatballs should be 165°F.
- When meatballs are done cooking, garnish with the rest of the crumbled feta cheese and more tarragon.
- Place your meatballs over the shredded spaghetti squash (or noodles of choice) and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find ZESTY TURKEY MEATBALLS calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Hi Paige! Curious about the feta….. the ingredients say 1/4 cup feta and a 3.5 oz package of feta?? Is it just for garnish or does feta get mixed in with the meatballs? Thanks!
Hi Becky, sure thing! So you’ll need 1/4 cup of feta cheese for the meatballs and then the rest of the feta cheese will be used for the garnish. I’ll update the recipe accordingly to reflect this. Great question!
My family has been LOVING these. As suggested we had once with spaghetti squash, once with regular spaghetti, and once as a meatball sub! Going to try with zucchini noodles next. These meatballs are so flavorful, I just can’t get enough!!!
I made these today and they were delicious!! I subbed the feta for goat cheese because that’s all I had, but they turned out great. Good for meal prep too!
This is the perfect meal in the middle of winter. Cozy and fresh! Love making these for meal prep.
Just made this tonight. So easy and delicious! Served with the spaghetti squash and the family loved it.