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a skillet of meatballs with melted cheese.
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5 from 5 votes

Meatballs in Marinara Sauce Recipe

Tender, juicy and made in a skillet, these turkey meatballs are made in 30 minutes!
Prep Time13 minutes
Cook Time17 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Calories: 483kcal
Author: Paige

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • measuring spoons and cups

Ingredients

  • MARINARA SAUCE
  • 1 28-ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
  • ½ medium Onion, yellow, grated
  • ½ cup Water or chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon Miso paste, white or yellow, mellow
  • ½ teaspoon Pepper, freshly ground
  • ½ teaspoon Salt, kosher Diamond Crystal
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • MEATBALLS
  • 1 pound Ground Turkey
  • ½ medium Onion, yellow, grated
  • ½ cup Greek Yogurt, plain (whole or 2 %)
  • 1 large Egg
  • ½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • 1 clove Garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Pepper
  • ¼ cup Parsley, chopped
  • 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, low moisture
  • 3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
  • 3 tablespoons Parsley, Italian, chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Instructions

  • Make the Marinara Sauce:
    Using a non-stick skillet or dutch oven, add the crushed tomatoes, the grated onion, salt, pepper, miso, water or broth, garlic powder and red pepper flakes and stir to combine everything. Add the bay leaf.
    Cook the marinara on medium to medium-low heat for twelve to fifteen minutes and let it simmer while you make the meatballs.
  • In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, grated onion, yogurt, egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and combine.
    Using an ice cream scoop, drop the rounded balls of meat into the warm sauce, being careful not to crowd them. You should get twelve to thirteen large balls.
    Gently and carefully scoop some of the tomato sauce up over the balls, then put the lid on and let the mixture simmer for fifteen to seventeen minutes until cooked all the way through (or 165F degrees internal temperature).
    Check the mixture part way through and if the sauce is evaporating too quickly, add a tablespoon or two of water or broth and let it continue to cook on medium-low heat.
  • Remove the lid and gently stir from the bottom, lifting the meatballs to make sure they don't stick. Turn off the stove, and spoon a little sauce over each ball, then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the whole dish, followed by the Parmesan cheese and the parsley.
    Add the lid back on, and let the meatballs sit and rest for a few minutes on the warm stove to melt the cheese. Remove the lid, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.

Notes

* Miso paste,  especially mellow white or yellow adds a deep all-day cooked flavor without the all-day part.  If you don't have it or don't want to buy it, add another half- teaspoon of salt to the tomato sauce. 
* You can use whole milk instead of the plain yogurt in the meatballs
* Use low moisture mozzarella cheese in the recipe, not fresh mozzarella packed in watery brine. This will make the whole recipe watery!
 

Nutrition

Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 1853mg | Potassium: 601mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1192IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 624mg | Iron: 2mg