That is my easy and basic household recipe for gradual cooker turkey meatballs in marinara sauce. They’re simple to prep, additional tender, and seasoned excellent. To essentially lock within the taste and moisture, I like to recommend shortly pan-searing the meatballs on the range earlier than ending them within the gradual cooker. These saucy turkey meatballs are so versatile—get pleasure from them in meatball sandwiches, on their very own alongside a salad and cheese breadsticks, or, naturally, on prime of spaghetti!
I initially printed this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photographs and some extra success suggestions.
Turkey meatballs are a satisfying, feel-good, fill-you-up type of dish that may feed a lot of folks and doesn’t require a lot prep work. And should you respect the comfort of utilizing a gradual cooker for hen and corn soup, gradual cooker hen chili, turkey chili, and honey teriyaki hen, you’ll like it much more for these turkey meatballs.
One reader, Isabel, commented: “These had been sooo good! I made them final evening for my household and so they had been tender and full of taste. Will certainly make once more! I additionally cooked these on excessive for 4 hours and it labored completely. ★★★★★”
One other reader, Jennifer, commented: “Wholesome. simple. make forward. satisfying…… SO FREAKING DELICIOUS! ★★★★★”
Inform Me About These Turkey Meatballs
- Taste: Garlic, onion, and slightly parmesan cheese collectively add heaps of taste to this gradual cooker dinner recipe. Add some herbs and slightly salt & pepper around the flavors out. These taste additions are pantry staples—you don’t want something fancy right here.
- Texture: Through the use of lean floor turkey, we’re capable of maintain the meatballs mild, moist, tender, and nonetheless filled with taste. In comparison with many recipes, the meatball combination is mild on the breadcrumbs. An excessive amount of can take away from the meatball’s melt-in-your-mouth texture, so add simply sufficient to assist bind.
- Ease: This uncomplicated, unfussy meal doesn’t require a lot work. In addition to some chopping and shaping the meatballs, there’s temporary cooking on the range, however then the gradual cooker takes over.
These scrumptious turkey meatballs will get you all of the compliments with out all of the work. It’s no shock that it tops my 30 scrumptious fall dinner recipe concepts.
You Want These Components:
For the meatballs, use about 93% lean, 7% fats floor turkey. You might use floor beef or hen as a substitute, should you want. You additionally want an egg to bind the elements collectively. Breadcrumbs are one other binding agent, and you should use panko, common, complete wheat, Italian seasoned, and even gluten free.
You additionally want contemporary parmesan cheese, garlic, and seasonings. You’ll use garlic within the selfmade marinara-style sauce, too.
Combine the whole lot collectively, after which roll the combination into balls.
Sear the Meatballs First
We are able to skip pan-searing when making hen meatballs that bake within the oven, however this step is critical for immediately’s recipe. Gently searing the turkey meatballs in a skillet on the range browns the exteriors and seals in all of the juicy moisture. (Taste, taste, taste!) For those who skip this step, the meatballs will simply crumble aside within the crockpot.
This step solely takes about 10–quarter-hour whole, after which it’s the gradual cooker’s flip to take over.
Marinara Sauce for Turkey Meatballs
I wish to maintain the sauce easy as a result of these flavorful turkey meatballs are the star of the present. You want some cans of crushed tomatoes, slightly tomato paste for thickening the sauce, and a few chopped candy onion and seasoning for taste.
You should use plain crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted, or the sort with basil—simply keep away from utilizing reduced-salt or no-salt-added varieties. This gradual cooker recipe makes plenty of sauce, which is ideal for making magnificently messy meatball subs, or should you’re serving your meatballs over spaghetti.
Layer the onion, half of the crushed tomatoes, and the tomato paste into the underside of your gradual cooker. Place the seared turkey meatballs on prime, then pour the remaining crushed tomatoes over the meatballs. Add within the remaining seasonings, give all of it a stir, and your work right here is completed! Pop that lid on and let the gradual cooker do its factor.
You possibly can prepare dinner on low for about 6—7 hours, or pace issues up by cooking on excessive for about 4 hours.
A Useful Make-Forward Dinner Recipe
There are various methods to get a bounce on dinner with this turkey meatballs recipe. Having firm over tomorrow? Brown the meatballs as instructed and maintain them within the fridge till the next day, then switch them to the gradual cooker. Or freeze now to get pleasure from in the course of the colder months. Or prepare dinner immediately, then reheat tomorrow simply earlier than dinnertime.
Serve Turkey Meatballs With:
Gradual Cooker Turkey Meatballs
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Prepare dinner Time: 6 hours
Whole Time: 6 hours, 35 minutes
Yield: 30-34 meatballs
Class: Appetizers
Technique: Cooking
Delicacies: American
Description
That is my favourite recipe for traditional gradual cooker turkey meatballs in a selfmade marinara-style sauce. They’re simple to prep, additional tender, and seasoned excellent.
Directions
- With a big spoon or spatula, combine collectively all of the meatball elements in a big bowl till simply mixed—keep away from overmixing.
- Scoop a portion of the combination, about 2 Tablespoons (30–35g) in dimension, roll right into a ball along with your fingers, and place on a baking sheet or massive plate lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining combination. It’s best to have round 30–34 meatballs. Put aside.
- Grease a (4-quart or bigger) gradual cooker with nonstick spray (or a drizzle of olive oil). Place the onions within the gradual cooker, then pour 1 can of crushed tomatoes over prime of the onions. Add within the tomato paste and garlic, and stir gently to mix.
- Warmth a big skillet over medium-high warmth, after which add in a Tablespoon of olive oil and swirl to coat. Working in batches, sear the meatballs (about 6–8 meatballs at a time, or nonetheless many slot in your skillet) for about 1 minute on both sides, till browned. Place the browned meatballs within the gradual cooker. As soon as all browned meatballs have been added to the gradual cooker, pour the remaining can of crushed tomatoes on prime, and add within the crushed crimson pepper flakes and bay leaves.
- Cowl with the lid and prepare dinner on low for six–7 hours. (You too can prepare dinner on excessive for about 4 hours if that works higher to your day.) Take away and discard the bay leaves.
- Serve heat meatballs with sauce over your alternative of pasta, in a sub roll, or on their very own. Prime with chopped basil, parsley, or contemporary parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Retailer leftovers lined tightly within the fridge for as much as 1 week.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: Put together meatballs by means of the browning step; cowl and refrigerate for as much as 1 day or freeze for as much as 2 months. Add to gradual cooker together with sauce elements and prepare dinner as directed (no have to thaw). OR you may totally put together 1 day prematurely, refrigerate, then reheat within the gradual cooker on low for 45 minutes or till warmed. Freeze cooked meatballs in sauce in an hermetic freezer-safe container for as much as 2 months. Thaw within the fridge earlier than reheating as desired.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Glass Mixing Bowl | Baking Sheet | Gradual Cooker (4 quarts or bigger) corresponding to this one or this one | Skillet
- No Gradual Cooker? No Drawback! Put together as directed, however as a substitute of a gradual cooker, use a big pot on the range. Simmer the browned meatballs over medium-low warmth till the sauce thickens barely and the meatballs are cooked by means of, 25–35 minutes.
- Turkey: I at all times use 93% lean floor turkey, however you can also make these meatballs with floor beef, hen, or pork should you want. For those who use extra-lean turkey, the meatballs can style a bit dry.
- Breadcrumbs: I want panko for texture, however you could use plain, Italian seasoned, whole-wheat, or selfmade dry breadcrumbs as a substitute. To make your individual: Trim the crusts off 2 slices of stale bread. Reduce or tear bread into items and pulse in a meals processor till coarse crumbs kind. Unfold breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F (121°C) till dry, about 12–14 minutes. This makes about 2/3 cup crumbs.