Mini Turkey Meatballs

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Antipasti Party

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (177)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(177)

Cook Time:
25 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
42 mini meatballs

Times:

Prep: 25 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 25 min
Total:: 50 min

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Ingredients

1 small onion, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground dark turkey meat
3 tablespoons olive oil
26 ounces Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows, or store-bought marinara sauce

Directions

Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, parsley, Parmesan, Pecorino, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a large plate or baking sheet.

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Add the marinara sauce, about 3 cups. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the meatball mixture to a serving bowl. Serve with toothpicks.

Simple Tomato Sauce:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

4 to 6 basil leaves

2 dried bay leaves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Yield: 6 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Ease of Preparation: Easy

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Mini Turkey Meatballs
TRACY Las Vegas, NV 11-03-2009
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Great, but with some healthy modifications
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I modified this recipe slightly to make it healthier and it turned out great. Modifications: only used 2T of each cheese... (1/4 cup total cheese), 1/2 tsp salt, and only a squirt of ketchup. I try to stay away from wheat so I substituted rolled oats for the breadcrumbs. I added 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds to boost the flavor a bit, which really made it shine. When frying I used only enough olive oil to coat the bottom of my cast iron skillet. I removed the meatballs to a paper towel lined plate while I made the saucet. Was in a hurry so made a simple tomato sauce in the same skillet, 'deglazing' the pan with some onions and garlic to get all the yummy browned bits before adding crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Simmered the sauce for 15, added the meatballs back in for another 10. Next time (and there WILL be a next time, this one's a keeper) I'll try making Giada's sauce too.Read more
recipe Mini Turkey Meatballs
Bridget Hayward, CA 10-24-2009
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Best Meatballs Ever!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

These are the best meatballs I've ever eaten. The recipe is so simple that my 9 year old daughter made them and they were... great! We'll always use this recipe.Read more
recipe Mini Turkey Meatballs
Jenifer Redlands, CA 10-22-2009
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Great Texture and Flavor!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

These meatballs were extremely easy to make, and tasted great when added to any side dish. The small size made them fast to... cook, and this dish would be a great weeknight meal. The only reason I did not give it five stars was because I felt the Pecorino Romano cheese was a little bit too strong; it really took over the flavor of the meatball. That's probably because I'm not a fan of strong tasting cheese, however. Other than that, delicious!Read more
recipe Mini Turkey Meatballs
cara brunswick, NY 10-15-2009
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best meatballs!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

absolutely the best meatball recipe. quick and easy. ive also made a vegetarian version with litelfe veggieround and they are... perfect!Read more
recipe Mini Turkey Meatballs
jacqui anacortes, WA 10-10-2009
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Yum!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Good with BBQ sauce too...
recipe Mini Turkey Meatballs
amy Oklahoma city, OK 08-09-2009
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First Time Meatballs
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

This was the first time we've ever mae meatballs. We added red pepper flakes and put the meatballs in the freezer to firm... before browning. De-lish! Crispy outside and soft inside, used Newman's Own Tomato and Basil sauce over spaghetti. Thank you Giada!Read more