Spinach Turkey Meatballs

These spinach turkey meatballs are moist and flavorful, loaded with veggies and require no binders! They’re great for meal prep because you can add them to pasta, sandwiches or salads throughout the week.

A few weeks ago I shared on Instagram about a new recipe I was working on for spinach turkey meatballs, which I affectionately called Popeye turkey meatballs. Everyone went crazy asking for the recipe so I knew I needed to test a bit more and share them ASAP. For those of you who have been waiting patiently, the recipe is finally here. I’m sorry it took a little longer than expected!

Anyhow, I am STOKED about this recipe because these are the most basic (in a good way) meatballs I’ve ever seen — they’re literally just turkey, veggies and spices. No flour, no bread crumbs, no eggs!

The first time I made them I was so worried that they wouldn’t stick together because we left out the flour and egg, but alas they held together perfectly. And the texture and flavor was sooo good!

We’ve been making them a part of our weekly meal prep and it’s been amazing because one batch makes a ton of meatballs (about 30) and they can be used in so many different ways! So far we’ve had them over zucchini noodles with a pasta sauce for dinner (pictured here) and I’ve been using them as a protein option on salads. Meatball salad is totally a thing and it’s dang good!

I’ve also been known to grab them straight from the fridge for a protein-rich snack. Cold meatballs FTW!

Now that I’ve figured out the basics to making meatballs I’m going to try my hand at a veggie version using my lentil loaf recipe as inspiration. I’ll report back soon!

Ready to whip up a batch of these turkey meatballs for yourself? Check out the easy, 8-ingredient recipe below:

More Turkey Recipes

• Turkey Stuffed Peppers
• Cheesy Eggplant Casserole with Ground Turkey
• Turkey Cauliflower Baked Ziti
• Cauliflower Gnocchi With Onions, Peas and Turkey Bacon
• Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers
• Healthy Taco Salad

Spinach Turkey Meatballs

4 from 10 votes

These simple clean eating Popeye turkey meatballs are moist and flavorful, loaded with veggies and require no binders! Meal prep a batch early in the week so you can add them to pasta, sandwiches, salads and more throughout the week!

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 10

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• ¼ cup finely chopped carrot
• 3 ounces (about 3 loosely packed cups) baby spinach , finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• olive or avocado oil cooking spray

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Make sure your onion, carrot and spinach are finely chopped as you don’t want huge chunks of veggies in the meatballs. I like chopping all the veggies in my food processor to save time. The spinach was super chopped, which why the meatballs look so green!!
• Grab a large bowl and add turkey, chopped veggies and spices. Gently combine, using clean hands if needed.
• Roll meat mixture into 1-2 inch balls and place on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick coconut oil cooking spray. Place them about 1-inch apart.
• Bake until outsides are lightly browned and centers are no longer pink, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.
• Let cool before placing in an air-tight container if you’re making these as part of your meal prep.

Notes

• Feel free to add 1 egg or 3 egg whites to the mixture if you want a fluffier meatball, but I find the meatballs to taste great without it.

Nutrition

Serving: 3meatballs Calories: 155kcal Carbohydrates: 3g Protein: 20g Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 65mg Sodium: 271mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g

Author: Brittany Mullins

Course: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: turkey meatballs

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