Spinach Turkey Meatballs
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Published Mar 27, 2023, Updated Nov 21, 2023
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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.
I am so excited about this spinach turkey meatballs recipe! It’s such a simple recipe… all you need is ground turkey, veggies and spices. No flour, no bread crumbs and 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!
I love making these meatballs as part of weekly meal prep because one batch makes a ton of meatballs (about 30) and they can be used in so many different ways!
I love serving them over zucchini noodles (or regular noodles) with pasta sauce as a main dish for dinner or as a protein option on salads. I’ve also been known to grab them straight from the fridge for a protein-rich snack. Cold meatballs FTW!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthy – It’s made with lean protein, spinach and carrots, providing protein and veggies.
- Flavorful – Seasoned with garlic, onion powder, and Italian herbs.
- Versatile – Can be served so many different ways… add them to pasta, serve them with sauce and sides, serve them as an appetizer… the options are endless!
- Easy – Requires only 8 simple ingredients and comes together quickly!
Ingredients Needed
- ground turkey – the main source of protein in the recipe, ground turkey is leaner than other types of meat and provides a good amount of protein without being too heavy or fatty. I typically use 93% lean ground turkey, but you can use 99% lean ground turkey if you prefer. If you don’t have ground turkey on hand you can easily swap it for ground chicken or ground beef.
- vegetables – onion, carrot and fresh spinach add delicious flavor and texture! Plus, they add extra nutrients.
- seasonings – garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper.
- fresh basil – adds a fresh, slightly sweet flavor to the meatballs. If you don’t have fresh basil you can use dried basil instead.
How to Make
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Make sure your onion, carrot and spinach are finely chopped as you don’t want huge chunks of veggies in the meatballs. Pro tip: Chop all your veggies in your food processor to save time!
In a large bowl add ground turkey, chopped veggies and spices. Gently combine, using clean hands if needed. Roll meat mixture into 1-2 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
Bake until outsides are lightly browned and centers are no longer pink, about 25 minutes. Serve warm over your favorite noodles and sauce. Let cool before placing in an air-tight container if you’re making these as part of your meal prep.
How to Serve Spinach Turkey Meatballs
- With pasta and marinara sauce: Serve the meatballs over your favorite pasta, such as spaghetti, zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash and top with marinara sauce.
- In a sub sandwich: Place the meatballs in a sub roll with your favorite toppings, such as sautéed onions and peppers or melted cheese.
- In a salad: Add the meatballs to a salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and your favorite dressing.
- On their own as an appetizer: Serve the meatballs with toothpicks as a tasty and healthy appetizer with some dipping sauce.
- On a grain bowl: Swap the falafels in this falafel bowl with these turkey meatballs or add them to this buddha bowl.
How to Store & Reheat
These spinach turkey meatballs are great for meal prep! Here’s how to store and reheat them:
Refrigerator: Let meatballs cool completely then store leftovers in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Freezer: Let meatballs cool completely then store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Reheating: If meatballs have been frozen, thaw them in the fridge overnight. When ready to enjoy, reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or bake in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, until warm throughout.
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
- The Best Turkey Burger
- Baked Turkey Meatballs
- Turkey Soup
- Ground Turkey Pasta
Be sure to check out the full collection of ground turkey recipes here on EBF!
Spinach Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped carrots
- 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 and line a baking tray with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- 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.
- In a large mixing bowl add ground turkey, chopped veggies and spices. Gently combine with a wooden spoon or hands.
- Roll meat mixture into 1-2 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My fiance is trying to give up re meat. This looks like the perfect recipe to ease the transition! Yum!
These look great and I love that it packs in some veggies, thanks for sharing!
Of course, Em. I hope you get a chance to try them.
These look really good. It’s nice to find a healthy recipe for meatballs. They’re on my list to make next week.
Yay!! I hope you love them, Fiona! 🙂
These spund amazing! I loved your Insta story showing how to make them too. I love that I can cover them in sauce and no one will know about the hidden veggies:)
Thank you, Amanda. I’m so happy the Instastory was helpful too. You’ll have to let me know what you think of the meatballs.
LOOOVE that you stuck a ton of veggies
Can these be frozen if I don’t plan to use them all in the week?
Totally! Once cool, I’d place them on a baking sheet in the freezer until hard. This step just keeps them from sticking together. Once hard you can place them in a freezer storage bag or freezer safe container and store them up to 3 months.
Saw these on your instagram account – can’t wait to make them! How long do they last in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi, question: do you use the lean (meaning 93% turkey) or the all white meat (99%) ground turkey? I find they yield very different results in recipes. Thanks! Anna
I’ve used both, but I think I prefer the 93% over the 99%.
This is looking an awesome recipe, I must try it in coming days.
These are amazing! Made them last night and served with zoodles and marinara sauce…delish! Husband loved them and he is not a huge turkey burger fan. I had some leftover Italian turkey sausage so added that in with the ground turkey and highly recommend!
These came out great, I just chopped up the veggies cause I don’t have a food processor and they are not annoying at all!
Can you freeze the meatballs after they are cooked?? It would be great to have frozen ones on hand for a quick meal during busy weeks!
Totally! Once cool, I’d place them on a baking sheet in the freezer until hard. This step just keeps them from sticking together. Once hard you can place them in a freezer storage bag or freezer safe container and store them up to 3 months.
I’ve made these 3 or 4 times and they are so good, and really easy to make. They have become a permanent replacement to the frozen meatballs I used to eat!
I made these for dinner tonight and they were absolutely delicious!! They were super easy to make and I will definitely be making them again!
Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed these turkey meatballs, Kayla. Thanks for trying them and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me. <3
I’ve made the twice and I LOVE them! I never eat ground turkey and so these especially surprised me. I cannot recommend this recipe enough. They’re delicious and EASY!
Woot woot!! So glad you loved these. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. The reviews are super helpful for other readers.
I hope this isn’t a stupid question…..but how do I tell how much 3 ounces of spinach is. I don’t have a scale. A cup, 1/2 cup etc. Thank you
It’s about 3 loosely packed cups of spinach. 🙂
These we super easy and tasty. Especially the next day cold. Yummy
Sometimes leftovers straight from the fridge are the best! Thanks so much for making these and coming back to leave a review, Colleen. I really appreciate it 🙂
I make this for my 18 month old and us weekly, I change up the spices a bit just because Im like that lol but it’s great both ways.
So glad you’re loving this recipe, Yalem! Thanks for the review, I so appreciate it!
I made these for dinner and absolutely loved them. These are so easy to whip up and came out very tender. I made a half batch because I only had 1 lb of turkey. Throwing the veggies in a food processor made it super quick. I did add an egg just because I’m used to binding meatballs with them, but I’m sure it would have been fine without. These are definitely going in the meal prep rotation.
YAY! I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, Rosemarie. Thank you for coming back and leaving your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
Excellent
Yay! So glad you are enjoying this recipe!
These are fantastic! Will definitely be making again
Ah yay! I am so excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and it turned out great. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
Yummy and very easy to make. We covered them in Trader Joes pizza sauce and made meatball subs.
Yay! This sounds delicious, Molly. Glad you are enjoying these. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
These were such a great healthier meatball alternative. I’m trying to think of anything I added, but there’s not much: red pepper flakes, dry Italian herbs, and 3 eggs (I add eggs to absolutely anything I can because I love them, not that they were needed). Was really happy to have the directions to use the food processor too. I made ~2.5oz balls and got 24 of them. I only needed 2 balls as a serving because of 10g of protein per ball—so great. I liked them with just pasta sauce. They’re like a meal on their own. Thanks! I’ve been loving all your recipes and enjoying incorporating about two a week into the meal plan. 😁
Aww this is the best, Amy! I am so glad these turned out great for you. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!
I made these meatballs tonight and they were fantastic! I ate one before I served them to my family thinking they would be too healthy to be delicious. To my surprise they were amazing! I served them with vodka sauce and Carba-nada egg noodles. Thank you for a truly healthy and delicious meatball!!
Ahh this is amazing, Pam! I am glad you’re loving this recipe and they turned out great of you. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe! The meatballs were flavorful, delicious, and a perfect protein-rich addition to our pasta. Brittany strikes yet again 🙂 Thank you!!
WOO! This means so much, Stephanie. I am so glad you and your husband are loving these meatballs. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
So so delicious with palmini angel hair and raos sauce for a low carb italian feast!