Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

Turkey meatballs are slowly cooked in a homemade tomato basil marinara sauce until tender. Made without any breadcrumbs, this meatball recipe is gluten free.

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs. Turkey meatballs are slowly cooked in a homemade tomato basil marinara sauce until tender. Made without any breadcrumbs, this meatball recipe is gluten free.

My husband and I recently had our DNA tested and while the results weren’t too entirely surprising, I did discover that I’m 8% Italian/Greek. With a last name like Della Croce, I already knew my husband was Italian but I had no idea I might be too! Needless to say, I’m starting to figure out why our boys can’t seem to get enough pasta these days.

Turkey Meatballs in Slow Cooker

Turkey meatballs have always been a family favorite but recently I’ve started making them in the slow cooker to save time during the busy dinnertime rush. With school back in season, our schedules have never been busier so I love relying on my Crock-Pot slow cooker to help get a healthy dinner on the table.

Prepping Whole Peeled Tomatoes

For the sauce, I simply sauté olive oil with onions and garlic before stirring in whole peeled tomatoes and tomato sauce. If you want to give it an added kick, sprinkle in chili flakes and/or stir in a little dry red wine.

Turkey Meatballs in the Crockpot

To keep the naturally dry, lean turkey breast moist and flavorful, I add sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, Parmesan cheese and minced garlic. As they slowly cook in the marinara sauce they become more and more tender over time.

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs an Easy Pasta Recipe


Another great time saver: make a double batch of these slow cooker turkey meatballs and freeze leftovers for a busy day down the road. There is nothing more thrilling than having a healthy, homemade dinner waiting for you in the freezer.

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs with Cheese Recipe

Serve over spaghetti or keep it low carb and serve with zucchini noodles. Or heck, skip the pasta and dunk the tomato sauce with crusty bread. The world is your oyster.

Your fork is waiting.

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

4 stars average
Turkey meatballs are slowly cooked in a homemade marinara sauce until tender. Made without any breadcrumbs, this meatball recipe is gluten free.
PREP: 20 minutes
COOK: 4 hours
TOTAL: 4 hours 20 minutes
Pin
Servings: 4

Equipment

Ingredients
 

Quick Marinara Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes
  • 29 ounces tomato sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste

Turkey Meatballs

  • 1 pound Natural Ground Turkey (93% lean)
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • 3 pieces sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (minced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons parsley (minced)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Pasta to Serve – Optional

  • ¼ cup basil (minced)

Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a deep skillet. Add garlic and heat until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Stir in onions and a pinch of salt. Saute until tender, about 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • While the onions are sautéing, use a pair of kitchen scissors to carefully cut the whole peeled tomatoes. Pour can into the pan along with the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to a boil then remove from heat; set aside.
    Cutting Tomatoes
  • To prepare the meatballs, place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and use your hands to mix until evenly incorporated. Begin rolling meatballs using a small ice cream scoop and place inside your Crock-Pot slow cooker. 
  • Cover the meatballs with the marinara sauce and place the lid on the Crock-Pot slow cooker. Heat on Low for 4 hours or High for 2 hours. Garnish with fresh basil before serving over pasta if you wish. 

Notes

This makes four large portions of meatballs and sauce but you could easily feed up to six if serving over pasta. 
Nutrition facts do not include pasta.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cupsCalories: 307kcalCarbohydrates: 29.9gProtein: 35.3gFat: 6.8gSaturated Fat: 1.6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5.2gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 2148mgFiber: 5.1gSugar: 16.6g

Check out more healthy slow cooker recipes on my Pinterest board!

14 thoughts on “Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs”

  1. Cooking meatballs in the slow cooker was a game changer for me! Makes school night dinner a little extra special! :) I love that you are 8% Italian / Greek :)

  2. I always have trouble with meatballs coming apart when I make them in the slow cooker, so I’m hoping this recipe will help! Do you think we should brown the meatballs first? I have ground pork and beef on hand so I may try with that combo. Love reading your blog, thank you for sharing.

    1. Mine didn’t fall apart and I didn’t cook them beforehand but you certainly can if you wish – great way to add a nice crust. Thanks so much let me know if you try any of my recipes!

  3. Could the parmesan be left out or replaced with something that doesn’t have dairy? I imagine it helps tremendously with structural integrity…

    1. Hmm…the cheese adds moisture since the turkey can be lean so I would use a higher fat meat like bison or beef OR maybe add a little olive oil or grated onion? Be sure to add a bit more salt too.

      1. I do like me some olive oil and onion… Those sound like some tasty alternatives. I’ll let you know when/if I try them out!

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