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Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

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LIZ DELLA CROCE

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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 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.

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.

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.


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.

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 Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Serves4
CourseMain Dish, Pasta
Calories307

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
 

  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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. 
  4. 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. 

Nutrition

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

Liz’s 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.

Have you tried this?

Let us know how it was!

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


4 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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14 responses to “Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs”

  1. eath healthy Avatar
    eath healthy

    it looks so sweet and healthy. thank you for the recipe.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Of course! Enjoy!

  2. Erin @ Texanerin Baking Avatar
    Erin @ Texanerin Baking

    This sounds SO good! Can’t wait to try it.

  3. Aggie Avatar
    Aggie

    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 :)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes!!! Couldn’t agree more!! hahaha I do too!! And who knew Rich was so Irish?!

  4. Terri | Love and Confections Avatar
    Terri | Love and Confections

    Love homemade meatballs! I use ground turkey quite a bit and usually add either tomato sauce or a little olive oil for extra moisture. We have been lucky with growing fresh herbs in our backyard and they make everything better!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Couldn’t agree more!

  5. Kerry Avatar
    Kerry

    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. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      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!

  6. Julie @ Table for Two Avatar
    Julie @ Table for Two

    I love slow cooker recipes! Great one to add to my list!

  7. Sherwood Avatar
    Sherwood

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

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      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. Sherwood Avatar
        Sherwood

        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!

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          I can’t wait to hear what you think!