Giant Turkey Meatballs (Gluten Free)
Delicious, extra-large (we mean HUGE!) gf meatballs in a tasty marinara sauce!
The story of the giant meatball!
Two years ago, right after we moved into our new house, we had a huge water loss, and they had to gut my kitchen to the studs. It was the holidays, and I had the house all decorated as my Mom was coming to stay for a few weeks. Suddenly there were contractors and plastic and loud fans, and well, I was super bummed. The only good part is that, as we had no kitchen, we had a budget from the contractor to order food. On my second night, I found a restaurant with large gluten-free meatballs in a delicious marinara sauce. Suffice it to say I ate one, and WOW, was it good! So that began my quest to make a delightful gf meatball recipe for my readers. Because who doesn’t like a good meatball?
I am so excited to share this recipe with you! The meatballs are moist, delicious, and crave-able! Also, because I make them with turkey, they are much healthier! You can make a batch and have them for a few nights. Serve them over pasta or with spiralized veggies. They also make great meatball sandwiches. They are even good cold, and that’s saying something!
A little side note:
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Giant Italian Turkey Meatball Recipe
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 min, Cook Time: 35 min, Total Time 55 min
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
2 pounds of ground turkey breast (lean)
1/2 large onion grated (or finely chopped)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried garlic powder
1/2 cup gluten free panko (or ground gluten-free crackers)
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)
For the Marinara Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 tablespoon ground basil or 4-5 fresh basil leaves
1 28-oz. can crushed Italian tomatoes
1 14 oz. can tomato puree
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a baking pan with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
In a large bowl, combine 2 pounds of ground turkey, 1/2 large grated onion (or finely chopped), 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ground garlic powder, two teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, 2 eggs beaten, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley finely chopped. I used my hands.
Divide the meatball mixture into 6 large meatballs and place on an oiled baking sheet.
Bake in the middle rack of the oven for approximately 35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs, as measured with a meat thermometer, reaches 165 degrees.
For the Marinara Sauce:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add one large chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes.
Add three minced garlic cloves and cook for one minute until fragrant.
Add one teaspoon of oregano, one tablespoon of dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
Add a 28-oz. can of crushed Italian tomatoes and a 14-oz. can of Tomato Puree. Bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add meatballs to the pan and coat with the marinara sauce.
Serve one giant meatball with spaghetti and grated parmesan cheese at the table. Enjoy!
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Prep Ahead - This is a great meal prep recipe. The meatballs are even more delicious on day two.
Like more heat - Add a 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Storage - Store meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Serving Suggestions - Serve with your favorite pasta. We love Barilla Gluten-Free Spaghetti, which holds up well and is great on day 2. We also love to make meatball sandwiches with leftover meatballs.
Substitutions - You can use ground chicken or ground beef instead of ground turkey in this recipe.
Kids Don’t Like Onion—If you grate the onion, it’s invisible, and no one will know it’s in the meatballs.
Gluten-Free Panko—If you don’t have gluten-free panko or breadcrumbs, you can also grind crackers. We love Milton's Olive Oil and Salt Gluten-Free crackers. I placed them in a baggie and used a wooden mallet to pound them into crumbs or pulse the crackers in a high-speed blender. You can also use a rolling pin.
Pressed for Time - Use your favorite gluten free jar of pasta sauce.
Not gluten free - Substitute regular breadcrumbs.
Re-heat - Heat the meatballs in a saucepan with extra sauce poured.