Italian-American
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Lean turkey meatballs simmer gently in a simple tomato sauce until cooked through and tender. Pair with spaghetti, zucchini noodles, or crusty bread.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 5 hr
- Total
- 5 hr 25 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Photo: Dan Costin (CC BY). Source
Why you’ll love it
- Slow heat keeps lean turkey from drying out.
- Meatballs cook right in the sauce so flavor soaks in.
- Batch cooks easily for pasta night leftovers.
- Higher protein than many beef meatball versions.
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Mix ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, half the garlic, oregano, and 1/2 tsp salt until just combined.
- 2
Roll into 18 equal meatballs and set aside.
- 3
Stir crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, remaining garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and remaining salt in the slow cooker.
- 4
Nestle meatballs into the sauce in a single layer as much as possible.
- 5
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours until meatballs reach 165°F.
- 6
Gently stir once near the end if sauce has settled, then serve.
Pro tips
- Do not overmix the turkey or meatballs turn dense.
- Wet hands lightly so rolling is less sticky.
- If stacking meatballs, rotate positions halfway through if convenient.
Easy substitutions
- ground turkey
- ground chicken
- breadcrumbs
- rolled oats pulsed briefly
- Parmesan
- pecorino romano
Storage and reheating
Storage
Store meatballs and sauce together up to 4 days in the fridge.
Reheating
Simmer gently on the stove or microwave covered until hot.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 320
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Budget friendly · Slow Cooker · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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