These easy baked turkey and spinach meatballs are one of those easy dinners I end up making on repeat because they're simple, flavorful, and surprisingly juicy for turkey meatballs. Ground turkey, Parmesan cheese, fresh spinach, breadcrumbs, and one very important grated onion come together to make tender meatballs that stay moist while baking in the oven. They're ready in about 35 minutes and work with just about everything, whether you pile them over pasta, tuck them into meal prep bowls, or serve them with warm marinara and crusty bread for an easy weeknight dinner.
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I've officially added another meatball recipe to my repertoire because these turkey and spinach meatballs are just so easy and reliable. If you've already made my Greek turkey meatballs, these have a similar light and juicy texture but with more classic Italian-inspired flavors. Turkey meatballs can dry out quickly, especially when you're using lean ground turkey, so the grated onion really makes all the difference here. It's my little trick for juicy meatballs.
Key Ingredients
- Ground turkey. I like using 93/7 ground turkey for these meatballs because it gives you the best balance of flavor and moisture without feeling greasy. Very lean ground turkey can dry out more quickly in the oven, so the extra fat helps keep the meatballs tender and juicy.
- Spinach. Fresh chopped spinach softens right into the meatballs as they bake and adds a little color without overpowering the flavor. Make sure to finely chop the spinach, so it blends evenly into the mixture and rolls easily into smooth meatballs.
- Parmesan. Parmesan adds savory, salty flavor throughout the meatballs and helps season the mixture without needing a ton of extra ingredients. I recommend freshly grated Parmesan, if possible, for the best flavor and texture.
- Panko breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs help bind the meatballs together while keeping the texture light and tender. They absorb some of the moisture from the onion and egg, so the meatballs stay soft instead of dense.
- Egg. The egg helps hold everything together and keeps the meatballs from falling apart while baking.
- Grated onion. The grated onion is one of the most important ingredients in this recipe because it adds moisture directly into the meatball mixture. As the meatballs bake, the onion releases liquid that keeps the turkey tender and juicy instead of dry. Grating the onion also helps it blend smoothly into the mixture, so you get the flavor without noticeable onion chunks throughout the meatballs.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Turkey & Spinach Meatballs
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Add the 1.3 lbs ground turkey, 1 cup chopped spinach, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Use a box grater to grate the ½ yellow onion directly into the mixture, including all of the juices.
- Step 2: Gently mix everything until just combined. The mixture should feel moist and cohesive but not overly wet. Avoid overmixing, or the meatballs can turn out dense.
- Step 3: Roll the mixture into 1½-inch meatballs and place them evenly onto the baking sheet. Lightly wetting your hands can make rolling easier since the mixture will be slightly soft from the grated onion.
- Step 4: Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the meatballs are lightly golden and cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F. The centers should feel firm but still juicy. Serve warm with pasta, marinara sauce, rice bowls, or crusty bread.
Sarah's Top Tips
- Grate the onion instead of chopping it. Grated onion is one of the biggest reasons these turkey meatballs stay juicy. Diced onion doesn't distribute as evenly and can create larger pockets throughout the meatballs, which sometimes causes them to fall apart or cook unevenly. I recommend grating the onion directly into the bowl so you keep all of the flavorful juices.
- Don't overmix the meatball mixture. Ground turkey can become dense and tough pretty quickly if the mixture gets overworked. Gently mix everything just until combined, and stop once the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Use a cookie scoop for even sizing. A cookie scoop makes rolling the meatballs much faster and helps keep them all the same size so they bake evenly. If some meatballs are much larger than others, the smaller ones can dry out before the larger ones finish cooking.
- Avoid overbaking. Turkey meatballs cook quickly and can dry out fast once they're overcooked. Start checking them around the 18-minute mark and pull them from the oven once the centers reach 165°F. The outside should look lightly golden while the inside stays tender and juicy.
- Chop the spinach finely. Finely chopped spinach blends much more evenly into the turkey mixture and makes the meatballs easier to roll. Larger spinach pieces can stick out of the meatballs, create uneven texture, and make shaping them a little messier.
Serving Suggestions
These turkey spinach meatballs are one of my favorite meal prep proteins because they work with so many different dinners throughout the week without getting boring. Most often, I serve them over spaghetti with warm pasta sauce, extra Parmesan cheese, and a big piece of garlic bread on the side. They're also really good over creamy polenta or tucked into toasted rolls with melted mozzarella for easy homemade meatball subs.
When I want something lighter, I'll add them to grain bowls with quinoa, roasted broccoli, cucumbers, and a drizzle of tzatziki or nut-free basil pesto. They're also great served over zucchini noodles, buttery rice, or roasted spaghetti squash. Sometimes I even toss leftovers into a big Caesar salad or chop them up for wraps and pita sandwiches during the week. Honestly, they're the kind of meatballs that somehow work with whatever you already have in the fridge.
Storage & Reheating
Fridge: Store leftover turkey spinach meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I like storing them with a little marinara sauce to help keep them extra moist while reheating.
Freezer: These meatballs freeze really well both before and after baking. For cooked meatballs, let them cool completely before transferring them to a freezer-safe container or bag and freezing for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the uncooked rolled meatballs on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag for easy future dinners.
Reheat: Reheat the meatballs gently in warm marinara sauce on the stovetop until heated through. You can also microwave them in 30-second intervals until hot. If reheating from frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator first for the best texture.
Make ahead: You can roll the meatballs up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. This is one of my favorite meal prep shortcuts because dinner comes together so much faster the next day. The meatballs also freeze well before or after baking, which makes them great for stocking the freezer with easy weeknight meals.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Easy Baked Turkey and Spinach Meatballs
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Ingredients
- 1.3 lbs ground turkey
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ yellow onion, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Use a box grater to grate the onion directly into the mixture. This adds extra moisture to the meatballs.1.3 lbs ground turkey, 1 cup fresh spinach, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, Salt and pepper to taste, ½ yellow onion
- Roll into 1 ½-inch meatballs and place on baking sheet.
- Bake 18-20 minutes until cooked through. Serve with pasta or marinara.
Sarah's Tips
- Grated onion helps keep turkey meatballs moist
- Don't overmix the meatball mixture
- Use 93/7 turkey for the best texture
- Finely chop the spinach for easier rolling
- Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°F
- Wet your hands lightly to prevent sticking while rolling
- Freeze cooked meatballs for easy meal prep dinners
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