Easy to make with only a few ingredients, these turkey pesto meatballs are the perfect quick dinner solution.
Pesto combines fresh basil with olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and fresh parmesan cheese. Easy to make at home, especially during the summer when fresh basil is available. Sadly, my basil plants haven’t been particularly abundant, so I use jarred pesto.
Ingredients
Ground Turkey: I use lean ground turkey. The pesto will give the meatballs plenty of moisture thanks to the olive oil. Ground chicken is also an excellent choice for meatballs.
Panko Bread Crumbs: Gives the meatballs structure and keeps them light and tender.
Pesto: Gives the meatballs incredibly flavor.
Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Adds more great flavor.
Instructions
Start by preheating your oven. Preparing the meatball is so easy. Simply add ground turkey, pesto, bread crumbs, and pepper to a small bowl. Stir until combined. You will still see bits of the green pesto within the ground turkey.
Next, form the meatballs. Scoop the mixture into balls using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon. Place on a prepared baking sheet or pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. The meatballs with be somewhat browned and feel firm.
I have been serving turkey pesto meatballs as a stand-alone main entrée as they are so delicious just as they are. But I have no doubt they would be incredible in marinara sauce over pasta. Pesto and pasta are a great combination.
Turkey-Pesto Meatballs
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground turkey
- ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp basil pesto
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400℉. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. For easy clean-up, line with foil and lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until well combined. Shape mixture into 8-10 meatballs; place in baking sheet.
- Bake 20-23 minutes until cooked through.
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