Turkey & Herb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Light, herb-packed turkey meatballs simmered in a rich, slow-cooked tomato sauce. All poultry, no mammalian meat — a comforting, crowd-feeding Alpha-Gal-safe staple that works over pasta, polenta, or on its own.

What You Need

• For the meatballs:
• 1½ lbs ground turkey
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs (or rolled oats for gluten-free)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for browning)
• For the sauce:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans (28 oz each) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp dried chili flakes
• 6 fresh basil leaves

Method

1. Combine all meatball ingredients except the olive oil. Mix gently with your hands — overworking makes them tough. Roll into balls about 1½ inches across.
2. Heat olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high. Brown the meatballs in batches on all sides (about 6 minutes total). They do not need to be cooked through — just browned. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and chili flakes. Stir to combine, breaking up tomatoes.
5. Nestle the browned meatballs into the sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Cover and cook on low heat for 25–30 minutes, turning meatballs once halfway through.
7. Tear basil leaves into the sauce and taste for seasoning before serving.

Tips & Notes

• Ground turkey is leaner than beef — do not skip the egg and breadcrumbs, they keep the meatballs tender.
• The meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce — browning is purely for flavour and texture.
• Make a double batch and freeze the extras in sauce. They reheat perfectly.
• Alpha-Gal note: turkey, eggs, olive oil, and all the listed ingredients are fully safe. Check that breadcrumbs contain no lard or mammalian-derived additives.

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