Pesto Baked Turkey Meatballs
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This Pesto Baked Turkey Meatballs recipe makes tender, flavorful turkey meatballs with pesto sauce and mozzarella cheese that you can enjoy for a family meal or prep ahead for meals all week.
Prep these healthy turkey meatballs in less than an hour
These baked turkey meatballs are perfect for those nights when you don’t want to mess around with a bunch of different ingredients or complicated steps. You only need a few basic ingredients to make these flavorful and tender turkey meatballs.
These meatballs come together in 10 minutes and baked for 30 minutes. While they bake you have the perfect amount of time to prepare some noodles or veggies to enjoy with your healthy pesto turkey meatballs.
I promise this pesto pasta and meatballs recipe will become something your family loves! If you can’t eat them all in one sitting, these turkey pesto meatballs are perfect as leftovers for lunch.
What kitchen tools will I need to make these Pesto Baked Turkey Meatballs?
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- 10×10 square baking pan
- Liquid measuring cup
Serving suggestions
While these turkey pesto meatballs bake, I like to boil a few servings of pasta. I like to toss the pasta with a bit of basil pesto and olive oil. Then, I serve the pesto pasta with meatballs and extra parmesan cheese.
You can also make a pesto meatballs sub sandwich. Layer the turkey meatballs on a long roll and top them with extra slices of mozzarella cheese. Bake under the broiler until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.
For a delicious low carb or keto meal, serve these turkey meatballs with roasted vegetables. You can also serve them over cooked and shredded spaghetti squash.
What ingredients will I need to make these oven-baked turkey meatballs?
- Pesto – I used this homemade pesto recipe, but any store bought pesto can work!
- Ground turkey
- Egg
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Dried basil
- Mozzarella cheese
Ingredient substituions
I like to make turkey pesto meatballs, but you can always use ground chicken in place of ground turkey.
This simple pesto meatballs recipe is meant to be a twist on traditional meatballs with marinara sauce. I like to use a classic basil pesto, but you can also use a red pesto. Red pestos are made from sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil.
You can make these baked turkey meatballs dairy free by using a vegan pesto and dairy free mozzarella cheese. Both are available for purchase at Trader Joe’s.
How to make Pesto Turkey Meatballs
Step 1: Make the meatballs
First, preheat the oven to 400F. Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried basil.
Use your hands to combine the mixture thoroughly. Then, make 16 even meatballs by rolling 2 tbsp of mixture into each meatball.
Step 2: Arrange in the dish and bake
Next, spread 1/4 cup of pesto sauce in a thin layer in the bottom of a 10×10 square baking dish. Then, arrange the meatballs in the dish and top with them with the remaining 3/4 cup of pesto.
Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Step 3: Add cheese and bake again
Next, remove the baking dish from the oven and top with the mozzarella cheese. Then, return the dish to the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Allow to cool slightly and enjoy with noodles or veggies!
How long will these oven-baked pesto meatballs keep in the fridge?
Once prepared, store the meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in an oven, toasted oven or in the microwave.
Can I freeze these pesto turkey meatballs?
Yes! I find that meatballs are a food that freeze really well! To freeze this recipe I would cook for just 20 minutes without the cheese, cool completely and then freeze. When you are ready to thaw and reheat you can add some extra pesto and the mozzarella cheese to keep them tender and flavorful!
Check out these other baked meatball recipes
- Tomato Basil Meatball Soup
- Cast Iron Meatballs
- Chicken Tikka Meatballs
- Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Pesto Baked Turkey Meatballs
Baked turkey meatballs made with pesto sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 cup of pesto
- 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- In a large mixing bowl combine ground turkey, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried basil
- Use your hands to combine this mixture thoroughly
- Take 1/4 cup of the pesto and spread a thin layer along the bottom of a 10×10 square baking dish
- Form 16 meatball by taking 2 tbsp of the turkey meatball mixture for each meatball
- Arrange the 16 meatballs in the baking dish
- Pour the remaining 3/4 cup of pesto over the meatballs ensuring each one is covered
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes
- Then remove from the oven, add the mozzarella cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese melts
- Allow to cool slightly and serve with noodles or veggies!
Aleks says
Easy & delicious weeknight recipe! Used a homemade spinach/basil pesto and served it with Banza Gemelli pasta. Perfect!!
★★★★★
Madeline says
YUM! love that you made your own pesto!!
Bella says
To make this paleo I took out the cheese and added a little almond flour. These were quick, easy, and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Madeline says
YUM that sounds awesome! Thank you!
Sydney says
I accidentally used iodized salt in this recipe, so the meatballs came out a little too salty to enjoy. Definitely plan to try this recipe out again though and fix my mistakes! Would the correct salt to use be sea salt like you have linked?
Madeline says
Hi Sydney! I am sorry to hear that, but I have to say 1tsp of salt is a very small amount to make something inedible. Are you sure you did not use a full tablespoon? Perhaps it was the pesto you used? Either way I would say you can make again with a different salt or reduce to a 1/4 tsp
Caroline says
Served these with Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi and added some sundries tomatoes and it was amazing! Will definitely be in my quick week night repertoire.
★★★★★
Madeline says
ah yum!! Love those additions!!
Olivia says
This was so good! I cooked the meatballs a bit too long, but they still tasted great! I used your walnut pesto and it was delicious!
Madeline says
Thank you! So glad you tried both together!
Jess says
This was SO yummy. I wish it was less calories and fat though. Would using a light olive oil help? What other options are there to reduce calories and fat?
★★★★
Madeline says
Hi Jess, the turkey is very low fat so it would depend on what pesto you use and what cheese. You could try a low fat pesto and low fat cheese
Liz K says
Crowd pleaser!
★★★★★
Madeline says
yay! Thank you!!
Rachael says
Simple and delicious week night dinner! I added red pepper flakes to give it a little kick
★★★★★
Madeline says
amazing!! love that addition!
Mary says
What a simple and AMAZING recipe! My picky 4yo even loved it.
★★★★★
Madeline says
awesome!! so glad that its picky kid approved 🙂
mc says
Delicious and easy – thank you!
★★★★★
Madeline says
wonderful!! Thank you!
Caroline says
Wow these are DELICIOUS!!! I blended up a piece of bread and added it to the mixture to make the meatballs a little less goopy and it worked great. I think these are going to become a weekly staple for me!!
★★★★★
Madeline says
wonderful! so glad!!
Shelley says
Fantastic and actually takes only 30 minutes as advertised. I was even able to brown the other 1.5 lbs of ground turkey on the stove while these baked, so now we’ve got the leftover meatballs and taco meat for baked tacos later this week. This recipe will definitely be in the rotation in the future!
★★★★★
Madeline says
amazing!!! Love that you were able to do a little meal prep too!
Jessie says
These could not have been simpler and they were so delicious! They baked so nicely and weren’t dry at all. I love that they’re turkey instead of beef, will definitely be making these again!
★★★★★
Madeline says
wonderful!! Thank you so much!
Danielle says
Wow. This was delicious! I wanted a bit more sauce so I scraped the pesto off the bottom of the pan into a pot and added some cream and cream cheese to make a quick sauce and then I served it over spaghetti squash. Looking forward to the leftovers!
Madeline says
amazing! Thank you!
Haleigh says
Super simple and so delicious! They are a nice change up from meatballs in marinara.
★★★★★
Madeline says
wonderful!! Thank you!!
fl says
Yum!Hubby and kids said they loved it. it was a hit and as they say the best meal so far. I had to make one batch with a little tomato sauce to trick the kids there were no pesto in it. hehe. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
★★★★★
Madeline says
AW YAY! That makes me so happy!
Julie says
I liked this recipe. I had ground chicken on hand so I used that instead of ground turkey and it still turned out great. This is a combo I never would have thought to make so I’m glad for the unique idea!
★★★★★
Madeline says
So glad to hear that! Thank you!
Allison says
So yummy! I love pesto! And basic ingredients which makes it so easy to quickly whip up last minute. Thanks Madeline!!
★★★★★
Madeline says
amazing! thank you!!
Robbie says
The whole family loved these and they were easy. Perfect for leftover lunch also!
★★★★★
Madeline says
wonderful! thank you!
Caroline says
I always wanted to try making my own meatballs but felt overwhelmed by other recipes with extensive ingredients and lists. This recipe is simple and oh so delicious! Definitely will be making again!
★★★★★
Madeline says
yay!! so glad I could simplify it for you!
Corinn says
These are DELICIOUS! I used ground chicken and store bought pesto, and my family loves them. So easy to make and perfect to stick in lunches to warm up the next day! So good!
★★★★★
Madeline says
Thanks Corinn! Glad your family loves it.
Emily says
This was delicious. I added the noodles to the pan and mixed it all before topping with cheese and baking the last 5 minutes. So good
★★★★★
Susanne says
So delicious! I have made this several times! My family always asks me to make these.
★★★★★
Ellie says
Obsessed with this recipe for a quick week night meal! I served over rice with roasted veggies and it was a hit!
★★★★★
Madeline says
perfect combo! thanks Ellie!
Katie P says
A very healthy, flavorful dish! There also aren’t many ingredients, which is always a plus – most of which you probably already have in your fridge or pantry!
★★★★★
Madeline says
that’s the best part! thanks Katie!
imsen says
LOVE this meatball recipe. It’s my go-to favorite recipe for meatballs.
Easy Family Recipes
★★★★★
Madeline says
thanks so much!
Pat says
Madeline,
Thank you for the recipe! I made it last night, and my husband gave it rave reviews! But, of course, I have COSTCO’s pesto sauce, so I cheated there!
★★★★★
Madeline says
love a good store bought pesto, and love Costco! thanks Pat!
Liz p says
Yum! These were great. Made homemade pesto, then when I took it out of the oven, I mixed in gf pasta then topped it with the cheese. So good!
★★★★★
Madeline says
yum sounds great! thanks Liz!
Madi says
Delicious! My boyfriend and I loved it!
★★★★★
Madeline says
thanks Madi!
Sue says
Came out great! I added some fresh chopped spinach to the meatballs and baked them in a pan with a bunch of tomatoes. Super delicious served with pasta and a dash of balsamic.
★★★★★
Madeline says
amazing!! thank you!!
Cindy says
These were absolutely delicious! I used 3/4 of the pesto sauce and had it with broccoli, after broccoli was cooked I put some of the pesto from the baking dish on it. I will definitely make these again! Thanks for the recipe!
Madeline says
yay! so glad you enjoyed!
Stef says
Loved this recipe. I couldn’t get any turkey so I made with minced pork instead and used my homemade kale pesto. Was delicious! The meatballs held together really well too.
★★★★★
Madeline says
Yum! That sounds delicious.
Margaret Scavotto Nusbickel says
Outstanding! These are on the regular menu rotation
★★★★★
Madeline says
Great to hear!!!
Anne says
So easy to make, but so much flavor and healthy! They’ve become a regular on our meal menu!
★★★★★
Madeline says
Awesome to hear. Thanks, Anne!
Eric Weaver says
Made these meatballs last night for Dinner. They were absolutely delicious and so easy to make!!
FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Madeline says
This makes me so happy. Thanks, Eric!
Tara says
As others have said- so easy to put together. Served over Trader Joe’s dried spaghetti squash which I boiled during the last 5 min. Used Costco basil pesto. Was skeptical about only 1 egg to hold it together but the meatballs were wonderful and not dry at all. Can’t wait to try with my own pesto sauce!
★★★★★
Madeline says
Wonderful! Thanks, Tara!