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Pesto Baked Turkey Meatballs

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By: MadelinePosted: 04/26/2020Updated: 01/01/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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.

Above view of cooked pesto meatballs in a baking dish

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.

Three quarter view of a wooden spoon scooping turkey pesto meatballs out of the baking dish

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.

Three quarter view of pesto meatballs on a bowl of pasta

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.

Above view of turkey pesto meatballs in the casserole pan and serving bowl

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!

Above view of a wooden spoon in a casserole dish of pesto meatballs

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!

Image for Pinning Pesto Baked Turkey Meatballs recipe on Pinterest
Above view of turkey pesto meatballs in a baking dish
Recipe

Pesto Baked Turkey Meatballs

★★★★★ 5 from 31 reviews

Baked turkey meatballs made with pesto sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Recipe By: Madeline
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 40 minutes
Print Pin it Rate recipe Save recipe
Servings: 4 servings 1x

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

  1. Preheat oven to 400F
  2. In a large mixing bowl combine ground turkey, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried basil
  3. Use your hands to combine this mixture thoroughly
  4. Take 1/4 cup of the pesto and spread a thin layer along the bottom of a 10×10 square baking dish
  5. Form 16 meatball by taking 2 tbsp of the turkey meatball mixture for each meatball
  6. Arrange the 16 meatballs in the baking dish
  7. Pour the remaining 3/4 cup of pesto over the meatballs ensuring each one is covered
  8. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes
  9. Then remove from the oven, add the mozzarella cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese melts
  10. Allow to cool slightly and serve with noodles or veggies!
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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About Madeline

Hi, I'm Madeline! I am so excited to share my healthy and approachable recipes with you. Here you will find simple, comforting recipes that the whole family will enjoy. Turn on your favorite playlist or podcast and let's get cooking!

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Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Aleks says

    Posted on 5/1 at 6:22 pm

    Easy & delicious weeknight recipe! Used a homemade spinach/basil pesto and served it with Banza Gemelli pasta. Perfect!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 5/3 at 9:33 am

      YUM! love that you made your own pesto!!

      Reply
  2. Bella says

    Posted on 5/3 at 9:03 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 5/4 at 2:23 pm

      YUM that sounds awesome! Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Sydney says

    Posted on 5/11 at 10:54 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 5/11 at 11:06 am

      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

      Reply
  4. Caroline says

    Posted on 6/17 at 8:14 am

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 6/18 at 11:10 am

      ah yum!! Love those additions!!

      Reply
  5. Olivia says

    Posted on 7/9 at 6:52 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/11 at 4:59 pm

      Thank you! So glad you tried both together!

      Reply
  6. Jess says

    Posted on 7/21 at 9:52 pm

    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?

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/21 at 10:14 pm

      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

      Reply
  7. Liz K says

    Posted on 12/27 at 12:20 pm

    Crowd pleaser!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 12/27 at 6:08 pm

      yay! Thank you!!

      Reply
  8. Rachael says

    Posted on 12/28 at 11:38 pm

    Simple and delicious week night dinner! I added red pepper flakes to give it a little kick

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 12/30 at 10:50 pm

      amazing!! love that addition!

      Reply
  9. Mary says

    Posted on 1/3 at 7:29 pm

    What a simple and AMAZING recipe! My picky 4yo even loved it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/4 at 3:49 pm

      awesome!! so glad that its picky kid approved 🙂

      Reply
  10. mc says

    Posted on 1/9 at 1:39 pm

    Delicious and easy – thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/11 at 10:14 pm

      wonderful!! Thank you!

      Reply
  11. Caroline says

    Posted on 1/10 at 4:47 pm

    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!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/11 at 10:10 pm

      wonderful! so glad!!

      Reply
  12. Shelley says

    Posted on 1/12 at 8:45 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/14 at 4:35 pm

      amazing!!! Love that you were able to do a little meal prep too!

      Reply
  13. Jessie says

    Posted on 1/17 at 7:12 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/18 at 12:39 pm

      wonderful!! Thank you so much!

      Reply
  14. Danielle says

    Posted on 1/20 at 12:18 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/21 at 9:25 am

      amazing! Thank you!

      Reply
  15. Haleigh says

    Posted on 2/3 at 11:24 am

    Super simple and so delicious! They are a nice change up from meatballs in marinara.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 2/3 at 11:51 am

      wonderful!! Thank you!!

      Reply
  16. fl says

    Posted on 3/18 at 10:52 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 3/25 at 3:56 pm

      AW YAY! That makes me so happy!

      Reply
  17. Julie says

    Posted on 5/19 at 12:05 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 6/1 at 10:47 am

      So glad to hear that! Thank you!

      Reply
  18. Allison says

    Posted on 5/23 at 9:17 pm

    So yummy! I love pesto! And basic ingredients which makes it so easy to quickly whip up last minute. Thanks Madeline!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 6/1 at 10:45 am

      amazing! thank you!!

      Reply
  19. Robbie says

    Posted on 6/26 at 6:49 pm

    The whole family loved these and they were easy. Perfect for leftover lunch also!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/1 at 9:33 am

      wonderful! thank you!

      Reply
  20. Caroline says

    Posted on 7/20 at 5:49 am

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/25 at 8:21 pm

      yay!! so glad I could simplify it for you!

      Reply
  21. Corinn says

    Posted on 9/25 at 12:45 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 9/27 at 5:53 pm

      Thanks Corinn! Glad your family loves it.

      Reply
  22. Emily says

    Posted on 10/17 at 9:11 pm

    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

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  23. Susanne says

    Posted on 12/2 at 11:21 am

    So delicious! I have made this several times! My family always asks me to make these.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  24. Ellie says

    Posted on 12/7 at 2:16 pm

    Obsessed with this recipe for a quick week night meal! I served over rice with roasted veggies and it was a hit!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 12/8 at 12:42 pm

      perfect combo! thanks Ellie!

      Reply
  25. Katie P says

    Posted on 1/10 at 7:54 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/11 at 2:59 pm

      that’s the best part! thanks Katie!

      Reply
  26. imsen says

    Posted on 1/31 at 10:08 am

    LOVE this meatball recipe. It’s my go-to favorite recipe for meatballs.

    Easy Family Recipes

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 2/1 at 12:14 pm

      thanks so much!

      Reply
  27. Pat says

    Posted on 2/9 at 2:03 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 2/10 at 11:32 am

      love a good store bought pesto, and love Costco! thanks Pat!

      Reply
  28. Liz p says

    Posted on 2/20 at 8:10 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 2/21 at 2:03 pm

      yum sounds great! thanks Liz!

      Reply
  29. Madi says

    Posted on 5/4 at 7:43 pm

    Delicious! My boyfriend and I loved it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 5/5 at 2:55 pm

      thanks Madi!

      Reply
  30. Sue says

    Posted on 7/11 at 9:12 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/14 at 4:52 pm

      amazing!! thank you!!

      Reply
  31. Cindy says

    Posted on 10/28 at 9:32 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 10/29 at 2:29 pm

      yay! so glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  32. Stef says

    Posted on 1/3 at 1:44 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/3 at 1:53 pm

      Yum! That sounds delicious.

      Reply
  33. Margaret Scavotto Nusbickel says

    Posted on 4/15 at 5:35 pm

    Outstanding! These are on the regular menu rotation

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 4/16 at 10:39 am

      Great to hear!!!

      Reply
  34. Anne says

    Posted on 4/16 at 7:31 pm

    So easy to make, but so much flavor and healthy! They’ve become a regular on our meal menu!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 4/17 at 7:39 am

      Awesome to hear. Thanks, Anne!

      Reply
  35. Eric Weaver says

    Posted on 4/18 at 10:10 am

    Made these meatballs last night for Dinner. They were absolutely delicious and so easy to make!!

    FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 4/18 at 8:56 pm

      This makes me so happy. Thanks, Eric!

      Reply
  36. Tara says

    Posted on 4/23 at 4:19 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 4/23 at 5:56 pm

      Wonderful! Thanks, Tara!

      Reply

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