These Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs are tender, juicy, and packed with Italian flavor; after simmering all day in a delicious marinara sauce. It’s the perfect recipe to put on the weekly meal plan for the busy weeknights or to feed your next football party crowd. These turkey meatballs made in a crockpot are also great for meal prep and freezer-friendly so prepare a couple of batches for easy healthy dinners!
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Whether it’s the busy back-to-school season, Sunday dinner, or I’m having people over for the game? These slow cooker turkey meatballs are my go-to recipe no matter what the occasion is.
We love meatballs around here! For more variety, check out these spinach feta meatballs, zucchini meatballs, turkey pesto meatballs, and chicken parmesan meatballs. You can make all of these recipes on the stovetop or slow cooker. See all of my healthy slow cooker recipes.
I’ve been making this slow cooker Italian meatball recipe for over a decade. I’ll share my fail-proof tips and tricks for preparing the juiciest, most flavorful crockpot turkey meatballs.
Jump to:
- Reasons You’ll Love These Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs
- Ingredients
- How to make Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
- Can I put the meatballs raw and cook them in the sauce?
- Supplies
- My Favorite Slow Cooker
- Cooking tips
- Serving suggestions
- Storage Tips
- FAQs
- More ground turkey recipes
- Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
- Did you make this recipe?
Reasons You’ll Love These Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs
- Delicious and juicy. You don’t need to worry about dry, flavorless turkey meatballs because this recipe produces a tender meatball packed with flavor. Even the biggest beef meatball lover will ask for seconds or thirds!
- Healthy. These meatballs are low fat, high protein, and can easily be made gluten-free.
- Super easy to prepare. After rolling and baking the meatballs, all you need to do is place them into the crockpot with sauce and let it do its magic.
- Cooks in the crock pot while you work. Who doesn’t want to come home to their house smelling like an Italian restaurant? It’s magical.
- Lots of variety. Enjoy these slow cooker turkey meatballs over pasta, zucchini noodles, in a sub, or wherever your imagination takes you.
- Meal prep and freezer-friendly. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can make-ahead or freeze it for a healthy dinner during the week or month. I share the different options below.
Ingredients
- Lean ground turkey. For best results, I recommend purchasing 93% lean organic ground turkey. The two brands I use more often are Wegmans Organic and Butcher Box.
- Poultry Italian sausage. You can find Italian poultry sausage in the meat section next to the other Italian sausage or go to the meat counter. Mixing in Italian poultry sausage is one of my best tips for producing one of the best-tasting meatballs. If you can’t find poultry sausage, then use ground pork. It will add some fat to the meatballs, but you can’t beat the flavor it gives.
- Unseasoned breadcrumbs. I prefer to add seasoning when making turkey meatballs, so I always purchase unseasoned breadcrumbs. You can also use unseasoned panko breadcrumbs.
- Milk, cream, or half and half. Adding milk to turkey meatballs (or any meatballs) is essential if you want juicy meatballs. I would never make a turkey meatball recipe that didn’t include it.
- Spices. A blend of onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and ground black pepper gives these turkey meatballs great flavor, and I add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy meatball. You can also use a teaspoon of homemade Italian seasoning instead of oregano and basil. Or use a blend of your favorite Italian seasonings. I mostly use dried herbs, but fresh basil and parsley are good too.
- Parmesan cheese. Use freshly grated parmesan cheese for the best flavor. You can purchase large chunks of parmesan cheese for a great price at Bj’s Wholesale, Costco, or Sam’s Club.
- Egg. This helps to bind the rest of the ingredients together.
- Worcestershire sauce. I use this secret ingredient in all ground turkey recipes to give it a meatier rich flavor. If you don’t have Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or tamari sauce is a great substitute.
- Marinara sauce. Jarred, homemade marinara sauce or any favorite homemade spaghetti sauce will work. I use about 3-cups of sauce, but it’s always good to have extra.
How to make Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
This recipe uses my baked turkey meatball recipe. However, you can cook any turkey meatball recipe in the slow cooker so use your favorite.
- Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.
- Make the turkey meatball mixture. Add the ground turkey, Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, and seasonings to a large bowl.
- Gently mix until all ingredients are combined.
- Place foil or parchment paper on a large-rimmed baking sheet. I like to give it a quick spray with cooking spray, so the meatballs don’t stick. You can use an oiled or sprayed baking sheet if you don’t have foil or parchment paper.
- Use a medium scoop or ice cream scoop to portion out the meat mixture. Roll each portion into a ball and place it on the baking sheet. Continue with the remaining meatball mixture. You’ll end up with about 20 – 24 meatballs. The meatball mixture is on the wet side, so it’s helpful to have a small cup of water available as you roll the meatballs.
- Bake meatballs for 20 minutes.
- Place the meatballs into the bottom of the slow cooker insert and then pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs. Gently stir until the sauce coats the meatballs.
- Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Can I put the meatballs raw and cook them in the sauce?
Yes, you can cook the meatballs raw in the sauce, and many slow cooker turkey meatball recipes call for that method. I’ve made this recipe with cooked and uncooked meatballs, and I prefer to bake the turkey meatballs before cooking them in the sauce.
Here’s why.
- Ground turkey is mushier than ground beef making it more likely to fall apart when cooked raw in the sauce. And some brands of ground turkey are mushier than others, so it’s hard to say which ones would hold up better. It also produces a super soft meatball that can fall apart.
- Baking the turkey meatballs in the oven allows them time to firm up, which keeps the meatball together as it cooks in the sauce. It also browns the meatball giving it more flavor. Cooking the meatballs raw essentially boils them in the sauce, which doesn’t produce the same taste.
If you choose to put raw meatballs in the sauce, start by pouring the sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Place the meatballs on top of the sauce and then gently spoon the sauce over the meatballs. Continue with the recipe.
Supplies
- Large mixing bowl
- Large-rimmed baking sheet
- Medium scoop
My Favorite Slow Cooker
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Cooking tips
- I’ve often had this recipe cook for 5 hours and then switch over to the warm setting for another 1-2 hours while I work, and it still results in a juicy turkey meatball. So this slow cooker recipe is a great way to use during the work week.
- Any marinara or spaghetti sauce will work. If I have this easy marinara sauce or arrabiata sauce in the refrigerator or freezer, I will use that. However, I often use jarred sauce – my favorites are Rao’s marinara, Wegmans Marinara Sauce, and Thrive Market Sicilian Gravy.
- You can swap ground beef 1:1 for the turkey if you want a beef meatball. Or swap in ground chicken to keep the meatballs low fat.
- To make gluten-free meatballs, swap the bread crumbs for GF breadcrumbs. My favorite is Schar, and you can also use gluten-free quick oats or almond flour.
- Dried onion powder and garlic powder give the turkey meatballs a nice flavor that keeps during the long cooking time in the slow cooker. But if you prefer fresh onion and garlic to the meatballs, use about ¼ cup of finely chopped white onion and two cloves of minced garlic. My mom has always made it with dried spices, so that’s what I continue to use.
Serving suggestions
These slow cooker Italian meatballs are so versatile, and here are our favorite ways to serve them.
Over pasta. Of course, who doesn’t love classic spaghetti and meatballs? When you get home, all you have to do is cook up your favorite pasta. You can also serve a salad or a vegetable like roasted broccoli or asparagus to round out this dinner. If this is a Sunday dinner, I’ll make a classic caesar salad and a side of this gluten-free garlic bread or crusty bread.
In meatball subs or sandwiches. During the school year, turkey subs are our jam! It takes me about 10 minutes to assemble the Italian meatballs into a hot dog or hoagie roll, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top, and broil until the cheese melts.
On pizza. Slice up the meatballs and enjoy on your favorite pizza crust.
With veggies. If we want a low-carb option, I’ll swap in zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash for the pasta.
Storage Tips
For the week. After the meatballs cook, place them in an airtight container, and refrigerate them for four days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also assemble the ingredients into the slow cooker, cover, and store in the fridge to make the next day or early in the week. On cooking day, continue with the recipe.
For the freezer. You can freeze these slow cooker meatballs in a couple of ways. First, you can assemble the ingredients into a freezer bag and store them in the freezer to make later on.
On cooking day, you can remove the frozen meatballs and sauce from the bag and place them directly into the slow cooker; it will most likely need a longer cooking time.
Or you can set the frozen bag in the refrigerator the night before to thaw. In the morning, place the sauce and meatballs into the slow cooker and continue with the recipe.
FAQs
You don’t have to, but I highly recommend you do. Taking the time to do so will create more flavor and firm up the meatballs, which will help to keep them from falling apart. This slow cooker turkey meatball recipe shows you how to bake the meatballs first.
Using eggs and breadcrumbs as a binder will help keep the meatballs from falling apart as they cook. Also, baking the meatballs first strengthens the texture and seals in the juices, providing more flavor.
The cooking time for these turkey meatballs is between 4-6 hours. However, I’ve let the meatballs cook for up to 8 hours without problems. If I’m going to be out of the house all day, I’ll set the cooking time for 5 hours; then, it will set to the warm setting afterward. Of course, this will only work with a programmable slow cooker that automatically sets to the warm setting after the recipe cooks.
More ground turkey recipes
See all of my healthy ground turkey recipes.
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- large rimmed baking sheet
- Medium cookie scoop
- 5 1/2 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1/2 lb poultry Italian sausage casings removed if use links
- 1/4 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk, cream, or half and half
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese can also use Romano Cheese
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 24-ounce jarred marinara sauce about 3 cups of homemade sauce
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.
- Make the turkey meatball mixture. Add the ground turkey, Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, and seasonings to a large bowl.
- Gently mix until all ingredients are combined.
- Place foil or parchment paper on a large-rimmed baking sheet. I like to give it a quick spray with cooking spray, so the meatballs don't stick. You can use an oiled or sprayed baking sheet if you don't have foil or parchment paper.
- Use a medium scoop or ice cream scoop to portion out the meat mixture. Roll each portion into a ball and place it on the baking sheet.
- Continue with the remaining meatball mixture. You'll end up with about 20 – 24 meatballs. The meatball mixture is on the wet side, so it's helpful to have a small cup of water available as you roll the meatballs.
- Bake meatballs for 20 minutes.
- Place the meatballs into the bottom of the slow cooker insert and then pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs.
- Gently stir until the sauce coats the meatballs.
- Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Have you tried this Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs recipe yet? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it.
Shirley says
Made this for a birthday party and they were such a hit! Everyone loved them and couldn’t believe there was no beef.
Tammy Overhoff says
Yay!! Yes everyone always loves these meatballs!
Jessica Grant says
We loved these meatballs! I paired them with spaghettini noodles mixed with noodles and my young children (super picky eaters) devoured them.
Tammy Overhoff says
Yay! We love these meatballs too. I make them 1-2 times a month. So happy your kiddos loved them!
Shelli says
This has become a regular on my meal plan! From the time I leave in the morning until I’m home at night, it’s almost 10 hours, so I use my crockpot timer a LOT. The first time I made them (I use turkey), they tasted a little burnt. So, when I made them the next time, I made the meatballs the night before and froze them so they were frozen when I put them in the crockpot in the morning. It solved the problem and they were great! They’re even approved by my picky 4-year-old!
Kina says
I totally planned on doing these in the crockpot but waited too late in the day to get started so I did them in the skillet. The whole family enjoyed them! Thanks for a great recipe.
Laura says
Any sense what happens if you double this? Is it ok if the meatballs don’t all lie on crockpot bottom?
Great recipe!
Cyndi says
Anyone want to wager a guess if this will work with a LARGE crock pot FULL to the brim with meatballs? I’m cooking for a parent event and want to plug this in and forget about it during school.
Susan says
Oh my goodness! I made these meatballs with ground turkey (it’s what I had on hand), and they were so good and moist. Everyone devoured them and had no idea they were eating turkey meatballs. Thanks for another hit recipe for my family!
Di says
How many points for just the 3 meatballs, no bread? Thank you! Love your recipes!!
Lori says
Can’t wait to try this, but I am confused about the bread crumbs. It says unseasoned Italian bread crumbs…are you supposed to use the plain unseasoned ones or the Italian seasoned ones?
Tammy Kresge says
I use plain but you can use either.
Sami says
Love you blog all in all 🙂 and would love to try these too. Am however gluten intolerant. What do you suggests replacing the bread and crumbs with?
Kristen says
I never make comments on any blogs I use. However, these meatballs were some of the best meatballs I have ever had. My almost 1 year old has not been eating meat for me lately and he LOVED them! I didn’t use them for a sub – but for pasta with meatballs and sauce. I used them for after the Buffalo Bills game today!! It was the perfect recipe! Thank you so very much!!!
Tammy Kresge says
So glad you like them. I agree they are soooo tasty! Love that you are from Buffalo. Me too! GO BILLS!