This is my simple and classic family recipe for slow cooker turkey meatballs in marinara sauce. They’re easy to prep, extra tender, and seasoned just right. To really lock in the flavor and moisture, I recommend quickly pan-searing the meatballs on the stove before finishing them in the slow cooker. These saucy turkey meatballs are so versatile—enjoy them in meatball sandwiches, on their own alongside a salad and cheese breadsticks, or, naturally, on top of spaghetti!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
Turkey meatballs are a satisfying, feel-good, fill-you-up kind of dish that can feed a number of people and doesn’t require much prep work. And if you appreciate the convenience of using a slow cooker for chicken and corn soup, slow cooker chicken chili, turkey chili, and honey teriyaki chicken, you’ll love it even more for these turkey meatballs.
One reader, Isabel, commented: “These were sooo good! I made them last night for my family and they were tender and filled with flavor. Will definitely make again! I also cooked these on high for 4 hours and it worked perfectly. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Jennifer, commented: “Healthy. easy. make ahead. satisfying…… SO FREAKING DELICIOUS! ★★★★★”
Tell Me About These Turkey Meatballs
- Flavor: Garlic, onion, and a little parmesan cheese together add heaps of flavor to this slow cooker dinner recipe. Add some herbs and a little salt & pepper round the flavors out. These flavor additions are pantry staples—you don’t need anything fancy here.
- Texture: By using lean ground turkey, we’re able to keep the meatballs light, moist, tender, and still full of flavor. Compared to many recipes, the meatball mixture is light on the breadcrumbs. Too much can take away from the meatball’s melt-in-your-mouth texture, so add just enough to help bind.
- Ease: This uncomplicated, unfussy meal doesn’t require much work. Besides some chopping and shaping the meatballs, there’s brief cooking on the stove, but then the slow cooker takes over, just like with these slow cooker BBQ meatballs.
These delicious turkey meatballs will get you all the compliments without all the work. It’s no surprise that it tops my 30 delicious fall dinner recipe ideas and my 40+ Super Bowl recipes.
You Need These Ingredients:
For the meatballs, use about 93% lean, 7% fat ground turkey. You could use ground beef or chicken instead, if you prefer. You also need an egg to bind the ingredients together. Breadcrumbs are another binding agent, and you can use panko, regular, whole wheat, Italian seasoned (you could make your own with homemade croutons), or even gluten free.
You also need fresh parmesan cheese, garlic, and seasonings. You’ll use garlic in the homemade marinara-style sauce, too.
Mix everything together, and then roll the mixture into balls.
Sear the Meatballs First
We can skip pan-searing when making chicken meatballs that bake in the oven, but this step is necessary for today’s recipe. Gently searing the turkey meatballs in a skillet on the stove browns the exteriors and seals in all the juicy moisture. (Flavor, flavor, flavor!) If you skip this step, the meatballs will just crumble apart in the crockpot.
This step only takes about 10–15 minutes total, and then it’s the slow cooker’s turn to take over.
Marinara Sauce for Turkey Meatballs
I like to keep the sauce simple because these flavorful turkey meatballs are the star of the show. You need some cans of crushed tomatoes, a little tomato paste for thickening the sauce, and some chopped sweet onion and seasoning for flavor.
You can use plain crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted, or the kind with basil—just avoid using reduced-salt or no-salt-added varieties. This slow cooker recipe makes a lot of sauce, which is perfect for making magnificently messy meatball subs, or if you’re serving your meatballs over spaghetti.
Layer the onion, half of the crushed tomatoes, and the tomato paste into the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the seared turkey meatballs on top, then pour the remaining crushed tomatoes over the meatballs. Add in the remaining seasonings, give it all a stir, and your work here is done! Pop that lid on and let the slow cooker do its thing.
You can cook on low for about 6–7 hours, or speed things up by cooking on high for about 4 hours.
A Helpful Make-Ahead Dinner Recipe
There are many ways to get a jump on dinner with this turkey meatballs recipe. Having company over tomorrow? Brown the meatballs as instructed and keep them in the refrigerator until the following day, then transfer them to the slow cooker. Or freeze now to enjoy during the colder months. Or cook today, then reheat tomorrow just before dinnertime.
Serve Turkey Meatballs With:
- Spaghetti & fresh green salad
- Zucchini noodles
- Homemade garlic bread
- Homemade dinner rolls
- Breadsticks
- 4-ingredient artisan bread
- Hearty rolls for meatball subs
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours, 35 minutes
- Yield: 30-34 meatballs
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is my favorite recipe for classic slow cooker turkey meatballs in a homemade marinara-style sauce. They’re easy to prep, extra tender, and seasoned just right.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lbs. (907g) 93% lean ground turkey*
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup (40g) panko breadcrumbs*
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Sauce
- 3/4 cup chopped sweet onion
- 2 28-ounce (794g each) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 6-ounce (170g) can tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (reduce to 1/4 for less heat)
- 2 bay leaves
- optional for serving: chopped basil, parsley, and/or fresh parmesan cheese
Instructions
- With a large spoon or spatula, mix together all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl until just combined—avoid overmixing.
- Scoop a portion of the mixture, about 2 Tablespoons (30–35g) in size, roll into a ball with your hands, and place on a baking sheet or large plate lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining mixture. You should have around 30–34 meatballs. Set aside.
- Grease a (4-quart or larger) slow cooker with nonstick spray (or a drizzle of olive oil). Place the onions in the slow cooker, then pour 1 can of crushed tomatoes over top of the onions. Add in the tomato paste and garlic, and stir gently to combine.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and then add in a Tablespoon of olive oil and swirl to coat. Working in batches, sear the meatballs (about 6–8 meatballs at a time, or however many fit in your skillet) for about 1 minute on each side, until browned. Place the browned meatballs in the slow cooker. Once all browned meatballs have been added to the slow cooker, pour the remaining can of crushed tomatoes on top, and add in the crushed red pepper flakes and bay leaves.
- Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6–7 hours. (You can also cook on high for about 4 hours if that works better for your day.) Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Serve warm meatballs with sauce over your choice of pasta, in a sub roll, or on their own. Top with chopped basil, parsley, or fresh parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare meatballs through the browning step; cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 2 months. Add to slow cooker along with sauce ingredients and cook as directed (no need to thaw). OR you can fully prepare 1 day in advance, refrigerate, then reheat in the slow cooker on low for 45 minutes or until warmed. Freeze cooked meatballs in sauce in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating as desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Baking Sheet | Slow Cooker (4 quarts or larger) such as this one or this one | Skillet
- No Slow Cooker? No Problem! Prepare as directed, but instead of a slow cooker, use a large pot on the stove. Simmer the browned meatballs over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are cooked through, 25–35 minutes.
- Turkey: I always use 93% lean ground turkey, but you can make these meatballs with ground beef, chicken, or pork if you prefer. If you use extra-lean turkey, the meatballs can taste a bit dry.
- Breadcrumbs: I prefer panko for texture, but you may use plain, Italian seasoned, whole-wheat, or homemade dry breadcrumbs instead. To make your own: Trim the crusts off 2 slices of stale bread. Cut or tear bread into pieces and pulse in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Spread breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F (121°C) until dry, about 12–14 minutes. This makes about 2/3 cup crumbs.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I just want to say this is my boys FAVOURITE meal, anytime I ask them what they want the answer is always meatballs! I have even prepped them in advance so we can take them camping. We have egg and dairy allergies so I have to cut out the parm cheese and instead of the egg we do ground flaxseed substitute and they turn out great every time!
Wonderful! I’ve heard of using ground flaxseed for egg but haven’t tried it here. So happy it works for your family!
This recipe is very good version of healthy meatballs .My family love it.
I made only one change,before brown raw meatballs I coated them with little regular bread crumbs ,and they came out perfect.Next time if I will be make this recipe again/soon/ i will not put onion in tomatoes sauce it is not necessary.I used fresh herbs too.I recomended this recipe already my friends.This taste good and definetly is healthy version.Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I made these meatballs yesterday!! They were so good! I didn’t have dried oregano or dried basil so I used Italian seasoning instead! Lots of flavor and I made exactly 25!
I noticed there isn’t any tomato paste or sauce. Just the two cans of crushed tomatoes right?
Hi Rin, that’s correct — there is only crushed tomatoes in this recipe.
Do I need both types of turkey?
You don’t– you can use 2 lbs of any ground turkey.
Hi Sally!
Can I prep (make and sear the meatballs) the night before and then just refrigerate and add the sauce and put in crockpot in the morning? Thanks!
Yep. That’s what I’ve done prepping them ahead of time before. Cuts down on prep time in the morning.
Made these last night for dinner and they were delicious!! I cooked them on high for 4 hours. I did not have any basil, but the canned tomatoes had basil inside. I was worried because I only had one 28oz can but it still turned out to have enough sauce. I used whole wheat bread crumbs because I did not have any panko. I also added one Serrano pepper to give it a little kick!! Then I stuffed the middle with shredded mozzarella cheese. I decided to do this because I did not have any Parmesan cheese. I will be making these again soon!! Yum!!!
Thanks for the great recipe!!
I made these tonight but with chicken mince as I didn’t have turkey on hand. They were AMAZING! Juicy, tender and the perfect balance of flavours. I didn’t alter a thing. For those wondering I didn’t have much time so cooked in the slow cooker on high for 3 hours. They turned out great. Thanks for the amazing recipe 🙂
Just wanted to say, Sally you have renewed my love for baking and cooking. I have 2 teens and two toddlers and my teens think I’ve gone nuts. Almost every day I have a Sally special recipe on the go! Everything gets gobbled up. Love love love your go to muffin recipes exc. tonight we are trying these meatballs but with extra lean ground beef. Family says mashed potatoes as a side. Has anyone every paired these meatballs with mashed taters ?
These were sooo good! I made them last night for my family and they were tender and filled with flavor. Will definitely make again! I also cooked these on high for 4 hours and it worked perfectly.
I made these for dinner tonight and was so disappointed to discover they were really bland. The problem was lack of salt. The amount of salt that the recipe calls for is inadequate for 2 lbs of meat. I realize that the grated cheese adds saltiness as well, but even so, it was very bland.
I have these in a crockpot now for a church potluck. I tasted one meatball to check for doneness and I have a few thoughts: first, I usually use my own meatball recipe but thought I’d give this a try. I followed the exact recipe except I grated the garlic rather than mince it because I think the flavor distributes a little better that way. I cooked this on high in the slow cooker and after 3 hours, they already seem done. I’ll let them go a little longer to see if they become a bit more tender. These seem extremely dry and somewhat bland. I pretty much make my meatballs the same way as these but I use ground chicken not turkey, and I add about a tablespoon of ketchup and a quarter to 1/2 cup milk and seasoned bread crumbs not panko. I also do not use any egg. Second, I like the idea of crushed tomatoes adding texture to the sauce but alone it is quite bland. I think mixing a jar of pasta sauce with the crushed tomatoes would add more flavor. In the future I will stick with my own meatball recipe but I will definitely use your slow cooker & crushed tomato ideas.
Thank you! My husband has been asking for homemade meatballs for years and was always nervous to try to make them. I decided using the slow cooker was going to make it easier on me and I was right. Super and easy and soooo flavorful! I have to go to the store and make another batch, hubby is going right through them! Thanks! These are awesome!
instead of using crushed tomatoes, can I sub for a pasta sauce to give it more flavor? or is the tomato sauce just fine with flavor?
Tomato sauce works too! I love crushed tomatoes for texture. This is a recipe that can be adapted easily to what you prefer.
Made these for a big meal with guests and it was a hit! Meatball (and spaghetti) are the ultimate comfort food and this turkey variation makes it a light treat, leaves you wanting seconds (and thirds). Also loved the idea of simply making it in the crockpot! So fun and delicious!
I forgot to ask. Would ground beef work well with these?
Definitely.
Could I add cooked spinach to this and if so how much should I add?
Definitely! I would start with a cup and add more if you’d like.
If I want to double the servings size to about 50 turkey meatballs, do I just double all the ingredients? This is my first attempt at making a meatball, as well as being a cooking novice, so I want to make sure that I am doing it right from the beginning. Thanks.
Yep! Simply double the ingredients.
I made them for my friend’s graduation party and it was a HUGE hit! I thought I would have some leftover to take home with me, after making over 50 of these turkey meatballs, but it all got devoured. I am saddened but elated. Now I need to make more for myself.
Everyone said it tasted great but I felt like it was missing something – I’m not sure what. Do you have any suggestions on another tasty herb/ingredient that I could add to this recipe to add more flavor? Also, I thought my batch of turkey meatballs were on the drier side; what should I add/do to make it more moist?
Thank you so much!!
Maxine, how about a dose of italian blend seasoning to perk up the meatballs or sauce? (I suggest McCormick)
Great recipe. I brown the meatballs in the oven. I put them on parchment paper on the cookie sheet in the oven at 475 until they were brown. Took less then 10 minutes. Easier than doing batches in a skillet.
I made these 2 nights ago and WOW they are amazing!! They are soo flavorful. I made them exactly the way the recipe states. My fiance and I have been eating them for lunch and dinner all week. One night we had them with penne pasta, the next night we had them alone with a salad, and another time we had them in a small hoagie roll. THEY ARE DELICIOUS and sooo happy they are healthy! 🙂 I was even surprised that the canned tomatoes with the onions were just as delicious. I was debating using a prepared tomato sauce in a jar but so glad I didn’t. Great recipe!! Thank you!!!
Sally,
When you sear the meatballs should they appear totally cooked before placing in the slow cooker or should they still be a little pink?
Nope– a little pink is fine. They cook fully in the cooker.
I definitely want to try these out. But I have two questions.
1. Is the tomato sauce absolutely necessary or can it be made without it?
2. After you slow cook them for 6 hours and freeze them, what is the best way to reheat it besides the microwave?
I would look for a different sauce recipe that you like– I don’t suggest cooking the meatballs in a crockpot without sauce. You may reheat frozen meatballs on the stove until heated through.
Made these on Halloween night and everyone loved them! Just wanted to say thank you! I’m going to make them again for dinner one night this week since they were suc a hit. 🙂
These will be done cooking at 3:30 and I want to serve them at 7:30- should I leave them in the crock pot set on warm for 4 hours or take them out and reheat?
set on warm until ready to serve. enjoy!
Made these yesterday and my husband could NOT stop raving about them. I served them over white rice and they were pretty darn good. Tonight will be with spaghetti.
Every recipe I’ve made from your blog has been SO DELICIOUS!
Thanks so much Sally.
R.
To anyone who is looking for a tender meatball look no further. I made this with 1lb of turkey and just 2(14oz) cans of tomatoes. It did the trick. Bonus was that my extremely finicky-eater 5 yr old actually ate this happily. 🙂 Smiles in the end!
These meatballs are so light, fluffy and delicious. What a great recipe!
I made this recipe on Monday night and served it for Tuesdays dinner. It was nice having the meatballs in sauce ready to go. They were very tasty and a healthy alternative to my veal pork and beef ones. Thanks Sally
Well Sally, I held up my end of the bargain & made this delicious recipe on Sunday & I have to say I totally loved it! I initially promised my fiance I would share some of my leftovers with him but since I likely won’t get to see him again until this Saturday we’ll have to wait & see how many are left! 😉 Haha can wait to see what other delicious crock pot recipes you have to share with us!
Unfortunately, my family isn’t a huge fan of tons of sauce… (?!!) Would it be possible to halve the amount of sauce, but still keep the rest of the recipe the same? Thanks!
The meatballs will dry out if they are not cooked while being submerged in sauce. Perhaps you can serve them without all the sauce they are cooked in.
These look absolutely delicious !
Would halving this recipe work- I only have one pound of ground turkey on hand? Would the amount of sauce matter if less meat was used?
Thanks so much!
Yep, you may halve the entire recipe and use only one 28-ounce can tomatoes.