Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs
Try something new for pasta night with these mozzarella-stuffed turkey meatballs. With minimal effort, you can turn an everyday dinner into something special that your family will love.
These stuffed meatballs are like a dress with pockets. At first, your family will think, “Wow, these meatballs look so good. Are they really turkey?”
Then they’ll take a bite of the juicy meatball and discover the melted mozzarella hidden inside. 😲
Ingredient & Substitutions
Ground Turkey: 94% lean ground turkey makes juicy, flavorful meatballs, but 99% lean ground turkey will work as well.
Mozzarella Balls: Small pearl-sized mozzarella balls work best for stuffing the meatballs. If you can’t find them, you can cut a regular-sized mozzarella ball into approximately ½-inch cubes.
Olive Oil: You only need enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of your pan and prevent the meatballs from sticking while searing. Any excess oil can be drained before adding the marinara sauce and baking.
How to Make Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Meatballs
1. Mix: In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together with your hands until well combined.
2. Stuff: Divide the mixture and form 16 meatballs. Make a small well in the center of each meatball, place two mozzarella balls inside, and carefully reshape the meat around the cheese. Make sure the mozzarella is completely enclosed.
3. Sear: Add enough olive oil to a large oven-safe skillet to coat the bottom. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the meatballs. Cook until browned, then flip and brown the other side.
4. Prepare: Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate and carefully drain any excess oil from the skillet. Pour the marinara sauce into the skillet and arrange the meatballs in the sauce.
5. Bake: Place the skillet in a 350°F oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked.
Tip
An oven-safe skillet, such as a cast-iron skillet, makes this recipe especially easy because you can sear and bake the meatballs in the same pan. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, sear the meatballs in a regular skillet and then transfer them to a casserole dish with the marinara sauce before baking.
Sides
These mozzarella-stuffed turkey meatballs are versatile and can be served with different sides depending on what you’re in the mood for. Keep things simple with a Caesar salad, or serve them with your favorite pasta for a hearty dinner.
Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 0.67 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 64 mozzarella pearl balls
- 4-8 tablespoon olive oil
- 22-24 oz of your favorite marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, Parmesan, panko, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper with your hands.
- Form 16 meatballs, about the size of a golf ball. Make a well in the center of the meatballs, place two mozzarella balls in the middle, and reform the meatball. Make sure the mozzarella is completely covered.
- Add enough olive oil to a large oven-safe skillet to coat the bottom. Heat the oil over medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until brown, then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes or until brown.
- Transfer the meatballs to a plate and drain the excess oil from the skillet. Add marinara sauce to the skillet, then nestle the meatballs into the sauce.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve immediately with pasta or a salad.
