Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs in Marinara
Full of fresh herbs like basil, and slow simmered in a simple marinara sauce, this slow cooker turkey meatballs recipe is packed with protein and veggies, and made without breadcrumbs or eggs. Plus, there’s no pre-cooking, so it’s super easy to prep and the meatballs come out juicy and will truly melt-in-your-mouth.
5 star review
“This recipe is so flavorful and easy to make! I have made it several times now and my family loves it. The meatballs turn out so juicy and tender which has not been the case for me with turkey meatballs. So easy to make the meatballs a day ahead, then pour in the marinara sauce right before setting the crockpot. The aroma in your house will make your family think dinner came from a chef!”
– Tina
Turkey Meatballs in the Crockpot Just Got Easier!
I absolutely love meatballs, whether they are for a hearty Sunday night dinner, a celebratory game day, or just as a high-protein slow cooker recipe that can be prepped ahead and used throughout the week. Especially when it’s an easy dump and go slow cooker recipe like this one, that doesn’t require any browning.
For this easy prep wonder, I wanted to create a nourishing take on ground turkey meatballs without using breadcrumbs or eggs, and so used both spinach and basil for tons of green goodness. But trust me, even with these omissions, no one will notice because they are so darn delicious and taste just like a classic Italian meatball, especially when slow simmered in marinara sauce.
Perfect Juicy Turkey Meatballs in the Slow Cooker (without Pre-Cooking!)
One of the tricks to keeping these meatballs juicy (not to mention wholesome) is the addition of the fresh spinach and basil, as well as the grated onion. To keep prep to a minimum, I also wanted to skip the browning or baking step for the meatballs. While browning can add a bit more flavor, to me it’s just not worth the time and dirty dishes — we love easy clean up around here. So, for easy prep, this method skips the browning and baking process, and instead adds the meatballs directly to the crockpot, making it a fantastic dump and go slow cooker recipe for busy weeknights!
This recipe makes approximately 24-28 small meatballs, which serves about 6 people, especially when served over 1 pound cooked pasta. I was able to fit 26 meatballs into one layer using the 1.6 cookie scoop, plus 4 extra, which I layered on top–but your yield will depend on the size you make the meatballs. Keep in mind that depending on the grinding method, ground turkey can be sticky and won’t always roll the way ground beef does. I recommend using a small cookie scoop if you’re having trouble rolling the meatballs, or wet your hands in between rolling.
Prep Tip
Be sure to follow the instructions for best results, and don’t stir the meatballs once they are in the slow cooker!
Serving, Storing & Freezing
Serve the crockpot turkey meatballs on top of cooked pasta, spaghetti squash or zoodles. Or, create a hearty dinner bowl with roasted veggies & a grain base like rice, quinoa or creamy polenta. Some of my favorites are red pepper flakes, more fresh basil, and Parmesan (traditional or dairy-free). These ground turkey crock pot meatballs can easily be made ahead, making it perfect for meal prep and busy weeks, or anytime you need to feed a crowd quickly & easily. Just fully cook the meatballs, then store along with the sauce in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container. This recipe also freezes well, store in a sealed freezer friendly container or zip-top bag for up to 2-3 months.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Onion: Don’t skip grating the onion! Grating it (just as you would cheese) allows the onion to release much-needed moisture and allows it to dissolve into the meat as it cooks.
- Dairy-Free Option: Use nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavor without containing any dairy. Find it on the bulk aisle of your natural foods store, or in the baking section. It adds an essential “cheesy” flavor to the recipe without added dairy.
- Ground turkey: 93% lean works best, but a leaner option can also be used.
- Spinach and basil: Adds moisture and flavor.
- Marinara sauce: I love using my simple homemade marinara sauce in this recipe, but a good quality store-bought option will work well, too.
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoWhole30
Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs in Marinara (No Egg)
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ lb 93% lean ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 (24-oz) jar marinara sauce
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop (optional)
Instructions
- Grate the onion using the large holes of a box grater over a large bowl. You should end up with about ¼ cup.
- Chop the spinach and basil finely into very small pieces. Alternatively you can add the onion, basil, and spinach to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.
- To the same bowl, add the parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt, stirring to combine. Add the turkey and stir again, until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add the olive oil to the base of a 6-quart slow cooker, spreading it around until the bottom is well coated.
- Using a small, 1.6-inch cookie scoop, scoop the turkey mixture into a single layer into the base of the slow cooker. Gentle scoop any remaining mixture on top, creating a second layer. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can use a large soup spoon instead. You can also roll the ground turkey mixture into balls by hand, but it it's too sticky, use the scoop or spoon method.
- Pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs. Do not stir.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for5-6 or until the meatballs are cooked through and tender. Uncover and gently stir to separate the meatballs.
- Serve over pasta, spaghetti squash, or with crusty bread, topped with fresh basil, parmesan (traditional or dairy-free), and red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
- For a dairy-free version, omit the parmesan and substitute 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast.
- Serve the meatballs with 1 pound cooked pasta, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and parmesan, if desired.
- For more recipe notes & ingredient modifications, see the blog post above.
Delicious! Have made them twice now and love these.
Dawn, yay, so happy to hear you’re enjoying this one! It’s on of our family favorites, too! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
This was delicious and will be my go-to turkey meatball recipe going forward! I love how you use the slow cooker. I’ve never cooked with nutritional yeast and I can say it gives you the cheesy flavor without adding actual cheese. It doesn’t take long to prep nor is it over complicated.
Whitney, thanks for your kind words and notes on nutritional yeast, I bet that will help someone else considering whether to give it a try, too. Cheers!
So easy to make and very tasty!
This recipe will become a regular on busy week nights!
Thanks Robyn! 🤗
Yay, so glad you enjoyed this one, Genevieve, thanks so much for leaving a review!
I didn’t have any trouble forming the meatballs by hand- Loved it and plan to share !!!
Great to hear this, Erin! The consistency of ground turkey can differ quite a bit, so great to know yours rolled easily. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Made these tonight and they were amazing. I got the best shape by using a cookie scoop into my hand and then setting them in the pot. Will be making these again
Randy, yay, so happy to hear this one was a hit for you, and agree that the scoop then roll method might be the best way to go. Thanks for the tip and for leaving a review!
Making these for a crowd tomorrow. It’s our go-to recipe. We love them. Can I double the recipe and still use one large crockpot?
Andrea, yes, you should be able to double the recipe, just stack the meatballs on top of one another, then add the sauce on top. You may need to add an additional 30 minutes because the slow cooker may take longer to come to temp since there’s more in it. I hope it’s a hit!
Mine are super green. Is that normal? I think maybe I put too much Spinach and basil (I didn’t measure). Is there anything I can do to fix it this dish? It’s currently cooking. Please help 😔
Jocelyn, I hope these turned out for you even with the additional spinach and basil. I’d definitely recommend measuring next time to be sure the meatballs hold together and don’t give off too much liquid. Hopefully they were still tasty!
I was skeptical about the recipe and how good they looked in the pictures. Definitely proven wrong. These were amazing, cannot recommend them enough! 11/10!
Beth, yay, so happy they were a hit for you! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
Very good. I found that mine turned out too soft for me. Family said it was the best I’ve made though. 10/10
Abby, yay, happy to hear this was a hit with the family, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
I didn’t have time to do the slow cooker, so I followed the recipe as written but then baked them at 400 for 15 minutes and then threw them in a pan to simmer in sauce for a few minutes and they were perfect! My young kids also loved them! I’ll be adding these to the rotation.
Fantastic, Jillian, great to hear this one was a hit and great tip on baking these meatballs instead of slow cooking. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
5 enthusiastic stars! My family loves this recipe and requests it all the time! Quick question—I’ve always made them with turkey, but can I substitute 90/10 beef? Thanks so much for all your delicious and healthy recipes! So happy to be a part of your fan club!
MK, I’m so happy to have you as part of the fan club!! Yes, this recipe would work beautifully with ground beef, and I think a leaner option like 90/10 will work the best to avoid a greasy sauce. Bonus, the ground beef is even easier to roll than the turkey. Thanks for leaving a review!
They were just as delicious with the 90/10 beef! And so easy to make! Thanks for keeping my family happy, full, and healthy!
MK, wonderful to hear, and thanks for reporting back!
This recipe is so flavorful and easy to make! I have made it several times now and my family loves it. The meatballs turn out so juicy and tender which has not been the case for me with turkey meatballs. So easy to make the meatballs a day ahead, then pour in the marinara sauce right before setting the crockpot. The aroma in your house will make your family think dinner came from a chef!
Tina, I love the idea of making the meatballs a day ahead to make things easier – thanks for sharing that tip and for leaving a reivew!
I don’t have any fresh basil and was looking to make this tomorrow. Would you say up the spinach and add dried basil for flavor?
Elizabeth, yes, that should work. Or fresh parsley is a great swap for the fresh basil in this one as well. You just want to make sure you get the moisture from the fresh greens. Hope it’s a hit!