A lighter take on classic meatballs, these turkey meatballs are tender and full of flavour. Everything cooks in one pan — the meatballs, a rich tomato ragu and courgetti (zoodles) — so there’s minimal washing up. A perfect lighter summer dinner.
I’m picky about meatballs: they must be juicy and well-seasoned with a light crust on the outside. I used to think that required frying separately or baking in the oven. Then I discovered that you can brown the meatballs and finish them in the same pan with the sauce and courgetti—saving time and reducing dishes. It’s a real time-saver for the sink-shy cook.
What do we need?
- For the meatballs: turkey thigh mince, olive oil, grated parmesan, an egg, finely chopped onion, grated wholemeal bread (or breadcrumbs), salt and black pepper. Turkey is lean and more delicate than beef, so the egg and breadcrumbs help bind and keep the meatballs tender; a little oil helps keep them juicy.
- For the tomato ragu: celery, garlic, tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, dried thyme, a little honey and chicken or vegetable stock.
- Two medium courgettes (zucchini), spiralized into courgetti.
Ingredient swaps
Swap the courgetti for other spiralized vegetables such as butternut squash, carrot or peppers. Use passata instead of tinned tomatoes if you prefer a smoother sauce, and add a spoonful or two of sriracha for a spicy kick.
How to make turkey meatballs
Full recipe quantities and step-by-step instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- In a large bowl mix turkey thigh mince, 1 tbsp olive oil, grated parmesan, an egg, half the chopped onion, grated bread (or breadcrumbs), salt and black pepper.
- Use your hands to combine and shape into walnut-sized meatballs — you should get about 20–24.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Brown the meatballs lightly on all sides — about 6–8 minutes — then push them to one side of the pan.
- In the free space, add the remaining onion, sliced celery and minced garlic. Cook for around 5 minutes until the onion softens.
- Stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, dried thyme, honey and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes to let the flavours meld.
- Add the spiralized courgetti (you can add it to one side of the pan). Gently fold into the sauce, cover with a lid or foil and cook for 3 minutes until the courgette softens but still retains some bite.
Serve the meatballs and courgetti topped with freshly grated parmesan, a twist of black pepper and chopped flat-leaf parsley.
What if you don’t like courgetti?
If courgetti isn’t for you, swap it for regular spaghetti.
Dry spaghetti:
To cook dried spaghetti in the same pan, add 600ml (about 2 1/2 cups) just-boiled water or stock to the meatballs and sauce, then submerge 200g (7oz) dried spaghetti. Simmer with the lid on for 12–13 minutes until the pasta is tender.
Cooked spaghetti:
If you’re using pre-cooked spaghetti, simply stir it through the sauce at the end instead of the courgetti. Note that swapping pasta for courgetti will change the calorie and nutrition values.
I sometimes do a mix: cook some dried spaghetti in the sauce, then add courgetti at the end for a lighter, mixed-texture dish.
More One-Pot Recipes
Here are a few other one-pot favourites to try:
- One Pot Mushroom Ragu with Pasta
- One Pot Rigatoni Alfredo with Chicken and Kale
- Sausage and Bean Casserole
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Chilli Con Carne
- Creamy Tomato Risotto with Crispy Garlic Crumbs
- One Pan English Breakfast
Watch how to make it
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One-Pot Turkey Meatballs With Courgetti
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lb) turkey thigh mince
- 3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 3 tbsp grated parmesan
- 1 medium egg
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped (use half for the meatballs)
- ½ slice wholemeal bread, grated (or 2–3 tbsp breadcrumbs)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp honey
- 120 ml (½ cup) chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 medium courgettes (zucchini), spiralized
To serve
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Black pepper
- Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the turkey mince, 1 tbsp olive oil, parmesan, egg, half the chopped onion, grated bread, salt and pepper.
- Mix with your hands and form into walnut-sized meatballs (about 20–24).
- Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a very large non-stick frying pan. Add the meatballs and brown lightly on all sides (6–8 minutes).
- Push the meatballs to one side. In the empty space, add the remaining onion, celery and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, thyme, honey and stock. Stir, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Add the spiralized courgetti, fold gently into the sauce, cover and cook for 3 minutes until the courgette softens.
- Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan, black pepper and chopped parsley.
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Make the meatballs and sauce ahead but add the courgetti only when reheating. Cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Reheat gently with a lid until piping hot, then add the courgetti and warm through.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Store the meatballs and sauce (without courgetti) in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat on low–medium until hot, then add courgetti at the end.
Scaling the recipe
Halve the ingredients to serve two. Doubling can be done but may require two pans to brown the meatballs evenly.
Slow cooker
If using a slow cooker, brown the meatballs and follow the recipe up to the point you would simmer. Transfer to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4–5 hours or high for 2–3 hours; add courgetti for the last 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 16 g |
Protein: 30 g |
Fat: 24 g |
Saturated Fat: 5 g |
Cholesterol: 138 mg |
Sodium: 548 mg |
Fiber: 3 g |
Sugar: 8 g
Nutrition information is an approximation and should be used as a guide only.
This post was first published in May 2017 and updated with new photos, tips and video.
More lighter recipes for summer
- Skinny Thai Green Curry
- Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Thai Prawns with Cauliflower Rice
- Chicken and Red Pepper Pasta
- Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Chicken with Vegetables
- Firecracker Chicken
Some links on the original site are affiliate links that help support the blog. Nutritional information is approximate; consult the original site’s terms for details.