Updated 02.17.26
I love biting into a juicy, flavorful meatball! What about you?
Turkey is a naturally lean meat, which means turkey meatballs can easily turn out dry, dense, and tough. But there’s a simple solution: ricotta cheese. It adds rich creaminess and helps create a tender, juicy texture that makes all the difference. And while marinara sauce is a classic pairing, meatballs—whether made from turkey, chicken, beef, or pork—can be served with many other sauces, like this white wine sauce. Once you master the basics of a good meatball, the possibilities open wide. Try serving them over riced cauliflower, toss them with a vibrant vegetable pasta, or pair them with couscous or whatever grains you have on hand. With a little creativity, you can turn one technique into countless delicious meals.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Ground turkey
- Ricotta cheese – adds tenderness, creaminess and flavor.
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese – keeps it gluten-free and add flavor.
- Scallions
- Egg
- Spices: garlic powder, oregano, salt & pepper
How to Make Turkey Ricotta Meatballs
Step 1 – In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Be careful not to over-mix. You’ll end up with a sticky mixture.
Step 2 – Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Using a 2 1/4″ cookie scoop and roll into balls. Place the meatballs on sheet pan, lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them. I could get 12 meatballs out of this.
Place baking sheet in an oven of 375°F. for about 8 minutes. Keep an eye on the color of the meatballs and cover them if they are getting too dark.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no reason to brown meatballs in a skillet as they will brown in the oven as well. Additionally, meatballs as tender as turkey ricotta meatballs can easily break down and crumble in the skillet. Another reason to brown and bake them in the oven is that you only have 1 thing to clean up.
Breadcrumbs help bind the meatballs, but so does Parmesan cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Furthermore, there is also egg in the turkey meatball, another ingredient that hold them together.
I would say, you don’t need any sauce, but if you want to, the are a number of great options.
1. Marinara sauce – this is the classic one.
2. Vodka sauce
3. Alfredo sauce
4. White wine sauce, see below
Key Ingredients to Make White Wine Sauce
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- White wine
- Chicken broth
- Mustard
- Chives
How to Make the White Wine Sauce
Step 1 – Melt the butter in a skillet and add the all-purpose flour. Allow this to cook for a few minutes on low-medium heat. Make sure it does not turn brown. Add the white wine and stir until well absorbed.
Step 2 – To thin the sauce, add chicken stock. Add this warm, to facilitate the absorption. Again stir until you have a smooth sauce (no lumps).
Step 3 – Add the mustard to the sauce, as well as sauce and pepper. Depending on the strength and flavor of the chicken broth you may need to add other spices.
Step 4 – At the end, add some chives to the sauce. Other herbs are possible as well, but the chives communicate well with the scallions in the turkey ricotta meatballs.
- Serve the turkey ricotta meatballs in a bowl and pour the white wine sauce over the meatballs.
Other Meatball Recipes to Try
- Spaghetti and Mini Meatballs
- Spicy Mediterranean Meatballs
- Spaghetti Squash with Mini Turkey Meatballs
Turkey Ricotta Meatballs
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
Turkey Ricotta Meatballs
- 8 ounces ground turkey
- 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- 1 scallion, finely chopped
- 1/2 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
White Wine Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1.5 teaspoon mustard
- salt & pepper
- chives, garnish
Instructions
Make the Turkey Ricotta Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine ground turkey, ricotta cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, spices, egg and scallions. Mix, but don't mix more than necessary.
- Using a small cream scoop and roll into meatballs. (NOTE 1) You can about 12 meatballs out of this recipe/
- Place meatballs on parchment paper and transfer into the oven.
- Bake for about 6-8 minutes per side or until inside temperature reaches 165°F.
Make the White Wine Sauce
- Melt the butter in a skillet and add the all-purpose flour. Allow this to cook for a few minutes on low-medium heat. Make sure it does not turn brown.
- Add the white wine and stir until well absorbed.
- To thin the sauce, add chicken stock. Add this warm, to facilitate the absorption. Again stir until you have a smooth sauce (no lumps). (NOTE 2)
- At the end, add some chives to the sauce.
- Serve the turkey ricotta meatballs in a bowl and pour the white wine sauce over the meatballs.
Notes
- This is an extremely sticky meatball mixture, so wet your hands with water before you roll the meatballs.
- It very much depend on your chicken broth whether the sauce has a nice flavor. Many store-bought chicken broths are rather tasteless, so check whether you need to season the sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.