Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs
Updated Nov. 20, 2022
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound ground turkey
- ½cup whole-milk ricotta
- ⅓cup finely grated Parmesan
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes or black pepper
- 1garlic clove, finely grated
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1½tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or grapeseed), plus more for your hands
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
- 2sage sprigs, 1 rosemary sprig or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
For the Meatballs
For the Herb-butter Sauce
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
392 calories; 29 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 409 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium bowl, mix together the turkey, ricotta, Parmesan, red-pepper flakes, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Using oiled hands, roll into 12 meatballs, a heaping 2 tablespoons each.
- Step 2
In a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, heat the oil over medium. Add the meatballs and cook until browned on two sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side, lowering the heat as necessary if the meatballs are getting too dark.
- Step 3
Add the butter, sage and garlic. As the butter melts, tilt the skillet and baste the meatballs by spooning the butter over them. Flip the meatballs every so often and continue to baste until the butter is browned and nutty and the meatballs are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Eat the meatballs with the butter spooned over top.
- You can also broil the meatballs in a greased, oven-safe skillet for 8 to 12 minutes, or roast at 425 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, until browned on one side and nearly cooked through. Continue with step 3 on the stovetop.
Private Notes
Comments
There is a similar version of Julie Tirschen's turkey ricotta meatballs where you bake them--much easier to make sure they are fully cooked through. I think it's about 25 min in a 425 oven.
Easy and delicious meatballs. The leftovers made for a hearty chicken broth based soup. I sauteed an onion with sliced carrots and celery, added garlic then deglazed the pan with chicken stock. Add the meatballs and simmer until cooked through (or warmed up). Add spinach and parm at the end. You can add pasta or orzo to it as well. It's very hearty and yummy.
Ricotta is an expensive ingredient to put in something where you will never taste it. Agree on the creaminess it provides but this can just as easily be achieved with ordinary cottage cheese, which you can smooth into a more ricotta-like consistency with a potato masher.
Appreciate the reader comments. I used them. Used ground pork, lemon zest and parsley in addition to recipe. Browned in olive oil then put in oven. Deglazed pan with vodka then made herb butter sauce. Returned meatballs to pan then added el dente pappardelle to mix all together. Snow pea pods as a side.
Followed others suggestions here and used cottage cheese instead of ricotta and baked 425 for 25 minutes! So delicious and the kids gobbled them up. Will make again.
The meatballs were tasty but they didn’t hold. So I baked them instead but they then became dry. The consistency reminds me of Sue Li’s Lion’s Head Meatballs, which are delicious and delicate. Check out her technique before making these!