these super tender turkey meatballs bring fall flavor to an italian classic. made with pumpkin, sage and nutmeg, they’re sure to be a hit for an easy weeknight meal this fall.
Are you a “pumpkin in everything!” person or a “enough with the pumpkin!” person?
I would say I’m somewhere in between. I love a good pumpkin recipe, but I also don’t quite understand all the hype around pumpkin spice? Like, some of the products out there are actually gross…and how come pumpkin spice and not like apple cider? You know what I mean?
Anyway, these pumpkin turkey meatballs definitely fall into the “good pumpkin recipe” category from above. There’s pumpkin, but it’s not just in there for the sake of being in there. It actually adds something to the dish.
It helps make these meatballs tender and oh-so-flavorful which in my book is definitely the mark of a good recipe!
Another plus of pumpkin? Owen absolutely loves it! So I know that I can make just about anything with it and he’ll gobble it up.
It also makes everything so moist making it great for dishes like this and baked goods. So needless to say, there’s nothing not to like about pumpkin, I just don’t quite understand why that of all the amazing fall flavors became the craze.
And with these babies, pretty much anything goes. Serve them up over pasta, a grain like couscous or just as is with some bread on the side.
Then all you need are some veggies. A few of my favorites? A leafy green or kale salad, roasted harvest veggies or cooked brown sugar butter carrots. Whatever you do, I hope you love these as much as we do!
pumpkin turkey meatballs
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 15–18 meatballs, depending on size 1x
- Category: dinner
Description
these super tender turkey meatballs bring fall flavor to an italian classic. made with pumpkin, sage and nutmeg, they’re sure to be a hit for an easy weeknight meal this fall.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 –2 tablespoon minced sage (rosemary & thyme would also work here, or a blend of each)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Olive oil
- Pumpkin pasta sauce (any pumpkin or harvest blend sauce will work – I used Whole Foods Pumpkin Cardamom sauce)
- For serving: Freshly shredded parmesan and additional minced sage
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a large mixing bowl combine turkey, pumpkin puree, panko, egg, cloves, minced sage, salt & pepper then use your hands to mix well (if you’re wearing any rings on your fingers, I recommend removing them!)
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out about 1.5 – 2 tablespoons and roll into a ball. Place onto the prepared pan and repeat until you’ve used up the entire turkey mixture.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until just browned then transfer to a non-stick skillet that has been drizzled with olive oil. Pour pasta sauce over the meatballs and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes or until sauce is warm and meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Top with freshly shredded parmesan and minced sage and serve!
Notes
- Store meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Store meatballs without the sauce in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months.
Keywords: pumpkin, turkey, meatballs, dinner
Do you think a flax egg or egg replacement would work? (Egg intolerance in my family)
I don’t see why not!
Can’t wait to try these! Is the sage fresh or dried?
Yay! I hope you love them. The sage was fresh! 🙂
Hi Cait!
Love this recipe! Wondering if it can be morphed into a meatloaf? If so, would the baking time/ temp vary? Thanks!
★★★★★
Hi Mary, I’m so glad to hear it! And hmm, that’s a good question. I’ve never tried it, but I imagine you can bake it all in a loaf pan rather than rolling individual meatballs! I would reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F, form the mixture into a loaf (you may need to add a bit more breadcrumbs if it won’t hold) and place it on baking sheet lined with parchment paper (you can also use a loaf pan). I would say you likely need to bake for 40 minutes to an hour, but the best way to tell is to buy a meat thermometer and once it reads 165 degrees F, it’s done! If you give it a try, let me know how it works out!
Hi! When you say “combine all ingredients” for the meatballs, is that everything but the pasta sauce? I look forward to trying this recipe! 😋
Yes! Sorry, I’ll go in and clarify that it doesn’t include the sauce 🙂 Hope you love it!