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Turkey Spinach Meatballs

July 15, 2025 by Kathryn Pauline Leave a Comment

turkey spinach meatballs

Turkey spinach meatballs can be a little hit or miss. Sometimes they’re dry. Sometimes they’re dense. And sometimes they’re… well, just kind of bland. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

With a few tiny adjustments, turkey spinach meatballs can be tender, juicy, and packed with flavor, without requiring a ton of effort. Whether you’re serving them with pasta, piling them into sandwiches, or adding them to a soup, this recipe has your back.

Jump to the recipe to start cooking or read on for tips for success + ways to incorporate them into a meal.

turkey spinach meatballs
cheesy meatball bake

Tips for turkey spinach meatball success

Making tender, flavorful turkey spinach meatballs doesn’t require wizardry. Just a few small, smart tweaks. Here are my three go-to tips for turkey meatball greatness:

1. Salt the outside, not the inside.

It might feel counterintuitive, but skip mixing salt directly into the meat. It has nothing to do with flavor—it’s all about the texture. Salting the outside keeps them tender and prevents that dense, rubbery texture that nobody wants.

Instead of salting the mixture, just form your meatballs and sprinkle them evenly with salt afterwards. You can even do this in the pan as they cook.

Here’s a link to an article on the science that backs this practice up.

2. Don’t skip the “panade.”

A simple mix of breadcrumbs and milk adds moisture and holds everything together without drying out. It’s the not-so-secret secret to turkey spinach meatballs that stay juicy, even with leaner meats like turkey (or even chicken).

If you don’t have breadcrumbs on hand, white bread works as well. Instead of 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, use 2 small pieces of white sliced sandwich bread with the crusts cut off. Tear the bread into small pieces and soak in the milk until it’s totally soggy and falling apart. If you’re gluten free, try this with gluten free white bread.

3. Use those brown bits!

Once you’ve cooked the meatballs, deglaze the pan (just a splash or water does the trick). This creates a quick, flavorful sauce that clings to every bite, and make the whole dish feel more special.

The key here is heat control. Don’t let it get too high or your pan will have burnt bits instead of brown bits.

turkey spinach meatballs
Italian wedding soup
meatballs with mashed potatoes and gravy
turkey meatballs with pesto pasta

    Recipes that feature these meatballs

    Here are a few ways I love putting these turkey spinach meatballs to use:

    • Cheesy meatball bake: Toss with marinara sauce, top with shredded mozzarella, and a little parmesan. Bring to a simmer on the stove to make sure everything is warmed-through, then place under the broiler until bubbly. Serve with bread or pasta.
    • Pasta with meatballs: Serve with your favorite pasta, pesto (or whatever sauce you’d like), and broccoli.
    • Italian wedding soup: Incorporate these into your favorite Italian wedding soup recipe.
    • Mashed potatoes and gravy topped with these turkey meatballs.
    • Use these cooked meatballs as a pizza topping.
    • Toasted subs with turkey spinach meatballs.
    Print

    Turkey Spinach Meatballs

    turkey spinach meatballs
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    • Yield: 30 to 35 small meatballs

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz [225 g] frozen chopped spinach, thawed
    • 1 lb [455 g] ground turkey
    • ½ cup [55 g] bread crumbs
    • ½ cup [30 g] finely grated parmesan
    • ⅓ cup [80 g] whole milk
    • 1 Tbsp dried basil
    • 3 garlic cloves, crushed through a press
    • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
    • ¾ tsp salt
    • 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup [60 g] water

    Instructions

    1. Wring the spinach out well until it’s very dry. You should end up with about 1 cup [110 g].
    2. Add the spinach to a mixing bowl along with the turkey, bread crumbs, Parmesan, milk, basil, garlic, and pepper (do not add the salt). Mix together until well combined.
    3. Shape into 30 to 35 heaped meatballs, about 1 Tbsp each. Set on a plate as you shape them, then sprinkle evenly on the first side with half the salt.
    4. Heat a large nonstick sauté pan or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil, swirl to coat, and add the meatballs salty-side down. Sprinkle the other side with the rest of the salt. Cook until deeply golden brown on one side before turning. Rotate the meatballs every couple minutes, for a total of about 10 minutes. Once evenly seared, add the water to the pan, cover, and steam the meatballs for about 3 more minutes, until completely cooked through. Remove the lid and let the liquid reduce down while frequently shaking the pan to roll the meatballs around. Stop once the sauce glazes the meatballs, 2 to 3 minutes after removing the lid.

    find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

    Psst… by the way, I love this recipe so much, I ended up including it in my cookbook, Piecemeal.

    If you like this recipe as much as I do, you might like my book! It’s full of mix-and-match recipes and inspiration for fun and easy meals.

    The cookbook also has recipes for Italian wedding soup, cheesy meatball bake, and mashed potatoes with gravy. And all three recipes feature these meatballs!

    Filed Under: appetizers, dinner, gluten free, lunch, main courses, weeknight Tagged With: basil, garlic, meatballs, spinach, turkey

    Hummus Toppings

    July 14, 2025 by Kathryn Pauline Leave a Comment

    4 kinds of hummus toppings

    Sure, you can stick with classic hummus toppings like a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of za’atar and call it a day. And honestly, that’s great. But if you’ve got a few vegetables kicking around, it takes almost no effort to turn hummus into something that feels a little more special.

    My go-to move is to treat one or two vegetables like a quick little salad. Toss them with a pinch of salt, a splash of lemon juice or vinegar, and maybe a drizzle of olive oil. That brightness and crunch are the perfect contrast to creamy hummus and it makes things feel a lot more intentional.

    I’ve got a recipe at the end of this post for basic hummus, which includes instructions for mixing-and-matching with whatever you’ve got on hand. I’ve also included a list of my favorite toppings for mixing-and-matching, 4 seasonal combinations you can try, and instructions for my favorite way to plate hummus.

    Hummus toppings for mixing-and-matching

    Produce

    roasted tomato sauce

    fresh or slow-roasted tomatoes
    blanched green beans
    grilled zucchini or corn
    leafy herbs (parsley, cilantro, mint, dill, chives)
    bell pepper chunks
    minced hot peppers
    grilled eggplant
    diced cucumbers
    boiled halved new potatoes
    pickled or roasted okra

    sautéed or roasted brussels sprouts
    thinly sliced raw or sautéed fennel or leeks
    roasted or steamed squash/pumpkin
    sautéed mushrooms or sweet potatoes
    raw/shredded or sautéed carrots or parsnips
    roasted cauliflower or broccoli
    fava beans
    sliced radishes
    blanched peas/snap peas/snow peas
    sautéed asparagus

    Other fun toppings

    Sesame seeds
    Pistachios
    Toasted slivered almonds
    Raisins sautéed in butter for 1 to 2 minutes
    Pepitas
    Walnuts
    Hazelnuts
    Toasted pine nuts
    Fresh and dried herbs
    Any of your favorite spices, like za’atar, baharat, paprika, black pepper, or sumac

    4 seasonal combinations

    Each of these is served over hummus topped with olive oil and sea salt.

    hummus with basil, cilantro, and corn

    Summer hummus:

    grilled corn
    basil
    cilantro
    a tiny bit of red wine vinegar
    black pepper

    hummus with squash

    Fall hummus:

    Steamed kabocha squash
    a tiny bit of red wine vinegar
    harissa
    pepitas
    feta

    hummus with parsnips and dried mint

    Winter hummus:

    butter-sautéed parsnips
    pistachios
    dried mint
    lemon juice

    hummus with sesame fava beans

    Spring hummus:

    fava beans
    garlic
    sesame seeds
    olive oil or butter
    (prepared like this)

    Tips for plating hummus with ✨style✨

    hummus with olive oil and za'atar
    hummus with olive oil and a bowl of Jerusalem salad next to it

    I’m Assyrian, so I grew up eating hummus before it became standard fare in all 50 states. And my family has a very unique way of plating it with lots of little indentations across the surface. Those indentations are perfect pockets for olive oil and other toppings, and they’re super easy to make.

    How to get that signature look: Start out with a plate or very shallow bowl (definitely not a deep bowl, or you won’t get enough surface area). Once you’ve smoothed it out into one even layer, use the back of your spoon to create little dips across the surface, rotating the plate as you go.

    At this point, you could simply drizzle with olive oil, za’atar or paprika, and a little sea salt and call it a day. Or you could add a few classic (or not so classic) hummus toppings. See the video in the recipe below, and enjoy!

    Print

    Hummus Toppings

    4 kinds of hummus toppings
    Print Recipe

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    • Yield: 2 small or 1 large plate

    Ingredients

    For the hummus:

    • 1 garlic clove, or 1½ tsp garlic powder
    • 3 or 4 ice cubes * [80 g]
    • Two 15 oz [425 g] cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
    • ⅓ cup [80 g] fresh lemon juice
    • ⅓ cup [85 g] tahini
    • Salt

    For the toppings/for serving:

    • 1½ cups seasonal produce
    • ½ to 1 tsp red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
    • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
    • Extra toppings
    • Pita and/or crudités, for serving

    Instructions

    1. Put the garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until it’s finely chopped.
    2. Add the ice cubes to the food processor, followed by the chickpeas and lemon juice. Blend until the ice cubes break into small pieces and melt completely and the chickpeas smooth out.
    3. Add the tahini, season with salt, and continue blending until completely combined.
    4. Prep your vegetables, season with salt, and toss in a little vinegar or lemon juice.
    5. Spread the hummus evenly on one large or two small plates, dip the back of a spoon across the surface to create little dimples, top with oil, the prepped produce, and extra toppings, and serve with pita and/or crudités.

    (If video does not appear below, please disable ad block)

    Notes

    * If you don’t have any ice cubes on hand, you can use 1/3 cup [80 g] of water instead.

    find us on instagram and let us know what you made!

    Psst… by the way, I wrote a whole cookbook of adaptable recipes like this one. It’s called A Dish for All Seasons!

    Check it out for adaptable base recipes + ideas for seasonal (and evergreen!) variations

    Filed Under: appetizers, dairy free, dinner, every recipe, gluten free, meze, salads, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight Tagged With: chickpeas, fall, garlic, herbs, lemon, middle eastern, spring, summer, tahini, winter

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