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Healthy Crockpot Turkey Sausage Meatballs! Thick, juicy, tender meatballs are made with turkey and sausage in a slow cooker. An easy dinner that pleases a crowd!
It’s turkey time! Okay…so meatballs are not technically a Thanksgiving or holiday recipe, but hear me out on this one. For many holiday family gatherings, my Mom made this amazing pasta sauce dish. It was a hearty and filling. Exactly what you want to eat when it’s cold outside and need something to warm you up.
As the guy and I were chatting about what to make this holiday, he boldly stated “meatballs!” Immediately I was onboard with this idea and knew my crockpot would be involved too.
Crockpot Turkey Sausage Meatballs
These crockpot turkey sausage meatballs are made with not one meat, but two! Sausage and ground turkey make the perfect pair. When baked in a slow cooker with the sauce, they make the most tender, juicy and thick meatballs. We seriously could not stop saying how much we loved them. The guy ate them for days!
Of course, you can sub whatever meat works for you in this recipe. We are not big meat eaters, but we love our poultry and fish.
I served mine over zucchini noodles for a low carb option and the guy ate his with chickpea pasta. A healthier comfort meal that’s perfect for gathering friends and family together!
What You Need
- Turkey Sausage
- Lean Ground Turkey
- Marinara
- Eggs, Milk
- Gluten Free Oats
- Minced Garlic
- Italian Seasoning, Basil, Red Pepper Flakes, Salt, Pepper
Helpful Tips
Bake the meatballs at a high temperature for 5-7 minutes prior to cooking in a slow cooker. You can add the balls to the pot, but they will fall apart and you will have a nice spaghetti meat sauce. 🙂
I highly recommend breaking up the prep work for this recipe by making the meatballs ahead of time. You can freeze them up to 60 days or keep them in the refrigerator 2 days before making. You could do the prep over the weekend then pop them into a slow cooker before heading off to work during the week. So easy!
If you make the recipe, be sure to tag @skinnyfitalicious on Instagram and share your creations!
Crockpot Turkey Sausage Meatballs
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey, or lean protein of choice
- 12 ounces turkey sausage
- 24 ounces marinara sauce, or low sugar pasta sauce of choice
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk, or milk of choice
- 3/4 cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats, or regular rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons basil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- In a blender, process the gluten free rolled oats until it becomes a flour like consistency. Usually 3-4 pulses does the trick!
- Add the eggs and milk to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine then add the minced garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and parmesan. Stir to combine.
- Add the ground turkey or sausage to the mixing bowl with the blended oats. Use your fingers to break up the meat and combine with the wet ingredients an oats.
- Once combined, use a medium ice cream scoop to scoop the meat mixture into balls that are 1 to 1 1/2 inches in size. Roll the ball between your hands then set on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the meat mixture is finished. I had 35 meatballs when I was done.
- Bake at 425 F 7 minutes then remove from the oven and set aside.
- Add 1/2 the marinara sauce (or pasta sauce of choice) to a slow cooker then top with 1/2 the meatballs. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top and layer the remaining 1/2 of the meatballs over the top.
- Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-6 hours. Serve over zucchini noodles, chickpea pasta or gluten free pasta of choice.
Video
Notes
- My Amazon shop has more products similar to those used for this recipe and that I recommend to my nutrition clients.
- 1 serving is approximately 1 1/2 cups or 1/8 of the meal.
- Almond flour may be subbed for the oats as a Paleo substitution.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We loved these meatballs! I am going try making turkey burgers next time.
So happy to hear you loved them!
I’m a little confused on the meat — are you using ground turkey AND ground turkey breakfast sausage?
Yes two sausages – ground turkey and ground sausage! It’s not breakfast sausage just regular sausage. Combining the two is what makes it really good.
Mouth Watering .. I am starving !!
Thank you!
Looks so amazing and can’t wait to try it.
Thank you! Let me know how you like it.