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Skillet Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

by 41 Comments

How’s everyone’s weekend going? Mine has been uneventful to say the least, but that’s ok because the next two weeks are going to be a mad whirlwind in the kitchen getting recipes perfected for Thanksgiving. Before I start sharing delicious side dishes and desserts for you to serve on turkey day I want to tell you about these super easy, Skillet Meatballs in Marinara Sauce that I made for dinner last week.

Skillet Meatballs in Marinara | Recipe Runner | Meatballs stuffed with mozzarella and simmered in marinara sauce. An easy one pan meal!Meatballs are some of the greatest round little bites to ever be made. I love that you can flavor them with whatever herbs and spices you like and that the serving options are endless. My favorite way to eat meatballs is straight up with a fork or toothpick if I’m going the appetizer route. However, when I made these skillet meatballs for dinner I served them with toasty garlic bread for dipping in that wonderful marinara sauce. The next day, I served my husband’s meatballs over pasta and I enjoyed mine a la carte with a few extra spoonfuls of the sauce. Other ideas for serving them are on an Italian sub sandwich, cut up and added as a topping to a pizza, or you could even make them extra small and add them to a soup such as minestrone or Italian wedding soup. Like I said, the possibilities are endless!

Skillet Meatballs in Marinara | Recipe Runner | Meatballs stuffed with mozzarella and simmered in marinara sauce. An easy one pan meal!What I haven’t mentioned yet is that these meatballs have a little secret stuffed inside of them, just waiting to ooze out. It’s name is mozzarella cheese! I absolutely love food that has something stuffed in the middle of it. It’s so exciting to bite into food and have something unexpectedly delicious hiding in the center. It’s a nice added bonus to an already delicious bite.

SkilletMeatballsinMarinara3To make the Skillet Meatballs in Marinara Sauce I combined lean ground turkey, a beaten egg, panko breadcrumbs, garlic, basil, and oregano in a bowl. I mixed it all together then formed the meatballs. I’ve found that using a small ice cream/cookie scoop is the fastest and best way to ensure all your meatballs are the same size. While the meatball was still in the scoop I tucked a small cube of mozzarella cheese into the center then covered it up with the meat. It’s seriously such an easy method and yields wonderful results. I already had my Easy Marinara Sauce made and was storing it in the freezer so all I had to do was defrost it. If you don’t feel like making your own sauce or don’t have time, simply use your favorite store bought brand. I heated my cast iron skillet over medium high heat and sprayed it generously with cooking spray. Once the skillet was hot I added in the meatballs and browned them on each side for about 2 minutes. I then added in about three cups of the marinara sauce, turned the heat down to medium low, covered the skillet with a lid, and let everything simmer for about 10 minutes. The smell of the meatballs and sauce makes the whole house smell amazing! Once the meatballs are ready top them with shredded mozzarella cheese and then the rest is up to you. Eat them as is, stick them in a sandwich, on top of a pizza, or in a soup, just be sure to eat them!

Yields 4-5 servings

15 minPrep Time

15 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 T. worcestershire
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 t. dried basil
  • 3/4 t. dried oregano
  • 1/2 t. kosher salt
  • 1/4 t. black pepper
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 3 cups marinara sauce (I used this )

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl combine the ground turkey, egg, panko, worcestershire, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper with your hands.
  2. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop the meatball mixture.
  3. Take one of the pieces of cubed mozzarella and stuff it into the center of the meatball, making sure to cover the cheese completely with meat.
  4. Repeat the process until all of the meat mixture is gone.
  5. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and spray it generously with cooking spray.
  6. Place the meatballs in the skillet and brown them for 2 minutes on each side.
  7. Pour the marinara sauce evenly into the skillet and turn the heat down to medium low.
  8. Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer the meatballs for 10 minutes.
  9. Top the meatballs with the shredded mozzarella and serve.
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https://reciperunner.com/skillet-meatballs-marinara-sauce/

Skillet Meatballs in Marinara | Recipe Runner | Meatballs stuffed with mozzarella and simmered in marinara sauce. An easy one pan meal!

Skillet Meatballs in Marinara | Recipe Runner | Meatballs stuffed with mozzarella and simmered in marinara sauce. An easy one pan meal!

 More Skillet Dinners:

Turkey and Vegetable Skillet |Recipe Runner | My go to easy dinner when I don't feel like cooking! #turkey #glutenfreeTurkey and Vegetable Skillet

Zucchini, Kale, and Sage Frittata | Recipe Runner | One of the best frittatas I've ever had! Plus a review of the cookbook, Let Them Eat Kale! #cookbook #kale #breakfast Zucchini, Kale, and Sage Frittata 

Green Chile Chicken Pot Pie | Recipe Runner | This spicy chicken pot pie will have you going back for seconds & thirds!Green Chile Chicken Pot Pie

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. heidi

    November 9, 2014 at 8:56 am

    awesome recipe Danae! I will be making this for sure. I love your blog! It's so fresh and clean and your photography is perfect. :)
    Reply

  7. Roberto

    December 12, 2014 at 10:47 am

    I made this recipe about 3 weeks ago and everyone loved it, it was a hit. And today I found ground turkey in my fridge and so I am making it today as well.
    Reply

    • Danae

      February 19, 2015 at 9:51 am

      Hi Tanya! These meatballs are great served with a number of things. If I'm watching carbs I'll have a big salad with them or put them on top of zucchini noodles. If carbs aren't an issue then served on top of pasta or with french bread. The french bread is excellent for scooping up the extra sauce on your plate! You could even turn it into an Italian meatball sub!
      Reply

  11. Gretchen

    April 13, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    Hi Danae. I am going to try this recipe tonight. Question- if I want to freeze some, do I freeze before I add them to the skillet to cook or after it is all done? I read a comment about freezing (which I need to do as I'm cooking for just two), but I want to be sure I do it after the correct step. Thanks for your help!
    Reply

    • Danae

      April 13, 2015 at 12:23 pm

      Hi Gretchen. If you plan to freeze some of the meatballs go ahead and follow the directions through step #6. Cook the meatballs in the skillet, but then remove the ones you plan to freeze before adding in the marinara sauce. Hope this helps!
      Reply

  13. Connie

    August 14, 2015 at 9:23 pm

    What a great recipe. Simply delicious and went right into my recipe box as my "go to" meatball recipe. I will be making it again soon and definitely will make enough to freeze some. Thanks, Connie
    Reply

    • Danae

      August 15, 2015 at 3:59 pm

      Thanks Connie! So happy to hear the meatball recipe made it into your recipe box! I love freezing a batch of them to pull out when I need a quick dinner.
      Reply

  17. Maris (In Good Taste)

    February 24, 2016 at 5:22 pm

    How in the world did you keep your meatballs from sticking to the bottom of your skillet? I used a liberal amount of cooking spray and I have misshapen, sad looking meatballs. Luckily they're covered in sauce and cheese, but do you have any suggestions for type A perfectionists like myself?
    Reply

    • Danae

      February 25, 2016 at 11:49 am

      Hi Maris! A good skillet is important. I have a very well seasoned cast iron skillet so that definitely helps. A good non-stick skillet coated generously in the cooking spray should work as well. If you don't have either or are finding that they are still sticking try giving it a spray halfway through the cooking or you can always just use a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Hope this helps!
      Reply

  19. Joyce croft

    March 15, 2017 at 1:12 pm

    Could you give me some idea of how big in size the meatballs are.. how many does 1lb of ground turkey make. I will be cooking for quite a few people and having them buffet style. Thank you
    Reply

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