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A Whole30 and Paleo ground turkey recipe – Turkey Meatballs Braised in Tomato Sauce. This amazing dinner is cooked in tomato sauce so the meatballs come out so delicious and not dry at all!
Last week I showed you how to make sweet potato noodles. This week I give you a flavorful, moist turkey meatball and sauce to put on top of them!
Preventing Dry Turkey Meatballs
Ground turkey can often turn out very dry and blah, but by adding some moisture via eggs and then cooking the meatballs in a liquid they retain their moisture and intense flavor. This technique is called braising and can really produce some amazing, tender dinners.
Egg-free variation: You can also use applesauce as an egg-replacer if you are egg-free (the flavors of the sauce, etc overpower any apple-y taste).
No Need for Breadcrumbs
The use of almond flour instead of bread still gives the meatballs the texture you recognize and love in a typical Italian-style meatball, but in a gluten-free and Paleo way.
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Make Ahead these tasty meatballs
Store these meatballs with the sauce in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To freeze, first make sure everything has cooled down to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer the meatballs and sauce together into a freezer-safe container or bag, then place in the freezer. If you need to store them seperately, line the meatballs on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once the meatballs are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Transfer the seperated sauce into a freezer-safe container or bag. Place both the seperated meatballs and sauce in the freezer. They will keep well for up to 6 months.
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If you find this recipe helpful, you may really enjoy the resources in my Paleo & AIP Freebie Library! There's a “dump” freezer meal plan, a list of AIP-compliant breakfast toppings, and so much more. Plus, you'll get even more ideas sent to your inbox! Get the password here.
Whole30 and Paleo Turkey Meatball Recipe
If you make these meatballs, I'd love to hear how they turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune!
Turkey Meatballs Braised in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 2 tbs Lard or other cooking fat
- 1 small yellow Onion (grated)
- 2 large Carrots (peeled and grated)
- 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 2 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 lb Ground Turkey Thighs
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- 2 Eggs (or 1/2 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce)
- 2 tsp Fresh Sage (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
For the Sauce
- 56 oz Diced Tomatoes (with their juices)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the lard. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, dried oregano, 1 tsp salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from pot and put into a large bowl.
- Add the ground turkey thighs, almond flour, eggs, sage, the remaining salt and approx 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper to the bowl and mix with your hands. Form the mixture into meatballs, about the size of golf balls.
- In the same pot you cooked the onion/carrot mixture in, add the tomatoes, garlic, dried basil, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix and cook over medium-high heat until boiling.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve over sweet potato noodles, spaghetti squash, or mashed cauliflower.
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I am very new to this diet. I thought tomatoes were not AIP friendly. Help!!!
Ah, sorry, I know how confusing it can be at first! So you’re correct, tomatoes are not AIP. All of the recipes on my site are NOT all AIP – there are some that are Paleo only, Paleo and Whole30, or even some stage of AIP reintroductions. In order to know which ones are which, the recipe will say so in the header of the recipe card itself, or even in the title of the recipe. To make it easier, if you search in the Recipe Gallery here: https://thrivingautoimmune.com/browse-paleo-whole30-aip-recipes/ –> make sure you check the “AIP” box on the left (desktop) or top (mobile) and that will show you ONLY the AIP recipes. Hope this helps!
Hello! I am allergic to almonds- could I substitute coconut flour and still have this turn out?
Thank you!
Hey Jennifer – you could, but I’d only use a tablespoon or two. You could alternatively use the equivalent amount of cassava flour (instead of the almond flour) or even just skip any flour altogether. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious!
Really looking forward to this recipe tonite but my meatballs are breaking apart. Any tips on how to avoid this next time?
Oh no! Did you use the egg version or the applesauce version? I’ve never had that happen to me and I’ve made it several times so I’m not sure! At what point were they breaking apart?
Just wondering…could you boil water and just drop the noodles in like cooking pasta? Thanks.
Hey April- You know, I’m not absolutely sure on that since I’ve never tried it. I would think you would be able to, but I’d be careful to not let it get mushy or else the noodles probably won’t hold shape. If you do try it let me know how it goes, and if I try it I’ll be sure to update this post!
This sounds very delicious!
Thanks Tina!
Wonderful, warming winter food, wow!
Michele, this is totally going on my meal plan for next week! YUM! I can’t wait! Thanks for sharing, sweet friend! 🙂
Can I just say how obsessed I am with your videos! I could watch them all day! These meatballs look fab too. I’ve never tried simmering mine in sauce before. I’ll have to give that a try! Oh & also I kept thinking – who is this brave woman who eats spaghetti while wearing WHITE!!! Food is the reason most my clothing is black. 😉
Haha, yeah, white probably wasn’t the BEST choice to wear in hindsight but I did actually wear an apron while cooking most of it. Thanks Trisha!