These Spinach Turkey Meatballs are a family favorite—simple, tasty, and oh-so satisfying! Each tender, juicy meatball is packed with spinach and that delightful flavor of pesto (use store-bought or homemade, whichever you prefer!). They’re perfect served over pasta, tucked into a melty sub, or enjoyed as mini meatloaves. Also, they’re perfect for meal prep, making it easy to stock up for the week!

Baked turkey spinach pesto meatballs sitting on parchment paper . A spoon is holding one meatball. surrounding the meatballs are a few sprigs of fresh basil and a bowl filled with pesto.

This might be my new favorite meatball recipe….

Does that sound dramatic since they are made of turkey AND have spinach in them? Yes? Good! Because these meatballs are THAT good! They deserve a certain level of drama.

I have been faithfully making my Turkey Zucchini Meatballs for years and years. They are delicious, easy, and always get eaten up by the family. But they also involve zucchini, which is not as easy to get your hands on in the dead of winter here in Vermont. So, with the cooler months creeping in (we are deep into “stick season” over here, at the moment), I found myself grabbing a bag of spinach out of the fridge one night when meatballs were on the menu and, well, the rest became this recipe.

All ingredients for Baked Pesto Spinach Turkey Meatballs sitting on the countertop together before cooking.

I not only love how tender and juicy these meatballs are (thanks to that added spinach + some breadcrumbs…so key for moist turkey meatballs!), but also that they can be a delicious, stand-alone protein thanks to the added pesto. They work beautifully with pasta sauce (of course!), but they don’t *need* the sauce to be flavorful. I personally love them on pasta with few bonus dollops of pesto (OMG this spinach pesto *drool*). My family adores them on a toasty bun with some cheese melted over the top! Like, they ask for that dinner situation all the time now.

These spinach + turkey meatballs also store really beautifully in your fridge. So, please, make your life easier and make them as part of your meal prep. They won’t keep you in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon when you’d much rather be out hiking or snuggled on the couch with the family watching a movie. I promise. It is as easy as chopping some spinach (or use defrosted frozen! I’ve tested them with that!), throwing the ingredients in a bowl, mixing them together, forming meatballs, and popping them into a hot oven for 20 minutes. Then the work is done and you have these veggie-loaded, tasty (have I mentioned enough how delicious I think these are?) meatballs—ready to add to all the meals and tired-Wednesday-night-you will be so thankful you made them before curling up for that movie.

Let’s make these meatballs…

Jump to Recipe Instructions
A pair of hands holding a glass bowl filled with unmixed ingredients for spinach turkey pesto meatballs. The bowl is sitting on a countertop and is surrounded by some eggshells, fresh basil sprigs, and a plate with a piece of Parmesan cheese and a cheese grater.
I love.love.love a one-bowl meal. And meatballs always fit the bill (bonus: they are great on their own, over noodles, or as a sandwich!). And this recipe is as easy as 1-2-3. Mix, form, and bake! To start, simply add all of the ingredients to a large bowl.
Ingredients for spinach turkey pesto meatballs being mixed with a wooden spoon in a glass mixing bowl. The bowl is sitting on a countertop and is surrounded by fresh basil sprigs.
Then…mix! Clean hands or a spoon work equally as well here. Mix until well combined. But don’t over mix or you may end up with tough meatballs.
A pair of hands is forming a meatball. A glass mixing bowl filled with mixed raw ingredients for spinach turkey meatballs is sitting on a countertop and surrounded by a parchement paper lined baking sheet. A few formed, uncooked meatballs are lined up in a row on the baking sheet.
Using clean hands, gently roll the meat into 12, equal balls. I aim for the size of a golfball. Keeping the portions as equal as possible ensures each meatball will be done around the same time.
A pair of hands holding a parchement paper lined baking sheet. The baking sheet is sitting on a countertop and contains cooked meatballs lined up in four rows of three meatballs.
Preheat your oven to 425℉ and cover the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake until meat is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165℉ (around 15-18 minutes). I LOVE using a meat themometer for this. I love eating these on their own, warm from the oven with some extra pesto. For more serving suggestions, check out the recipe card below.
Baked turkey spinach pesto meatballs sitting on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. A spoon is holding one meatball. surrounding the meatballs are a few sprigs of fresh basil and a bowl filled with pesto. Surrounding the baking sheet on the countertop is a striped cloth kitchen towel.
If storing, let the meatballs cool completely and then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days (or in the freezer for about a month).
A plate filled with a portion of prepared spaghetti, pesto, Baked Pesto Spinach Turkey Meatballs, and some fresh basil sprigs. A fork is sittting on the plate and the plate is sitting on a countertop surrounded by a some fresh basil sprigs, glasses of water, a plate with a piece of Parmesan cheese and a cheese grater, a bowl of pesto, and a striped cloth kitchen towel.

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5 from 7 votes

Oven Baked Pesto Spinach Turkey Meatballs

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Cuisine: American, Italian
Course: Main Course
Author: Taesha Butler
These Spinach Turkey Meatballs are a family favorite—simple, tasty, and oh-so satisfying! Each tender, juicy meatball is packed with spinach and that delightful flavor of pesto (use store-bought or homemade, whichever you prefer!). They’re perfect served over pasta, tucked into a melty sub, or enjoyed as mini meatloaves. Also, they're perfect for meal prep, making it easy to stock up for the week!
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups packed fresh spinach, finely chopped, (about 2 ounces), If using frozen, defrosted and drained well.
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey, I used 93%
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup pesto, homemade or store bought + extra for serving if desired
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 425℉.
  • In a large bowl, combine the finely chopped spinach and remaining ingredients. Using clean hands or a spoon, mix until well combined.
  • Gently roll the meat into 12 large golfball size portions. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes or until meat is cooked through and has an internal temperature of 165F.
  • Enjoy warm with a little extra pesto or some pasta sauce and your favorite pasta with some bonus Parmesan cheese on top. You can also serve these meatballs like mini meatloaves next to roasted potatoes and veggies. Or make them into a sub by adding them to a bun with a little warm sauce and cheese and broil until the cheesy is browned and melty.
    Allow any leftover meatballs cool completely before storing in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for a month.

Notes

If you want to use fresh spinach, measure out about 2 cups and finely chop it before adding to the meat mixture. 
Serving: 3meatballs, Calories: 314kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 132mg, Sodium: 723mg, Potassium: 422mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 5082IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 175mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.