Name: Turkey Meatball Alfredo
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground turkey (85/15 blend); 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese; 1/2 cup diced yellow onion; 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (unseasoned); 2 tablespoons dried parsley; 1 large egg; 2 medium garlic cloves (pressed); 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon dried basil; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying/baking); 1/4 cup butter; 3/4 cup heavy cream; 1/8 teaspoon salt; pinch ground white pepper; 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

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This turkey meatball Alfredo pairs tender, savory turkey meatballs with a rich, velvety homemade Alfredo sauce for an easy, satisfying dinner. Tossed with your favorite pasta (traditionally fettuccine), it’s a comforting from-scratch meal that you’ll want to make again and again.

Homemade turkey meatballs and flat noodles coated in creamy alfredo sauce.

Alfredo sauce is the perfect match for turkey meatballs

This week in my kitchen, I brought together two things I never tire of eating to create the perfect main dish marriage — Italian-inspired turkey meatballs and Alfredo sauce made from scratch. Deciding to pair the two is one of the best choices I’ve made in the kitchen in some time. And considering how much time I spend there, that says a lot.

The meatballs for this recipe are incredibly easy to make, but they do take some time. I recommend making them on your day off and keeping them on hand so you can quickly put this dish together on a busy weeknight. Or spend some time late one weekend afternoon preparing the whole dish and enjoy the fruits of your labor right away.

If you love bringing homemade pasta dishes to the table as much as I do, be sure to try my baked pumpkin pasta from scratch, homemade mushroom macaroni and cheese, and rustic mushroom pasta with cream sauce too. And check out these great sauce recipes if you’re looking for more ways to top your favorite pasta, hearty lentil Bolognese, homemade pumpkin Alfredo sauce, and brandy cream sauce from scratch.

Recipe ingredients

Ground turkey: Use 85/15 ground turkey. The added fat is important for meatballs, giving the lean poultry better flavor and helping produce a tender, juicy texture rather than a dry, firm one.
Panko breadcrumbs: Panko absorbs moisture while maintaining a lighter texture than fine breadcrumbs, helping keep the turkey meatballs tender rather than compact.
Breadcrumbs: Use plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs. Their fine texture helps bind the meatball mixture and provides structure without adding seasonings that compete with the other flavors in the recipe.
Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire adds concentrated savory depth to mild ground turkey, enhancing the meatiness of the meatballs without becoming a dominant flavor.
Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan is the best choice for both components of this dish. It adds saltiness, nuttiness, and umami to the meatballs, while in the Alfredo sauce it contributes richness, savory depth, and body.
Butter: Use good-quality butter, such as my from scratch farmhouse butter, for the base of the Alfredo sauce. Its milk fat brings richness and helps carry the flavors of the cream and Parmesan.
Heavy cream: Use full-fat heavy cream. Its high fat content gives Alfredo sauce its rich body and allows it to reduce into a velvety sauce that clings well to the pasta.
White pepper: White pepper has an earthy, gently pungent heat that works particularly well with rich cream and Parmesan, adding depth and balancing some of the Alfredo sauce’s richness.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make turkey meatball alfredo

Make the meatballs:

Step 1: Place all of the meatball ingredients except the olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix just until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Avoid overworking the mixture, which can make the cooked meatballs dense.

Step 2: Portion the mixture and roll it into 1-inch balls. Keep them as uniform in size as possible so they cook at the same rate.

Step 3: Cook the meatballs using your preferred method.

Pan frying: Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer without crowding the pan. Cook in batches if necessary, adding more olive oil between batches as needed. Turn the meatballs as they brown so they develop a golden crust on all sides and cook evenly. Continue cooking until the centers reach 165°F (74°C).

Baking: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a silicone-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. Lightly brush them with olive oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

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Make the sauce:

Step 1: Add the butter and heavy cream to a saucepan and bring them to a very low simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Keep the heat gentle; the cream should be softly bubbling, not boiling.

Step 2: Whisk in the pressed garlic, salt, and white pepper. Continue at a very low simmer for 1 minute, whisking frequently.

Step 3: Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the freshly grated Parmesan 1/2 cup at a time, allowing each addition to melt completely before adding the next. Whisk gently until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

Step 4: Remove the Alfredo sauce from the heat as soon as the Parmesan is fully melted. Add the cooked turkey meatballs and gently turn them in the sauce until coated.

Top tips

Work in the right order: Cook the meatballs first and have everything else ready before starting the Alfredo sauce. Make the sauce last so it can be served immediately.
Keep the meatballs warm: Hold the cooked meatballs warm while you make the Alfredo so they don’t cool the freshly finished sauce when combined.
Protect the sauce: Remove the Alfredo from the heat once it is finished. Continued heating can cause the cheese proteins to tighten, compromising the smooth, velvety texture.
Make the meatballs ahead: Prepare the meatballs in advance to significantly reduce the hands-on time required when you’re ready to make the complete dish.
Double the meatball batch: Make twice the meatballs and freeze the extras. They freeze very well and can be kept on hand to serve later with your favorite pasta sauces.

Serve

Turkey meatball Alfredo is traditionally served with fettuccine, but my favorite pairing is udon noodles. They’re absolutely delicious coated in the rich, creamy Alfredo sauce. For a completely from-scratch meal, make your own pasta with trofie pasta from scratch, homemade whole wheat gnocchi, or skillet fried gnocchi.

Round out the meal with slow simmered green beans, sautéed zucchini and tomatoes, or spiced braised red cabbage. Roasted broccoli, asparagus, sautéed spinach, Caesar salad, and green salads are equally good choices for adding vegetables to the table. And don’t forget the bread — homemade buttermilk dinner rolls, old-fashioned yeast dinner rolls, and pumpkin yeast rolls are perfect for catching any Alfredo sauce left on the plate.

These creamy turkey meatballs also make a great sandwich. Pile them onto easy homemade slider buns for Alfredo meatball sliders, or tuck them into garlic focaccia from scratch for a hearty focaccia sandwich.