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Admittedly antsy (though I prefer the terms “bustling” or “active”)  extrovert that I am, I usually grow restless if we spend too many nights at home in a row. Maybe it’s my age, the fact that I haven’t seen double digits on our thermometer since December, or the ridiculously soft and comfy sweatshirt Ben surprised me with for Christmas, but over the weekend, I was more content than I have ever been to hibernate at home with a glass of wine and a big plate of Whole30 Meatballs and marinara.

Easy, DELICIOUS Italian Whole30 Meatballs and Sauce with ground turkey, almond flour, and Italian seasoning. A healthy, low carb recipe that families love! Serve right away or keep warm in the crockpot #paleo #glutenfree #whole30 #meatballs

Although I’m not doing Whole30 (hence the glass of wine that went along with the Whole30 Italian meatballs), I have a deep appreciation for any recipe that offers me the same wrap-you-up coziness of classic comfort foods but in a lighter, healthier way.

These Whole30 turkey meatballs hit the healthy-meets-heartwarming sweet spot!

Whole30 Meatballs and Marinara. Easy, delicious, and healthy! This recipe is made with ground turkey and almond flour to be Paleo and Whole30 compliant. 

Freezer-friendly, crowd-pleasing, and adaptable to serving out of a crockpot, meatballs are one of my favorite dishes to serve guests, as well as to have on hand for quick weeknight dinners.

These classic Crock Pot Turkey Meatballs have been my go-to meatball recipe for the last few years, and while they are wonderful for company (they make a GIANT batch), when it’s just Ben and me and I’m not looking to stock the freezer, they can be a bit much.

Adapting My Go-To Meatballs into Whole30 Meatballs

Also, now that I have several friends with gluten allergies, I’ve been looking for alternative flours that are more allergy friendly.

Determined to come up with a meatball recipe that would be just as satisfying as my favorite Italian turkey meatballs, I put the breadcrumbs away, pulled out my almond flour, and set to work.

Results: DELISH!

Even Ben, who is highly skeptical of anything that comes with a special diet-related tag (these turkey meatballs are both Whole30 and Paleo approved), went back for seconds.

AMAZING Whole30 Meatballs! This easy recipe tastes amazing, with ground turkey, almond flour, and lots of Italian seasoning. A delicious meal to add to your repertoire of Whole 30 recipes!

The key to giving these lighter turkey meatballs mega flavor without added fat is a heavy hand with spices, as well as fresh parsley. Don’t skimp here!

If you do not need these Whole30 meatballs with almond flour to be Paleo or Whole30 compliant, you can use any marinara sauce you like. Some brands of tomato sauce are Paleo/Whole30 approved, but in case you can’t find them or are not sure, I included a quick and easy recipe for a homemade Whole30 sauce as well.

Easy Whole30 Italian Meatballs with Marinara Sauce. This easy Whole30 turkey meatball recipe will be a new family favorite! Paleo, gluten free, and Whole30 compliant!

Since pasta is off limits for Whole30 and Paleo, I served the meatballs with zucchini noodles. Again, if you aren’t worried about the Whole30 aspect, you can use any pasta you like. Personally, I love the zoodles. Their mild flavor tangles beautifully with the Whole30 meatballs and sauce, and they give me an extra serving of veg without my having to think twice about it. If you are following the Whole30 diet, this Whole30 Salmon is another winner! 

Not sure? Try doing a 50/50 blend of zucchini noodles with regular whole wheat spaghetti noodles. But, if you’d like to serve these whole30 meatballs with zucchini noodles, check out this Zucchini Pasta post for easy ways to spiralize them.

More Meatball Recipes

Recommended Tools to Make Whole30 Meatballs

  • All-purpose baking sheet
  • While the meatballs are oven baked, if you’d like, you can transfer the Whole30 meatballs and sauce to a crockpot to keep them warm while serving.

Whole30 Meatballs and Sauce

4.88 from 8 votes
Easy, DELICIOUS Italian Whole30 meatballs and sauce with ground turkey, almond flour, and Italian seasoning. A healthy, low-carb recipe that families love!

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Servings: 34 meatballs

Ingredients
  

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

  • 1/4  cup  blanched almond flour
  • 1 1/2  teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes reduce to 1/4 teaspoon if sensitive to spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 pounds 93% lean ground turkey
  • large egg lightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley plus additional for serving
  • 24 ounces jarred prepared tomato-based pasta sauce* or homemade pasta sauce, see below
  • For serving: Zucchini noodles shredded spaghetti squash, or sweet potato noodles

IF YOU’D LIKE TO MAKE HOMEMADE WHOLE30 MARINARA SAUCE (see notes for store-bought options):

  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (I like to use fire roasted for extra flavor) (14 ounces)
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions
 

  • Place two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly coat them with nonstick spray, or line them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (If you are making vegetable noodles to serve with the meatballs, I recommend prepping them now so that they are ready to serve when the meatballs finish cooking. If you are making homemade sauce, I like to start this simmering before the meatballs go in the oven so that it is ready as well.)
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, garlic, oregano, onion powder, fennel, salt, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg until the ingredients are evenly combined.
  • Add the turkey to a large bowl. Sprinkle the almond flour mix over the top. Add the beaten egg and parsley. With a fork or your hands, gently combine the ingredients until everything is evenly distributed. Be careful not to overwork or compact the meat, or the meatballs will be tough.
  • With a small scoop or spoon, scoop the meat and shape into 1 1/2-inch balls, again being careful not to compact the meat. Arrange on the baking sheets. You will have about 34 meatballs total. If using store-bought sauce, warm it up while the meatballs cook.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, and then remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using tongs, gently turn the meatballs and return them to the oven, switching the position of the sheet pans on the upper and lower racks. Continue baking until cooked through, about 5 additional minutes. Serve hot with vegetable noodles, sauce, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
  • For Homemade Whole30 Tomato Pasta Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high. Add the garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft.  Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, basil, and oregano. Bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 14 minutes.  Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as desired.

Video

Notes

  • *If purchasing pasta sauce, to keep the recipe Whole30 compliant, ensure there are no added sugars or dairy in your sauce. Suggested brands I found online include Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce, Mario Batali Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce, most Thrive Market sauces (aside from the vodka sauce, which has cream), and Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Sauce (this is what I used). Be sure to double check the list of ingredients. You can also make the basic homemade spaghetti sauce I suggest above.
  • To freeze: Freeze with or without sauce for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then reheat on the stove (with sauce to keep them from drying out).

Nutrition

Serving: 4meatballsCalories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 26gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 236mgFiber: 1g

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Easy, DELICIOUS Italian Whole30 Meatballs and Sauce with ground turkey, almond flour, and Italian seasoning. A healthy, low carb recipe that families love! Serve right away or keep warm in the crockpot #paleo #glutenfree #whole30 #meatballs

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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30 Comments

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  1. Got room on the couch for me? Because I’m heading over to snuggle with you and these meatballs! :-)

  2. Sounds perfect for the whole family! But we’re neither Whole 30 nor Paleo, just healthy eaters. Can I replace the almond flour with quick oats? Or spelt flour? Thanks!

    1. Hi Colleen, I have not tried the recipe with either of those in place of the almond flour, but you could certainly experiment! I usually use whole wheat breadcrumbs in meatballs, which should also work. I hope your family enjoys the recipe!

  3. Erin, Annnnd, it’d work w/Sausage + beef, instead of turkey, for more Traditional ‘balls’, too, Right? ?

  4. Thanks for sharing the recipe! I needed Whole30-compliant meatballs for my daughter’s birthday party this Saturday. These look great! I’ll let you know how they turn out!

  5. These are fantastic! I got 40 meatballs when I rolled them out (so maybe slightly smaller than anticipated) and I thought the 4-meatball serving size would NEVER be enough….well, after 5 I was STUFFED! I have had them with spaghetti squash, zoodles, and regular old pasta and they are fantastic with everything….passed some on to my mom and she wants the recipie too! :) Since they freeze so nicely, I have gotten a ton of meals out of one batch – a win in my lazy-cook-self’s opinion! Will definitely make again.5 stars

    1. HOORAY Danielle, I’m so glad these meatballs are a winning recipe for you! Thank you so much for reporting back about how many you got and how you like to serve them.

  6. I have always been skeptical of turkey meatballs. But I tried these meatballs in a coconut milk, lemon grass and ginger broth ( a recipe from Gordon Ramsay ) on top of the Zoodles. Turns out the turkey meatballs are even better than regular ground beef meatballs. I made two batches and they still wanted more.

    Your tip about over-packing the meatballs is absolutely correct. I made that mistake and paid the price!4 stars

  7. Great Recipe! Super easy and simple to follow. I’m just starting to learn how to cook and I loved this recipe, the meatballs were tasty. I had half an onion left over from another recipe and I added it as well. Delicious!5 stars

    1. Hi Tim, coconut flour behaves very differently and needs a lot more liquid than coconut flour, so I would not recommend that substitution. You could try oat flour, quick oats, or breadcrumbs if you need to avoid the nuts (note that those wouldn’t be Whole30).

  8. LOVED this recipe! So delicious and healthy. It was so easy (I was a little intimidated to make meatballs because I’ve never made them before). This was the perfect thing to meal prep my dinners for the week. Thank you for including recommendations for whole30 compliant sauces! I used Primal Kitchen No Dairy Vodka Sauce but I definitely want to try Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Sauce!5 stars

  9. Guys. Make these right now! Run, don’t walk. They are so easy, they don’t dry out, they are very allergen friendly, and are soooo tasty. I have even tried making these with ground chicken! My family and I make these all the time. This recipe is beyond amazing. Highly recommend making them!5 stars