Name: 5 Ingredient Tomato Basil Meatballs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 3 1/2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

These easy tomato basil meatballs are made with ground turkey, mozzarella, tomato paste, dried basil, and garlic powder for a simple weeknight dinner the whole family can eat.

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Sometimes I just want a dinner that doesn’t require a long ingredient list or a lot of prep. These tomato basil meatballs are exactly that.

I keep the meatball mixture really simple with ground turkey, tomato paste, basil, garlic powder, and mozzarella. There’s no breadcrumb mixture to make and no milk to measure. Just mix everything together, scoop the meatballs onto a sheet pan, and bake.

I served these with pasta, red sauce, and vegetables, and it was one of those easy dinners that gets everyone fed without spending all evening in the kitchen.

Main Ingredients & Swaps

Ground turkey: Ground turkey keeps these meatballs simple and works really well with the tomato, basil, and mozzarella.
Tomato paste: Instead of adding a sauce to the meatball mixture, tomato paste gives them concentrated tomato flavor without adding too much moisture.
Mozzarella: The mozzarella gets mixed right into the meatballs. I like shredding it myself because it melts really well, but preshredded mozzarella is completely fine when you need to save time.
Dried basil: I use dried basil here because it’s easy to keep in the pantry and gives the meatballs that classic tomato basil flavor.
Garlic powder: Garlic powder distributes evenly throughout the meat mixture and keeps this recipe extra simple.

Equipment I Use

Rotary cheese grater: I love this for quickly shredding the mozzarella right into the bowl.
Small meatball scoop: A scoop makes portioning the meatballs fast and helps keep them about the same size so they cook evenly.

How I Make It

I start by adding the ground turkey, dried basil, garlic powder, salt, and tomato paste to a large bowl. I use my hands to work everything together until the tomato paste and seasonings are evenly distributed.

Then I shred the mozzarella and mix that directly into the turkey.

I use a small scoop to make meatballs about 1 inch in diameter and arrange them on a parchment lined sheet pan.

They bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 15 minutes, making this a really quick protein to throw together for dinner.

You could cook these in the air fryer or sear them in a skillet, but when I’m making a full batch, the oven is by far the easiest option. Everything cooks at once, and I don’t have to stand over the stove working in batches.

And this is absolutely a night when I would use a good jarred marinara. Add pasta and some frozen vegetables and dinner is done.

Serving Ideas

My favorite way to serve these is with pasta and plenty of red sauce. You can use homemade sauce if you already have some, but jarred marinara makes this an incredibly easy weeknight meal.
Add roasted vegetables, a salad, or even a bag of frozen vegetables on the side.
You could also skip the pasta and serve the meatballs with crusty bread and a simple salad.

Tips & Storage

Try to keep the meatballs roughly the same size so they finish cooking at the same time.
Freshly shredded mozzarella melts especially well, but don’t let that stop you from using preshredded cheese on a busy night.
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them with a little marinara to help keep them moist.
You can also freeze the cooked meatballs for an easy dinner later.

Watch Me Make It

You can watch me make these Tomato Basil Meatballs in my full week of meals video on YouTube. I also show exactly how I turn them into a simple family dinner with pasta, red sauce, and vegetables.