Why you’ll love it: Juicy turkey meatballs are paired with tender roasted root vegetables, and served with a creamy lemon garlic sauce to make this easy, flavorful sheet pan dinner recipe.
How long it takes: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: bowl, sheet pan
Servings: 4
34 Grams Of Protein!
What happens when you combine the juicy goodness of my baked turkey meatballs with the Mediterranean flavors of my Greek turkey meatballs? And then throw in roasted carrots, red potatoes, and parsnips for good measure? You get this fantastic, flavor-packed sheet pan dinner!
I love this recipe because it combines familiar turkey meatballs (a kid-approved favorite in Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs!), carrots, and potatoes with some more adventurous elements like parsnips and a creamy cottage cheese-based dipping sauce.
What makes it special:
- Big Mediterranean flavor: Lemon zest, parsley, and garlic are added to both the sauce and the meatballs themselves to infuse them with Greek-inspired flavor. The parsnips and carrots get sweeter and caramelized in the oven, while the potatoes turn crispy and golden brown. Delicious!
- Easy cleanup: The vegetables and meatballs cook on the same sheet pan, so there’s no washing a sink full of pans after dinner. You can make the sauce ahead!
- Protein-packed: 34 grams per serving, thanks to turkey and cottage cheese.
Ingredient Notes
This is a short overview of why I chose the ingredients I chose, and some substitutes and tips that work. Scroll down for the full recipe with measurements!
- Ground turkey: I use lean (93/7) ground turkey for this recipe so there isn’t a lot of excess grease on the pan.
- Panko breadcrumbs, egg: These two ingredients help bind the turkey meatballs together. The best substitute for panko is coarse homemade breadcrumbs, not store-bought plain breadcrumbs.
- Garlic: Grate the garlic or push it through a garlic press so it’s evenly distributed in the meatball mixture. You’ll also add garlic to the sauce.
- Lemon: Zest the lemon first, to add to the meatballs, then juice it for the sauce.
- Root vegetables: I love this trio of parsnips, carrots, and red potatoes. Parsnips look like white carrots; they have a sweet flavor with a hint of anise. Use full-sized carrots which taste better than baby carrots. The veggies are tossed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Sauce: The primary ingredient in the sauce is small curd cottage cheese which is blended until it forms a smooth, creamy sauce. A drizzle of olive oil and a splash of lemon juice, along with fresh parsley, garlic, and black pepper enliven the sauce. It’s so fresh tasting and delicious!
How to Make This Meatball Sheet Pan Dinner
Roast the vegetables. Toss the root veggies with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out onto a large sheet pan (about 18 x 13 inches) rubbed or sprayed with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes.
Make the meatballs. Use your hands to combine the ground turkey with the parsley, panko, egg, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Divide the mixture into 16 meatballs; roll them gently between your palms to shape them.
Recipe Tip
When working with ground turkey (or any ground meat for that matter), it’s important to use a light touch when combining it with other ingredients. If you smash and squeeze the mixture too much, your meatballs will be tough.
Add the meatballs to the pan. Stir the vegetables on the sheet pan, then add the meatballs, pushing aside the veggies to make space for them throughout the pan.
Keep roasting. Place the pan in the oven and continue to bake for about 20 minutes more, or until the meatballs reach 165°F in the center and the vegetables are tender.
Make the sauce. While the sheet pan meal is roasting, blend the sauce ingredients in a mini food processor or blender, until the sauce is velvety smooth, and you can’t see any curds remaining.
Serve. Spread a spoonful of sauce on each plate, then add the meatballs and vegetables. Alternatively, you can use the sauce as a dipping sauce. Garnish the meal with additional parsley, and serve.
Easy Recipe Variations
- Try a different sauce. Chimichurri, basil pesto, or parsley pesto would all work well with this recipe, as would tzatziki or even a flavorful hummus.
- Use other vegetables. Pretty much any vegetables will pair well with the turkey meatballs and lemon garlic sauce. Roast heartier veggies like sweet potatoes, winter squash, and cauliflower for the full time; add more tender vegetables like green beans and zucchini with the meatballs.
- Add thyme. For another layer of herbal flavor, add ½ teaspoon dried thyme to the meatballs. Where parsley is fresh and vibrant, thyme adds a woodsy, earthy note.
Refrigerate: Transfer any leftover sheet pan turkey meatballs and roasted vegetables to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freeze: You can also freeze leftovers for up to 6 months. I recommend freezing in a freezer bag with the air pressed out to protect from freezer burn. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: Warm up individual servings in the microwave or air fryer, or heat in the oven at 400°F until warmed through.
More Sheet Pan Recipes
Turkey Meatballs & Root Vegetables Sheet Pan Dinner
Ingredients
For the vegetables:
- 12 ounces parsnips (peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes)
- 12 ounces carrots (peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices)
- 16 ounces red potatoes (cut into ½-inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
For the meatballs:
- 16 ounces lean ground turkey (93/7)
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
For the sauce:
- 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (good quality olive oil works best for the sauce)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from the lemon you zested for the meatballs)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and spray or rub a large rimmed sheet pan (about 18 x 13 inches) with olive oil.
- Toss the parsnips, carrots, and potatoes on the pan with the olive oil, salt, and pepper; spread into a single layer on the sheet pan.12 ounces parsnips, 12 ounces carrots, 16 ounces red potatoes, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Bake vegetables in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey, parsley, panko, egg, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Mix gently just until everything is incorporated.16 ounces lean ground turkey (93/7), ¼ cup minced fresh parsley, ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 large egg, lightly beaten, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Shape the mixture into 16 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each).
- When vegetables have roasted 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Stir the vegetables, and then nestle the meatballs on the sheet pan among the vegetables.
- Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the meatballs register 165°F in the center and the vegetables are tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
- While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. In a mini food processor, blend together cottage cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and pepper until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.1 cup small curd cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- To serve, schmear a spoonful of the sauce on each plate. Serve meatballs with vegetables on the sauce. Sprinkle with additional fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Sauce: The recipe is good without the sauce, but better with it. You could also use the sauce as a dipping sauce. Chimichurri would also be delicious if you’d like a dairy-free option. Tzatziki is good if you’re looking for a quick store-bought shortcut.
- Vegetables: Feel free to substitute other vegetables of your choice. Faster-cooking vegetables should be added to the pan at the same time as the meatballs.
- Make-ahead: Prep the meatballs up to a day ahead; cover and refrigerate until ready to use; they can also be frozen. The sauce can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated.
- Storage tips: Leftover meatballs and vegetables can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 6 months. Refrigerate sauce separately; it does not freeze well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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