Ricotta Meatballs with Crispy Topping Recipe
These Ricotta Meatballs with The Crispy Topping are a flavorful and hearty dish featuring ground turkey blended with creamy ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. Baked to golden perfection and finished under the broiler with a crunchy Parmesan-panko topping, these meatballs are perfect served in a rich tomato sauce alongside a green salad and garlic bread for dipping.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 20-24 meatballs, serves about 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground turkey (93/7 lean, ground chicken or other ground meat can be substituted)
- 1/2 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Sauce
- 1 jar tomato sauce (28–32 ounces, marinara or pasta sauce)
Crispy Topping
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking the meatballs.
- Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasoning. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated but avoid overmixing to keep meatballs tender.
- Form Meatballs: Roll the mixture into 20-24 small, evenly sized meatballs to promote even cooking.
- Prepare Baking Pan: Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a shallow Dutch oven or oven-safe baking pan to prevent sticking.
- Bake Meatballs: Place the meatballs in the prepared pan, ensuring they have space between them. Bake on the middle oven rack for 20-25 minutes until nicely browned on the bottom.
- Add Sauce: Pour the jar of tomato sauce over the baked meatballs in the pan and gently stir to coat all meatballs thoroughly.
- Prepare Crispy Topping: In a small bowl, mix together the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and chopped parsley.
- Top Meatballs: Sprinkle the crispy topping evenly over the sauced meatballs.
- Final Bake: Return the pan to the oven for 5-7 minutes to warm the sauce. Then, turn on the broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes to crisp and golden the topping, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve immediately. These meatballs pair wonderfully with a green salad and garlic bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey with ground chicken, beef, pork, or a combination according to your preference.
- Ensure not to overmix the meatball ingredients to keep the texture tender.
- When broiling the topping, watch carefully as it can burn quickly.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the panko breadcrumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- These meatballs freeze well both before and after baking—freeze raw for later cooking or freeze cooked with sauce for a quick meal.
Keywords: Ricotta meatballs, turkey meatballs, baked meatballs, crispy topping, Italian meatballs, easy dinner
