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!
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.
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.
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
Lentil Meatballs (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian approved) Baked Chicken Meatballs Cranberry Turkey Meatballs Baked Turkey Meatballs
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.
