These delicious carnivore meatballs are easy to love, combining ground turkey with a rich, creamy sauce that will have everyone asking for seconds.
What makes these meatballs special is their texture – they’re tender and moist thanks to the clever combination of ricotta cheese and pork rind crumbs.
Many people worry about turkey meatballs being dry, but you won’t have that problem with this recipe.
It’s a simple combination of heavy cream, butter, and parmesan cheese, but when these ingredients come together, they create something magical that coats each meatball perfectly.
Whether you’re following a carnivore diet or just looking for a delicious protein-rich meal, these meatballs deliver on both taste and nutrition. Let’s get started!
👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Rich Creamy Sauce: The sauce is a game changer! It’s thick, creamy, and coats each meatball perfectly. Made with heavy cream, butter, and parmesan, it’s the kind of sauce that makes you forget you’re on a diet.
Great For Meal Prep: These meatballs reheat beautifully, making them perfect for meal preparation. You can make a big batch on Sunday and enjoy them throughout the week. They actually taste even better the next day as the flavors develop more in the fridge.
Perfect For Beginners: These turkey meatballs are nearly impossible to mess up. You just mix everything in one bowl, form the meatballs, and bake them.
Freezer-Friendly: You can freeze these meatballs both with and without the sauce. This means you can make a double batch and always have a quick carnivore meal ready to go. Just thaw, reheat, and enjoy – perfect for busy days!
✨ Recipe Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 pounds Ground Turkey
- 1 cup Pork Rind Crumbs (I recommend these – amazon)
- 1 Egg (large)
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
My Sauce
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 tablespoons Butter (unsalted)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic (minced)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Optional : basil for garnishing
Note: I am adding garlic powder and other Italian seasonings in very small amounts to make this dish extra tasty. If you follow a 100% strict carnivore diet, feel free to just omit these ingredients.
- ✓ Weekly Meal Plans
- ✓ Exclusive Carnivore Recipes
- ✓ Carnivore Diet Tips
👨🍳 How To Make
Follow this easy recipe:
Step 1
Start by preheating the oven to 400 F and greasing a baking dish (I used a 10×13 inch one) with melted butter.
Step 2
Add all the meatball ingredients from the list to a large bowl.
Step 3
Mix everything until well combined, and then form the mixture into even small meatballs. Place them in the baking dish.
Step 4
Bake for 20 minutes until browned. Then, remove from the oven.
Step 5
Place a skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Then, add the garlic and sauté. Add the heavy cream, pepper, and salt. Simmer until the sauce thickens, and then stir in the parmesan and basil.
Step 6
Add the meatballs to the skillet, toss them until coated, and serve. Enjoy!
💡Tips
1. Mixing
Mix the meatball ingredients just until everything is combined – don’t overwork the mixture. Using your hands is the best way to mix everything.
When meat mixture is overmixed, it becomes tough and dense after cooking. You want to see all the ingredients evenly distributed, but stop as soon as you reach that point.
If your hands are sticking too much to the mixture, wet them with a little cold water – this makes handling the meat much easier.
2. Making The Sauce
When making the cream sauce, let it simmer until it coats the back of a spoon. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes of simmering. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent the cream from scorching on the bottom of the pan.
If your sauce gets too thick, you can thin it out with a little more cream. If it’s too thin, let it simmer a few minutes longer. The sauce will also thicken more as it cools.
You’ll Love These Recipes Too
Check out these recipes too:
FAQ
1. Can I use ground chicken instead of turkey?
Yes, you can definitely use ground chicken! The recipe will work just as well with ground chicken, but keep in mind that chicken can be even more prone to drying out than turkey.
To make sure your chicken meatballs stay moist, you might want to use slightly more ricotta cheese – try adding an extra 2-3 tablespoons. Also, check them a few minutes earlier in the oven since chicken sometimes cooks a bit faster than turkey.
2. Can I make these without the cream sauce?
Absolutely! The meatballs are delicious on their own without the sauce. If you skip the sauce, you might want to add a bit more seasoning to the meatball mixture since the sauce adds quite a bit of flavor.
You could also serve them with melted butter or a different carnivore-friendly sauce of your choice. You can even serve them plain with extra parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Carnivore Turkey Meatballs With Sauce
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 pounds Ground Turkey
- 1 cup Pork Rind Crumbs (I recommend these – amazon)
- 1 Egg large
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
My Sauce
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 tablespoons Butter unsalted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic minced
- Salt
- Pepper
- Optional : basil for garnishing
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 400 F and greasing a baking dish (I used a 10×13 inch one) with melted butter.
- Add all the meatball ingredients from the list to a large bowl.
- Mix everything until well combined, and then form the mixture into even small meatballs. Place them in the baking dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes until browned. Then, remove from the oven.
- Place a skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Then, add the garlic and sauté. Add the heavy cream, pepper, and salt. Simmer until the sauce thickens, and then stir in the parmesan and basil.
- Add the meatballs to the skillet, toss them until coated, and serve. Enjoy!
This is an amazing recipe for Turkey meatball with sauce…..everyone who ate had it raved about how good it was. Definitely will make it many more times. Thanks