Turkey Spinach Meatball Subs

This Turkey Meatball Sub Sandwich recipe is easy to make and wonderfully comforting. Homemade turkey and spinach meatballs cook down in flavorful marinara sauce and then are layered onto a homemade sub sandwich. Learn how to make this at home!

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When I developed this recipe, I was pregnant… and these Turkey Spinach Meatball Sub Sandwiches were born from a craving.

I had a meatball sub at some point in July with a friend of mine, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

The problem is: I’m picky about meatballs because my mom’s ground beef and sausage meatballs are the best.

So I made my own version at home and snuck in some spinach (because OF COURSE) and kept them a little lighter.

The results were delicious, and Winston said these were his favorite meatballs to date.

Why I love this recipe:

Meatballs subs are wonderfully satisfying and comforting, but they can sometimes feel a little heavy.

This one, made with turkey and spinach meatballs, strikes that perfect balance of being savory and comforting without being so over the top.

They’re also totally from scratch, meaning we make the meatballs, then we make the marinara before assembling the sandwich.

It’s a process, but a worthwhile one.

More Italian-inspired recipes to try: Lemon Shrimp Pasta | How to make Easy Marinara Sauce | French Onion Steak Pasta

What you need to make this recipe:

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• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Large mixing bowl
• Garlic press
• Box grater
• 1-tablespoon cookie scoop
• Sheet pan
• Parchment paper or foil
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Large Dutch oven or soup pot
• Liquid measuring cups
• Serrated knife

Here is what you need to get at the store to make this one:

• Lean ground turkey — this is the base for the meatballs. Use your favorite brand. I prefer to use 97% lean turkey here for a leaner meatball.
• Frozen spinach — cut leaf spinach is where it’s at. It needs to be cooked and drained well before you add it to the meatballs so that they don’t get soupy.
• Onions and garlic — we need yellow or white onions, as well as garlic cloves, for both the meatballs and the sauce. I prefer to mince my own garlic because it is fresher this way, but you can use the jarred kind, if necessary.
• Panko breadcrumbs — these help bring the meatballs ingredients together. Regular breadcrumbs also work if that’s what you have on hand. I just like panko for their texture.
• Parmesan cheese — grated parmesan is what we are looking for. Grate your own or purchase the pre-grated stuff at the store.
• Egg — this serves as the binder for the meatballs. There is no easy substitute.
• Herbs and spices — we use a combination of dried oregano, dried basil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper here. If you want to use fresh herbs, you’ll need double the amount listed. We need these for the meatballs, as well as the sauce.
• Olive oil — or another neutral oil, if you prefer. We sear the onion and garlic in this to start the marinara sauce.
• Tomato puree — this is the base of the marinara sauce. There is no substitute.
• Water — this thins out the sauce a little bit. So if you don’t love a super thick sauce, this is your superpower.
• Tomato paste — this adds rich, intense tomato flavor to the marinara. I highly recommend getting a squeeze bottle of it so that you don’t have to open a 6 oz. can every time you need a little paste.
• Rolls — I used ciabatta rolls for these sandwiches. You can use sub rolls, hoagie rolls or hero rolls if you prefer.
• Fresh mozzarella cheese — this is added to the bottom of the bread and adds a lovely creaminess when paired with the crusty bread, meatballs and the sauce.

How to make Turkey and Spinach Meatballs

Mise en place. Preheat the oven, and line a sheet pan with parchment, foil or a silicone mat. Spritz with cooking spray, too, and set aside. Chop all the veggies. Cook and drain the spinach.

Measure the ingredients. Combine the ground turkey, cooked spinach, onion, garlic cloves, panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg and spices in a large mixing bowl.

Mix them up. Use your hands to gently massage the meatball ingredients together until well-combined.

Scoop the meatballs. Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop, then form the meatballs in your hands. Repeat the process until all of the meatballs have been made. (This recipe makes around 26 meatballs.)

Bake the meatballs for 30 minutes, or until browned on the outside and cooked through. (Poultry should always reach 165F to be safe to eat.)

Make the marinara sauce

Do this while the meatballs bake!

Warm the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until they are transluscent.

Add the tomato puree and water to the pot, and stir to combine. Measure in the tomato paste, too, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and partially cover until the meatballs are out of the oven.

When the meatballs are done, gently spoon them into the marinara sauce, and let them simmer together for an additional 30 minutes.

How to make Turkey Sub Sandwiches

Toast the bread, then slice in half with a serrated knife.

Layer on the fresh mozzarella rounds. I like to place these on the bottom slice of the bread so that they can sop up the sauce and become gooey.

Add the meatballs and marinara on top of the cheese. Add a sprinkle of fresh oregano or basil, if desired.

Finish the sandwich by adding the top half of the bread, and enjoy immediately.

More comfort food recipes to try:

We can’t say no to BBQ Chicken Sliders with Avocado Slaw or this Roast Beef Sandwich.

This Croissant Breakfast Sandwich recipe is fabulous for breakfast… or breakfast for dinner.

Want to make this meatball sub recipe? Here’s how I made it:

Turkey Spinach Meatball Subs

Servings: 12 sandwiches

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

5 from 2 votes

Satisfy a Meatball Sub craving with this healthier Turkey Spinach Meatball Sub. Flavorful and swimming in marinara sauce, it's hard not to love this simple and delicious sandwich.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

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EQUIPMENT

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Large mixing bowl
• Sharp knife
• Garlic press
• Rimmed sheet pan
• Parchment baking paper
• 100% avocado oil spray
• Cookie scoop (1-tablespoon)
• Round Dutch oven (7.5 qt.)
• Liquid measuring cup
• Serrated knife

Ingredients

 

Turkey Spinach Meatballs (makes 26 total)

• 1 ¼ lbs. lean ground turkey
• 12 oz. cut leaf spinach cooked and drained well
• 1 yellow onion finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves finely minced
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 4 teaspoons fresh oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil or 1 teaspoon fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Marinara Sauce

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 ¾ cups tomato puree
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 4 teaspoons fresh oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil or 1 teaspoon fresh basil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sandwiches

• 12 Ciabatta rolls
• Fresh mozzarella cheese

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Instructions

 

Prepare the Meatballs

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet — line it with parchment paper, aluminum foil or a silpat mat. Spray with cooking spray, and set aside.
• In a large glass bowl, combine the ground turkey, cooked spinach, onion, garlic cloves, panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg and spices using your hands.
• When the meatball mixture has come together and is well mixed, prepare the meatballs. Using a small cookie scoop, form the meatballs with your hands, then place carefully on the baking sheet. Repeat the process until all the mixture has been made into meatballs.
• Bake the meatballs for 30-40 minutes, or until browned on the outside and cooked through in the middle.

Prepare the Marinara Sauce

• While the meatballs are baking, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion and garlic, cooking for 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables have become translucent.
• Pour in the tomato puree and water, stirring until combined. Add the tomato paste and the spices, and bring to a boil.
• Once at a boil, lower heat to a simmer and partially cover, simmering until the meatballs have finished cooking.

Combine the meatballs and marinara

• When the meatballs have finished cooking, transfer them directly into the marinara sauce.
• Simmer the sauce and meatballs for an additional 30 minutes.

Prepare the sandwiches

• Toast the bread.
• Slice the bread in half, and place the fresh mozzarella down first on the bottom slice.
• Gently spoon meatballs and marinara sauce on top of the mozzarella, then top the sandwich with the other half of the bread.
• Enjoy warm!

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 437kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 26gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 936mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9g

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