Creamy Garlic Ranch Turkey Meatballs (Print Version)

Tender turkey meatballs baked until golden, then coated in a rich creamy garlic ranch sauce. Perfect weeknight comfort food.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Meatballs

01 - 1.1 lb ground turkey
02 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix
06 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
07 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ For the Creamy Garlic Sauce

11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
13 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
14 - 1 cup chicken broth
15 - 3/4 cup heavy cream
16 - 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix
17 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
18 - Salt and black pepper to taste
19 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, ranch seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined.
03 - Shape mixture into 20 meatballs, approximately 1 heaping tablespoon each, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until meatballs are golden and cooked through with internal temperature reaching 165°F.
05 - While meatballs bake, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
06 - Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
07 - Add heavy cream, ranch seasoning, and Parmesan. Stir and cook until thickened, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Add baked meatballs to the sauce and toss gently to coat. Simmer for 2 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
09 - Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They're impossibly easy to make but taste like you spent your whole afternoon in the kitchen, which feels like a small kitchen magic trick.
  • The sauce is so creamy and garlicky that even people who claim they're not meatball people end up scraping the pan clean.
  • Ground turkey keeps them lighter than beef versions, but the cream sauce makes them feel ridiculously indulgent anyway.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roux step; it's what transforms broth and cream into an actual sauce instead of a thin, greasy puddle that slides around on the plate.
  • Fresh garlic makes an enormous difference here; jarred garlic tastes tinny and flat by comparison, and you're already in the kitchen, so spend the extra thirty seconds mincing four cloves.
  • Gently mix the meatball ingredients so the meat stays tender; overworking develops gluten in the breadcrumbs and creates a dense, rubbery texture that nothing can fix.
03 -
  • Toast your breadcrumbs in a dry skillet for two minutes before mixing them into the meat; it adds a subtle depth that people won't be able to identify but will definitely taste.
  • Let the meatballs cool for five minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to the sauce, so they don't fall apart from the gentle tossing.
  • Make the sauce while the meatballs bake so everything comes together at the same time; cold meatballs dropped into hot sauce create texture problems that you can avoid with basic timing.
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