Turkey-lentil meatballs
Original EZEATS recipe · editorially reviewed draft · owner review required · not kitchen-tested.
Mashed lentils keep baked turkey meatballs tender in tomato sauce.
Italian-inspired · dinner · moderate
Servings: 4
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min (estimate)
Estimated cost: USD 6 per serving. Not a price quote or a CAD conversion.
Diet and allergy suitability: unverified. Ingredient-list screening only, for the exact products specified. Brands, substitutions and cross-contact can change suitability. Editorial review is not kitchen testing or a medical or allergy-safety guarantee.
Known allergens: Eggs, Wheat. This list may be incomplete; check package labels and cross-contact.
Before you cook
- Before starting, wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Rinse fresh produce under running water and use clean utensils.
- Check every packaged ingredient label for dietary requirements and allergens, including cross-contact notices. Choose products with no additional allergenic ingredients beyond the warnings listed here; otherwise these ingredient-based recommendations no longer apply. Listed tags apply only to the specified ingredients; they are not allergy-safe guarantees.
- Refrigerate perishable ingredients until needed. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 90°F/32°C); reheat leftovers to 74°C/165°F.
- Thaw raw meat or seafood in the refrigerator. Use a separate board and utensils for raw ingredients; wash hands and clean and sanitize tools and surfaces afterward. Never put cooked food on a plate that held raw food. Check internal temperature with a clean food thermometer in the thickest part of each piece.
- Do not rinse raw meat or poultry; splashes can spread bacteria. Cooking times are estimates: the required internal temperature controls doneness.
- Keep eggs refrigerated. Discard cracked eggs; wash hands, bowls and tools after raw egg or shell contact. Cook until fully set and the stated internal temperature is reached.
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw ground turkey (450 g Keep refrigerated until cooking.)
- 1 cup cooked lentils (Drained; use canned or refrigerated ready-cooked lentils. Check package labels; use the specified dietary version and check additional allergens and cross-contact notices.)
- 1/3 cup vegan wheat breadcrumbs (Check package labels; use the specified dietary version and check additional allergens and cross-contact notices.)
- 1 large eggs (Keep refrigerated; discard cracked eggs. Wash hands and tools after handling shells.)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups plain gluten-free vegan tomato sauce (Check package labels; use the specified dietary version and check additional allergens and cross-contact notices.)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Grease a rimmed sheet pan with the olive oil. Mash the cooked lentils thoroughly in a large bowl.
- Mix in the raw ground turkey, vegan wheat breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic and dried oregano just until combined. Shape into 16 equal meatballs; wash hands and raw-mixture tools.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes until the centers of several meatballs reach 74°C/165°F, checking the largest ones.
- Heat the plain gluten-free vegan tomato sauce in a saucepan until simmering. Fold in the cooked meatballs and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve four per person with sauce.
Source & attribution
Original EZEATS recipe text, authored for EZEATS EH LLC.
First-party EZEATS content; no external reuse license granted.
Editorial review: 2026-09-18. Checked for ingredient coverage, recipe structure and consistency against the cited temperature guidance. Owner review and kitchen testing are still required.
Measurements: 1 cup approximately 240 mL; 1 tablespoon 15 mL; 1 teaspoon 5 mL. Oven temperatures are conventional.