Asian Turkey Meatballs

I had a fierce taste for meatballs and decided to make these Asian inspired baked turkey meatballs. They were extremely easy and tasty. Upon taking them out of the oven I wanted a little crunch on the outside so I seared about 4 of the meatballs in sesame oil, tossed in them in the sauce, and served with julienned carrots and broccoli (Trader Joe’s Broccoli Slaw) . I saved the rest and added the leftover meatballs to a salad, tacos, and even had them for breakfast with eggs later in the week – all delicious!

Check out the quick how-to video below. 🙂

What you’ll need:

• Meatballs
  • 1lb ground turkey
  • 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • fresh minced ginger
  • fresh minced garlic
  • ground coriander
  • sliced green onion
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • Red pepper flakes or Chili paste  (whatever you have to give it kick)
• Sauce
  • Brown Sugar
  • Water
  • Soy Sauce
  • Sesame Oil
  • Chili paste or Sriracha
• Julienned broccoli and carrots (I used Trader Joe’s Broccoli Slaw)
• Toasted sesame seeds
  • Add sesame seeds to a dry pan on medium high heat and toast until brown

What you’ll do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Mix together:
   • ground turkey, breadcrumbs, garlic, green onions, egg, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, minced ginger, ground coriander, sesame oil and soy sauce until combined
3. Add meatballs to a parchment paper lined baking sheet – I used an ice cream scoop to give me generous sized meatballs but use whatever you have (AKA your hands 😉 )
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until fully cooked flipping halfway through
5. When the meatballs are done, quickly sear some (or all) in sesame oil until brown – just to get a crunch on the outside (be careful not to overcook since they were already fully cooked in the oven)
   1. Feel free to add the sauce-less meatballs to tacos, salads, or eggs for meals later in the week.
6. Add water, brown sugar, soy sauce, Sriracha and sesame oil to the pan to create a sauce – taste this as it thickens and adjust as needed
7. Add broccoli/carrot slaw to the pan, toss it in the sauce, and cook to your liking
   1. I like my veggies with some crunch so I barely cook mine
8. Finish with sprinkling the sesame seeds and green onion over meatballs and serve!

This recipe made 10 large meatballs.

Asian Turkey Meatballs searing in sesame oil.