Description
These flavorful Turkey Meatballs are a perfect blend of ground turkey, aromatic spices, and a tangy-sweet glaze made with soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegars. Baked to juicy perfection and then simmered in a delicious glaze, these meatballs are great as an appetizer or main dish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground turkey (or 1 package of Butterball Sweet Onion Turkey Burgers, thawed)
- ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, lightly beaten to break up the yolk
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
For the Glaze
- ⅔ cup water
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Prep the oven and rack. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place a baking or wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside to prepare for baking the meatballs.
- Combine the meatball ingredients. In a large bowl, add the thawed ground turkey or turkey burgers, Italian breadcrumbs, beaten egg, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, and dried oregano. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Shape the meatballs. Using your hands or a small scoop, form the mixture into roughly 1-inch diameter balls. Place the shaped meatballs evenly spaced on the prepared baking rack on the baking sheet. If necessary, work in batches depending on the size of your baking equipment.
- Bake the meatballs. Place the baking sheet with meatballs into the oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink inside.
- Prepare the glaze. While the meatballs bake, combine water, low sodium soy sauce, light brown sugar, white vinegar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 2 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Glaze the meatballs. Once the meatballs are done baking, add them to the simmering glaze in the frying pan. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, turning once halfway through to evenly coat and caramelize the glaze. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Serve. Remove the glazed meatballs from the pan and serve warm as an appetizer or with your favorite sides for a meal.
Notes
- You can substitute regular ground turkey with turkey burger patties if preferred.
- Adjust cayenne pepper quantity based on your desired spice level.
- Using a wire rack when baking allows excess fat to drip away for a healthier option.
- The glaze can be thickened by simmering a little longer if a stickier consistency is desired.
- These meatballs can be served over rice, noodles, or alongside steamed vegetables.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs (approx. 100g)
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
