Asian Turkey Meatballs are so versatile and delicious however you eat them – in a salad, added to a stir-fry, or just dipped in sauce as an appetizer. And at just 15 calories each, you can snack on half a dozen and the protein & veggie fiber will fill you up.
These have a great crunch from the water chestnuts & carrots. This recipe makes a large batch so you can freeze half and have them on hand for a quick healthy meal.
I have a confession, if you haven’t figured it out yet: I love dipping things. If it can be made into a dippable format, I will find a way to do it. (Semi-related: I also love eating with chopsticks, even when there’s no logical need.) “Sauces, Dips, & Spreads” is its own category for a good reason. So my favorite way to eat these is to mix together a little sesame ginger marinade, soy sauce, chili garlic paste, and lime juice, dip ‘em, and call it dinner. Transferring meatballs from the baking sheet to a real dish is optional.
The raw mixture will be much wetter than normal beef or pork meatballs. That’s okay – ground turkey has less fat and it needs this extra liquid to stay moist. Water will also be released from the vegetables as they cook so the turkey won’t dry out. It does make forming the meatballs a little trickier, especially with large vegetable pieces, but don’t worry too much because the cooked meatball will shrink down and hold together.
Asian Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 8 oz. water chestnuts drained & minced
- 3 carrots peeled & grated
- 4 oz. mushrooms chopped
- 1/2 onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro minced
- 1 t. ginger grated
- 1 egg
- 1 T. soy sauce
- 1 T. sambal oelek or chili garlic paste
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mixture will be wet and sticky.
- Roll into 1” meatballs and place on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes until baked through and golden brown.
Notes
These freeze well and can be reheated in either the microwave or oven.
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