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Tossed in a delicious but simple sauce, these Asian turkey meatballs are perfect as an appetizer or as meal served over some rice.
Who doesn't love meatballs - from homemade meatballs to chicken pesto meatballs to baked turkey meatballs.
While meatballs are most famous for just being tossed in some tomato sauce with spaghetti, there are so many ways to utilize them.
And lately, I've been on an Asian kick. I just love the combination of flavors of sweet and spicy. These meatballs are tender, juicy and loaded with flavor. But tossing it in a teriyaki-like sauce puts it over the top.
And by baking them instead of frying, not only is it easier to prepare but less of a mess as well. So if you are looking for a simple dinner or appetizer that everyone will love, these Asian turkey meatballs should be at the top of the list.
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Ingredient Notes
- Turkey - fresh ground turkey is what I use.
- Breadcrumbs - helps soak up some of the liquid.
- Egg - important as it helps bind everything together.
- Sauce - very similar to a teriyaki sauce and what makes these Asian turkey meatballs better than anything you can buy at the store.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I use ground turkey, ground chicken, pork or beef can be substituted.
- I like the crunch of panko breadcrumbs, but plain breadcrumbs work too.
- You can use ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder and ground ginger in replace of the garlic and ginger.
- If you have an egg allergy or don't have any, you can use a chia seed egg.
- If you don't have green onions, white onions work too or even chives.
Step-by-Step Photos
Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a bowl and then form into golf ball sized balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Make the glaze by adding all of the ingredients to a skillet except for the water and cornstarch. Cook for 5 minutes and thin whisk in the water and cornstarch and cook until thickened. Toss in the meatballs and top with some sesame seeds and green onions.
FAQs
If you don't have panko breadcrumbs on hand, you can always use regular breadcrumbs or even make your own if you have some leftover bread. Just throw in a food processor and you have breadcrumbs. Crushed crackers can work in a pinch too for these oven baked meatballs.
No. While the sauce is super easy to make, you can always but a jar of teriyaki sauce.
It can be related to the breadcrumb to egg ratio. If there is too much breadcrumbs, the meatballs will fall apart or if there are too little, they won't form.
You know the meatballs are done when inserting an instant read thermometer and it reads 165°F. I usually just cut one in half and see if there is any pink left. Just throw back in oven for another 3-5 minutes if they aren't done.
Yes you can. Let them cool enough to handle and scrape any fat off that might release. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze then transfer to a freezer bag so they don't stick. To reheat, place the frozen or thawed meatballs in your sauce and cook until heated through.
Side Dish Suggestions
These Asian turkey meatballs are great as an appetizer but can be used as a main dish as well. Some sides that work great are:
- White or brown rice
- Fried rice
- Lo mein
- Chow mein
- Steamed vegetables
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Don’t over-mix! Over-mixing the meatballs will make them tough.
- Use an ice cream scoop to make the meatballs equal in size so they all cook the same.
- Use cold ingredients to keep the fat from melting before transferring to the oven.
- Remove the sauce from the heat as soon as it is thickened, otherwise it will get too gloopy.
Similar Recipes
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Asian Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 green onions, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Glaze
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- toasted sesame seeds and green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, green onion, garlic, ginger, egg, soy sauce, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Squish the mixture with your hands until mixed. The mixture should be fairly wet.
- Use wet hands or an ice cream scoop to shape the meatballs to desired size, usually golf ball size. Put some parchment paper on a baking sheet and place meatballs in single layer. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until meatballs start to brown on top.
- While meatballs are baking, make the glaze. In a large sauce pan, add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes. Whisk together the water and cornstarch in a measuring cup and add to the sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes until thickened.
- Add the meatballs, tossing to coat. Top with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
- Don’t over-mix! Over-mixing the meatballs will make them tough.
- Use an ice cream scoop to make the meatballs equal in size so they all cook the same.
- Use cold ingredients to keep the fat from melting before transferring to the oven.
- Remove the sauce from the heat as soon as it is thickened, otherwise it will get too gloopy.
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