By request (thank you for the suggestion Carla), I am sharing my recipe for my turkey meatballs. I know a lot of people are nay-sayers when it comes to ground turkey, but I actually prefer it over ground beef, and have received compliments from those who doubted. Whether I am making appetizers of Honey Garlic Cocktail Meatballs or Meatball Grinders/Sliders, or making the classic Spaghetti and Meatballs, with Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce, this is my “go-to” for the meatball.
- 1 lb. ground turkey (my preference is an organic ground turkey with 93% fat)
- 1/2 c chopped onion
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 Large egg
- 1 Tbs Worcester Sauce
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1/2 c bread crumbs (either traditional Italian or you can easily substitute with your favorite Gluten Free brand)
- 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese (optional if making lactose free)
- 1/4 c chopped parsley
- 2 Tbs olive oil (if frying)
Mix in the chopped onion, garlic powder and salt to the ground turkey.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, Worcester sauce and tomato paste. Pour over the ground turkey mixture. Mixing well.
Add in your breadcrumbs, cheese and parsley. At this point, you will want to assess if you your turkey is the right consistency to form into a ball. If it still seems to moist, add in more bread crumbs. Your choice of bread crumb, the fat % of your turkey and the size of your egg can make a difference. You want the turkey to still have moisture, but not falling apart. I suggest rolling a ball as a test.
If you are making turkey meatball sliders or meatballs for spaghetti, I would roll my balls about 2 inches round, and you have a few options for cooking them, frying or baking, then finishing off in the tomato sauce. I prefer to fry them. Add about 2 Tbs oil to your frying pan, and heat over med-high heat. Add your balls and fry on each side, just for a few minutes per, as they’ll cook the rest of the way when you add them into your tomato sauce (see Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce recipe or use your own favorite recipe).
If you’re making cocktail meatballs, you’re going to want to roll them much smaller (think bite size) and I prefer to bake those. I place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and then turning for another 10 minutes. These will cook a bit more when adding to the crockpot (see Honey Garlic Crockpot Meatball recipe for details. Note I obviously don’t use frozen meatballs and can reduce the cooking time to 1 1/2 – 2 hours. I also reduce the amount of honey in this recipe, as it tends to be too sweet with the full amount).
If making sliders, or using your meatballs for a meatball grinder, I typically use a good Italian grinder roll, like Ciabatta, or a slider roll, or, if Gluten Free, I love the Against the Grain baguette. I will toast the bread briefly, before adding the meatballs and a layer of provolone cheese on top. I like to get the cheese melted by placing the grinders/sliders in the oven at 350 degrees for a few minutes, just until the cheese is melted.
No matter what recipe you choose, I hope you enjoy!