Asian Turkey Meatballs

Asian Turkey Meatballs – A fantastic appetizer or meal ready in less than 30 minutes! Baked turkey meatballs covered in a delicious teriyaki sauce. These meatballs are perfect served over rice or noodles!

Asian Turkey Meatballs

Now it’s no secret, I love recipes with asian flavors.  Whether it’s spicy pork ramen or orange chicken stir fry, I am so excited to eat it.  My absolute favorite part of going to Japan both times was getting to try all of the incredible foods and not once did I have something I did not enjoy.  Now for this recipe, I wanted to combine a classic American dish with the flavors of Japan and what I ended up with was this baked teriyaki turkey meatball recipe.  It is the best turkey meatballs recipe!

I decided to go with ground turkey as the base because it’s a bit healthier than beef and it’s really easy to work with.  It has a subtle flavor which works wonderfully with the sauce and the spices right inside the meatballs.  If you do not want to use turkey, ground chicken would be another great option.

Additionally, these meatballs are baked! They turn out a lot less greasy then fried meatballs and it’s less work for the cook since you just pop the meatballs onto a sheet pan and then into the oven for it to works it’s magic! Easy peasy, yeah?

Common questions about making turkey meatballs

How long do you cook turkey meatballs?

Usually you need to cook turkey meatballs about 12-15 minutes.  It really depends on how big you make the meatballs.  The recipe makes about 12 meatballs that are 1 1/4″ big so they are on the shorter end of things, cooking for just 12 minutes.  The outside should be browned and the inside should not be pink anymore.  Another way to know the meatballs are done is that they should be running clear juices, not pink.

Do you need eggs to make meatballs?

Yes.  Egg works as a binder for the meatballs so they don’t fall apart, they are not just to make the meatballs moister.  You need about 1 egg per pound of meat as a general rule of thumb for meatball making.  The only time you don’t use eggs is when you use an alternative binding agent.

What can you use as a binding agent instead of eggs?

Yes, some other options include making a flax egg, using chia seeds, or using oil and water.  To do the oil and water method, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons water, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Why do my turkey meatballs fall apart?

That can be from an imbalance in the amount of breadcrumbs vs eggs.  If there are too much breadcrumbs, the meatballs will be loose and fall apart.  If there isn’t enough breadcrumbs, the meatballs will not form correctly.  Yes, they are a little fickle so just make sure you still to the amounts of egg and breadcrumbs in the recipe!

Other tips and tricks on this asian turkey meatball recipe

• You can substitute in garlic powder and ground ginger but the flavors will definitely not be as strong. I would use just 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/3 teaspoon garlic powder in both the meatballs and sauce. If you prefer beef meatballs, you can sub beef in for turkey in the recipe.
• If you plan on serving these meatballs as a meal, I suggest serving with white rice or noodles such as ramen or lo mein noodles.  There is enough meatballs for about 3-4 servings as a meal but they definitely need something else to go with them! If you decide to make noodles, I suggest doubling the sauce recipe and using half of it for the meatballs and toss the noodles with the remaining sauce.

Can’t get enough of this recipe? Try these other recipes!

• General Tso Chicken Stir Fry
• Black Pepper Chicken Stir Fry

Check out the video of this asian turkey meatball recipe!

5 from 13 votes

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Asian Turkey Meatballs

Asian Turkey Meatballs - A fantastic appetizer or meal ready in less than 30 minutes! Baked turkey meatballs covered in a delicious teriyaki sauce. These meatballs are perfect served over rice or noodles!

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American, Japanese

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Servings 12 meatballs

Ingredients

Turkey Meatballs

• 16 ounces ground turkey
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves minced

Teriyaki Sauce

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Toppings

• Thinly sliced green onions
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.  Set aside.
   

2. Combine all ingredients for the meatballs in a mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
   

3. Roll the meatballs into balls that are 1 1/4".  Place on the sheet pan and bake for 12 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
   

4. While the meatballs are cooking, combine the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly.
   

5. Once the meatballs are done cooking, transfer them to a mixing bowl and pour the sauce over them.  Gently mix so so the sauce covers all of the meatballs completely.  Serve topped with green onions and sesame seeds on top over rice or noodles.
   

Recipe Notes

Originally posted on Yellow Bliss Road

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