Description
These juicy baked turkey meatballs are a delicious and easy appetizer option, featuring a sweet-tangy brown sugar glaze that adds extra flavor. Perfect for parties, these meatballs are baked to perfection and finished with a flavorful glaze, making them a crowd-pleasing treat served with skewers.
Ingredients
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. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place a baking or wire rack over a baking sheet; set aside to ensure even cooking and prevent sticking.
- Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the thawed turkey burgers (or ground turkey), Italian breadcrumbs, beaten egg, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, freshly ground black pepper, minced garlic, and dried oregano thoroughly using a wooden spoon until well incorporated.
- Shape the meatballs. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange them on the prepared baking rack over the baking sheet. Depending on the baking sheet size, you might need to work in two batches.
- Bake. Place the meatballs in the preheated oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until they are fully cooked through and no longer pink inside.
- Make the glaze. In a large non-stick frying pan, combine the water, low sodium soy sauce, light brown sugar, white vinegar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 2 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Add the meatballs. Transfer the baked meatballs to the pan with the glaze. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway through to evenly coat them and stir occasionally. Once glazed, remove from heat and serve warm with skewers.
Notes
- Make sure not to overmix the meatball ingredients to keep them tender.
- You can substitute ground turkey with ground chicken for a different flavor.
- Serve these meatballs as party appetizers or with rice for a complete meal.
- Adjust cayenne pepper levels for desired spice intensity.
- Use a wire rack on the baking sheet to allow fat to drip and meatballs to bake more evenly.