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So I made these for a potluck at work like 6 months ago because i was trying to bring something that wasnt just chips and dip for once. bought ground turkey on sale and had sriracha in the fridge and just kind of winged it. everyone kept asking for the recipe and i had to admit i just made it up lol
the funny part is i burned the first batch. left them in the oven too long because i was answering emails and they were basically hockey pucks. had to start over and almost gave up and bought something instead
but the second batch turned out really good and now my coworker jen asks me to make them for literally every office thing. shes obsessed with them
Why these work
turkey is lean so it feels less heavy than beef meatballs but you still get that protein the honey sriracha combo is sweet and spicy without being too much either way you can control the heat by using more or less sriracha, mine are medium-ish they bake in the oven so you dont have to stand there flipping them reheat better than most meatballs ive made, dont get dry
What you need
for the meatballs: 1.5 pounds ground turkey (i use 93/7 usually) one egg panko breadcrumbs maybe 3/4 cup, i add til it looks right couple tablespoons of sriracha mixed into the meat garlic powder and onion powder salt green onions chopped up if you have them, i forget sometimes ginger powder or fresh grated if youre fancy, i use the powder
for the sauce: honey like 1/3 cup sriracha to taste, i do maybe 3 tablespoons but start with less soy sauce rice vinegar splash garlic minced or the jar kind
Making them
preheat your oven to 400. line a baking sheet with foil or parchment so you dont have to scrub it later
mix the turkey with egg, panko, sriracha, and all your seasonings in a bowl. turkey is sticky and annoying to work with but whatever. i use my hands
roll them into balls about an inch and a half wide. i get maybe 24-26 from this amount. put them on your baking sheet with some space between
bake for like 18-20 minutes. mine usually take 20 but everyones oven is different. theyre done when theyre not pink inside and feel firm when you poke them
while theyre baking make your sauce. throw honey, sriracha, soy sauce, rice vinegar and garlic in a small pot. heat it on medium and whisk it together. let it simmer for a few minutes til it thickens up a little bit
when the meatballs are done toss them in the sauce. i usually just put them in a big bowl and pour sauce over and mix it around with a spoon
Tips and stuff
dont skip the panko. i tried making these with regular breadcrumbs once and they were too dense. panko keeps them lighter
if you dont like turkey you can use ground chicken. probably not beef though the flavor would be weird with the honey
make the sauce while they bake to save time. i usually clean up the meat bowl and cutting board during this part too
you can double the sauce recipe if you want extra for rice or whatever. i do that sometimes
serve these over rice or just eat them plain with toothpicks. ive done both
add sesame seeds on top if you want to look fancy. i only remember to do this like half the time
Storing
these last 4 days in the fridge in a container. keep the sauce separate if you can or they get soggy. i learned that the hard way
they freeze fine for like 2 months. i freeze them without sauce and then make fresh sauce when i reheat them. defrost in the fridge overnight
reheat in the microwave or back in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes. add a tiny bit of water if theyre drying out
my roommate eats these cold straight from the fridge as a snack which is weird to me but she swears theyre good that way
Nutrition per serving
makes about 5-6 servings depending how big you make them
calories around 280 protein 28g carbs 24g fat 8g sugar 14g (from the honey mostly) sodium 520mg
this is approximate because i dont measure everything exactly and the sauce amount varies
Questions people ask
Can I air fry these instead – yeah my friend does, 380 degrees for like 12-15 minutes. flip them halfway. i dont have an air fryer so i cant say for sure but she says they turn out good
How spicy are they – medium. not blow your head off but you can taste the heat. use less sriracha if youre sensitive to spice or more if you want them hotter
Can I use ground beef – i mean you could but itd be a different thing. the turkey is lighter and lets the sauce flavor come through more. beef would be heavier
Do they need to be covered when baking – no just put them straight on the sheet. covering them would steam them and theyd be weird
these are honestly one of my easier recipes and people always think i did something complicated. the sauce makes them seem fancier than they are. my brother requested them for his birthday dinner last month instead of anything else which was surprising but cool i guess
