These sweet and slightly smokey turkey meatballs make a tasty appetizer or make them larger for a dinner portion. Either way, they will be a hit with your family or guests.
I scour the internet, so you don't have to, in search of recipes to try and share. That should be my new motto. I spend a lot of time looking at recipes and saving them for later. For example, I have been a subscriber to Bon Appetite magazine for about 30 years now. Though you can view the monthly digital version, I always look at the magazine that comes in the mail. I have hundreds of recipes that I have saved over the years in labeled file folders. Some of them I have yet to make, but I just never know when I will want to.
Then, there are thousands of recipes I have saved on Pinterest from food bloggers I follow, or what I have come upon in searches. Like the recipe for these Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs. Some people may have just scrolled passed this one, or maybe you never thought to pair honey, chipotle, and ground turkey together. Well, I am here to tell you that this recipe is delicious, and will take you out of your ground turkey rut. Just as my Teriyaki Turkey Burgers with Grilled Pineapple and Avocado Corn Salsa does for boring ground turkey, these meatballs are flavorful, tender, and moist. I think you are going to love them!
I used a large scoop to make these dinner-sized ones. For an appetizer version, use a smaller scoop. You will probably get about 20 appetizer meatballs.
I started to brown the meatballs in a non-stick skillet. I did put some vegetable oil in the pan. Turkey has less fat than other meat, so I figured it couldn’t hurt. Then, I finished them in the oven.
What I changed from the original recipe is the amount of turkey used, and grating the onion instead of mincing them. I also increased the amount of garlic and salt. For the sauce, I doubled the honey and added extra apple cider vinegar. I served these turkey meatballs with butternut squash, chickpeas, and kale side dish that I am still working on. But it looked like this.
I need to work on the seasoning for this side dish, but it has real promise, I think.
Is this something you would enjoy? Let me know, and I'll continue to tweak this recipe for you.
Until next time, friends! XO
Honey-Chipotle Turkey Meatballs
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 10 large or about 20 appetizer-sized turkey meatballs
2 pounds, 85 percent lean, ground turkey
1/4 cup grated onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For sauce:
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle in Adobe sauce
(about one large one)
2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey with the grated onion, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Don’t over mix. Form meatballs using a large scoop. Set them aside on a baking sheet until ready to use.
In a large ovenproof skillet over high heat, brown the meatballs on all sides. This may take up to 10 minutes. Place skillet in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the sauce. Take meatballs out of oven and spoon glaze over each meatball ball. Place back in the oven for another 5 minutes, or until turkey is cooked through. Pour the remaining glaze over the meatballs and turn to coat them. Appetizer-sized meatballs will take less time to cook, so keep your eye on them.
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