Turkey Meatballs

 

 

These easy turkey meatballs are a perfect choice 

when time is short and you need a healthy but fast dinner option.

With only 4 ingredients the prep work is super fast.

All you need is:

1 1/2 pounds of lean ground turkey (you can use less, I just like to make enough to have lots of leftovers because these little babies make a great addition to a salad, great protein to have with some cauliflower soup or other great veggie soup or just warm up and pop in your mouth for a little mid day protein boost)

Fresh Basil ( Yes, you can use dried but I have tried it both ways and my whole family agrees that using the fresh basil helps the flavor pop and also helps keep the meatballs moist in the center. And really, does anybody like a dry chewy turkey ball?!?)

Garlic powder

Mediterranean seasoning blend 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

Chop a big old handful or Basil and 

gently mix it into the ground turkey along with about 

1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of Mediterranean seasonings. 

The amount of seasonings you use is totally up to you and your taste buds, 

we like a lot of flavor here so I actually used a touch more than a teaspoon each,

but experiment- that's half the fun in the kitchen anyway!

Do not over mix or it will make your meatballs very tough,

just fork them enough to evenly spread out your seasonings.

Form little balls out of the meat. 

I like mine about 1" diameter because it makes portions 

for my kids easy and I get to eat a few more

so I don't feel cheated. 

I mean who wants 3 meatballs for your whole meal???

But if that's you than go ahead and make them a little bigger! 

Just make sure they are a consistent size so that they cook evenly.

You can save a step and pop these right into the oven if you want,

but I prefer to brown them really quick first.

Browning them gives a nice color and crunch to the outside that 

baking alone won't do and I find it 

helps to lock in some of the moisture. 

So I just warm up a pan and throw them in 

for a minute or two (no oil necessary if you have a good non stick pan)

and then flip them over for another minute

so both sides gets that gorgeous crust.

Once all the meatballs are browned 

place them on a cookie sheet 

and pop in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes 

or until done all the way through.

And the VOILA! yummy, healthy easy meatballs in about 30 minutes.

You can serve these tons of different ways,

I tend to eat them with a salad

or some sauteed broccoli,

but they are great on top of zucchini noodles,

enjoyed with a nice marinara sauce.

Or try them with cauliflower rice or as a side to a great bowl of soup.

Versatile, easy, yummy AND healthy.

That's the way to do it!

Oh, and if you are on the 21 day fix like I am 

I make mine small enough that 1 red = 6 little meatballs!!

Serve it with a great green salad and this meal counts as 

1 red, 1 green and 1 orange if you use dressing.

Enjoy!! 

~Patty