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    Home » Recipes » Main Entrees

    Asian Turkey Meatballs

    Published: Feb 28, 2020 · Modified: Oct 13, 2022 by Ashlee Welter · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Asian Turkey Meatballs are packed with flavor and simple to make! The meatballs are covered with a sweet and sticky Asian glaze that will leave you coming back for seconds. These quinoa meatballs are an easy dinner or make a great appetizer. Serve over rice, or quinoa, or eat alone!

    Asian turkey meatballs

    These turkey meatballs check all the boxes: they are easy to make, healthy and taste delicious! These turkey meatballs are topped with a delicious Asian glaze which is perfectly sticky and sweet. The recipe is family-friendly and yes is also impressive enough to serve at your next dinner party!

    If you are looking for more meatball recipes, check out these air fryer turkey meatballs or flavorful Mexican meatballs!

    Reasons This Works

    • These meatballs are juicy and moist! Often, turkey can be dry, however adding quinoa to the meatballs helps to add flavor.
    • The meatballs have a delicious Asian topping- this stuff is so addicting! Make extra and serve it over veggies and rice.
    • The turkey meatballs are easy to make! The recipe can be cooked and prepped in under 35 minutes!
    Asian turkey meatballs

    Ingredients Needed

    Ground Turkey: Use 93% lean/7% fat ground turkey for a healthier version of the meatballs. Another alternative to ground turkey is ground pork, ground chicken or ground beef.

    Cooked Quinoa: Cook your quinoa according to the directions on the package. Any type of quinoa is fine, however red quinoa does hold together better.

    Egg: The purpose of the egg is to hold the meatball together. This is very important-don't skip this ingredient!

    Onion Powder: Onion powder can be substituted for fresh onions if desired!

    Garlic Powder: Substitute with minced garlic if desired!

    Soy Sauce: Soy sauce adds a touch of Asian Flavor. Use tamari if wanting to keep these meatballs gluten free. Use a low sodium soy sauce to limit the salt content of this recipe.

    Salt & Pepper: these spices are optional. The soy sauces adds a lot of sodium, so I would recommend using the salt sparingly.

    Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, however I only share things that I absolutely love and recommend!

    How to make perfectly shaped quinoa meatballs

    Meatballs can be difficult to shape and make into the same size. After a lot of experimenting, here are several tips to make round, evenly sized meatballs:

    • To create meatballs that are the exact same size, use a cookie dough scooper when scooping meatball mixture onto pan. I recommend using this scoop, which creates the perfect sized meatballs.
    • Meatballs are easier to shape when they are very cold. Only scoop a chilled meatball mixture into balls.
    • Scoop and roll your meatballs, refrigerate for 20 minutes (or freeze for 10 minutes) and then roll again into a ball shape. This helps to create a perfect ball! If you don't want to touch the raw meat--skip this step!
    Asian quinoa meatballs

    How to Make the Asian Glaze

    Making the Asian Glaze is so easy! It can be prepared and cooked while the meatballs are cooking in the oven!

    Combine 2 tablespoon water and 1-2 teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. The cornstarch is mixed with water to prevent it from creating large clumps when added to the soy sauce mixture later on in the recipe. Tip: start with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and add more if mixture is not thick enough.

    Combine the soy sauce, 2 tablespoon water, rice vinegar, honey, garlic powder, ginger and siracha in a medium sauce pan. You are welcome to substitute fresh garlic and fresh ginger if preferred!

    Cook the mixture over medium heat. Stir every 30 seconds to prevent the mixture from burning. Once the mixture is simmering, turn to low heat.

    Add the cornstarch/water mixture. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is thickened. If mixture is not thick enough, add more cornstarch (mix the cornstarch with a small amount of water first, or it will clump together!)

    How to Serve the Asian Quinoa Meatballs

    • Serve meatballs over white sticky rice
    • Serve over quinoa
    • Meatballs go great alone!
    • Don't want to make the Asian Glaze? Cover with a Honey based BBQ sauce, such as KC Masterpiece.

    Can I Freeze the Turkey Quinoa Meatballs?

    These meatballs do great in the freezer! If freezing cooked meatballs, store in an airtight container or freezer zip lock bag. Eat within a couple months.

    The meatballs can also be frozen prior to cooking. This is perfect for someone who only wants to cook a small batch at a time. Store raw meatballs in airtight container. Defrost meatballs prior to cooking.

    Asian turkey meatballs

    Reasons to Add Quinoa to Meatballs

    There's multiple reasons to add quinoa to your meatballs:

    • Adding quinoa to meatballs is a great way to use up leftover quinoa
    • Quinoa helps bind the meatballs together
    • Stretch your meat by adding quinoa
    • Quinoa adds in some extra health benefits to the meatballs

    Interested in learning more about quinoa? This post talks all about quinoa!

    Related Recipes

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    • Healthy Gluten Free Sweet and Sour Chicken
    • Teriyaki Salmon Bowl
    • Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
    • Loaded Mini Pepper Nachos
    • Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
    Asian turkey meatballs

    Asian Turkey Meatballs

    Ashlee Welter - Pinch of Wellness
    Asian turkey meatballs are packed with flavor and a perfect dinner entree or party appetizer! These meatballs go great with rice, quinoa or can be eaten plain!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 9 (3 meatballs/serving)
    Calories 110 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Quinoa Meatballs

    • 1 pound ground turkey 93% lean/7% fat
    • ½ cup cooked quinoa
    • 1 egg
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce use tamari for gluten free version)
    • salt optional
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    Asian Glaze

    • ¼ teaspoon low sodium soy sauce use tamari for gluten free version
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 4 tablespoon water, separated
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 2 tablespoon siracha
    • 1-2 teaspoon corn starch

    Instructions
     

    Meatballs Directions

    • Preheat oven to 400F.
    • Combine egg, onion powder, garlic powder, soy sauce, salt and pepper in a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix until combined.
    • Add ground turkey and quinoa to the egg mixture. Mix until combined.
    • Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray until lightly greased. Drop meatballs onto sheet(about 1 inch wide). Roll into ball shape.
    • Cook 18-20 minutes or until done.

    Asian Glaze Directions

    • In small bowl, mix corn starch with 2 tablespoon of water (this prevents the cornstarch from clumping together). Set aside for later use.
    • Combine soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, 2 tablespoon water, siracha, garlic powder and ginger in a medium sauce pan.
    • Heat over medium low heat, stirring every 30 seconds. Heat until mixture begins to simmer, then turn to low.
    • Add cornstarch mixture to soy sauce mixture. Heat over low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
    • Pour over meatballs. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Nutrition facts may vary based on ingredients used. 
    This recipe is considered gluten free if using tamari in place of soy sauce. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 2g
    Keyword asian, dinner, easy weeknight dinner, Gluten free, Healthy
    Tried this recipe?Mention @pinchofwellness or tag #pinchofwellness!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ali Bilom

      September 14, 2022 at 10:48 pm

      5 stars
      Turned out perfectly!

      Reply
      • Ashlee Welter

        September 17, 2022 at 7:10 pm

        Woohoo!

        Reply

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    ashlee welter pinch of wellness

    Hi, I'm Ashlee! I'm a Registered Dietitian with over 10 years of experience in nutrition, cooking, and health! I am an expert in developing gluten free and healthy recipes!

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