These glazed asian turkey meatballs are incredibly versatile as they pair well with a variety of flavors and sauces. My favorite? This hoisin glaze that’s sweet, salty, and full of umami! And the best part? The glaze requires just 5 ingredients, most of which you might already have on hand.
How to make asian turkey meatballs
The ingredients of these turkey meatballs are pretty straight forward—breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, and a few flavorings. For these meatballs I love to use fresh ginger, but no need to run to the store if you don’t have any on hand, dried ground ginger gets the job done nicely.
You’ll also see that this recipe calls for toasted sesame oil
—a must both in the meatballs and the glaze! Be sure to use toasted sesame oil, regular sesame oil doesn’t offer nearly as much flavor.
To make the process easier and quicker, I skip searing the meatballs and instead opt to toss them into the oven from the get-go. The straight-forward method means these can be prepped and done in just 35 minutes. Not bad for a delicious dinner on a weeknight!
Want to mix up the flavors? Try one of these sauces next time!
- Puttanesca
- Trapanese Pesto
- Miso Pesto
- Romescao Sauce
- Carrot Top Pesto
- Classic Tomato Sauce
- Arugula Pesto
- Chimichurri
- Green Curry
You can also make these with ground pork, chicken or beef!
Make these meatballs a meal!
- Top a bed of gochujang noodles with a few of these hoisin-glazed meatballs!
- Serve meatballs with a simple cilantro rice (recipe coming soon!)
Asian turkey meatball appetizer
Decrease the size of these hoisin-glazed meatballs by a tablespoon (and decrease the baking time to about 10 minutes). Arrange glazed meatballs on a serving platter and sprinkle with desired toppings. Don’t forget toothpicks or tongs!
Want to make more of a statement? Serve the mini meatballs on a platter with a pile of bibb lettuce leaves and bowls of various toppings. This makes a great interactive appetizer and allows guests to make their own lettuce wraps.
Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or comment below if you make these asian turkey meatballs!
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Glazed Asian Turkey Meatballs
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 20 meatballs (5 servings) 1x
- Category: Lunch/Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Baked tender turkey meatballs get tossed in a delicious sweet, salty and umami hoisin glaze! Perfect for a weeknight meal or go-to appetizer.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground turkey (93% lean)
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
- ⅓ cup chopped scallions
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, or 1 ½ teaspoons dried ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Glaze
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or ¾ teaspoon dried ground ginger)
- 2 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed), for serving (optional)
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, for serving (optional)
- Chopped cilantro and scallions for serving (optional)
Instructions
Meatballs
Heat oven to 425°F degrees; coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Mix turkey, ½ cup Panko, garlic, scallions, egg, 2 teaspoons ginger, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, salt, and pepper together using hands. Using 2 heaping tablespoons at a time, divide and roll turkey mixture into 20 meatballs (1½ ounces each); arrange on prepared baking sheet.
Bake meatballs until browned and an instant read thermometer inserted in the centers reached 145F, 15–20 minutes.
Glaze
Meanwhile, whisk together hoisin, lime juice, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon ginger in a large bowl.
Add warm meatballs to sauce and gently toss to coat; transfer to a serving dish.
Combine panko and sesame seeds. Sprinkle Panko mixture, cilantro and scallions over meatballs.
Notes
Make these gluten-free: use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
Mix up the meat: these meatballs can also be made with lean ground chicken, pork or beef.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 268
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 1006mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 6.5g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
Keywords: Asian turkey meatballs, hoisin glazed meatballs, asian meatballs, hoisin glazed turkey meatballs
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Kelly Banach says
These went together in a flash and are so full of flavor – I served them with your gochujang noodles – Thanks Lauren!
★★★★★
Lauren says
Great idea to pair them with the Gochujang Noodles. So glad you enjoyed them, thanks for the comment!