These glazed asian turkey meatballs are incredibly versatile and can be served with Asian noodles, rice, veggies, salads and more. The 5-ingredient hoisin glaze is sweet, salty, and full of umami!
Why I Love this Recipe for Asian Turkey Meatballs
These Asian turkey meatballs are always a hit. They’re quick to make, absolutely delicious and savory, and can be paired with a variety of veggies to make a full meal. Because of that, I’ve made them countless times for holiday parties, appetizer date nights and weeknight dinners.
Watch How to Make This Recipe
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- lean ground turkey (I prefer 93%)
- Panko breadcrumbs (preferably whole-wheat, gluten-free if needed)
- garlic, fresh garlic is best
- scallions (aka green onions)
- egg
- fresh ginger (dried will work too)
- toasted sesame oil, make sure it’s “toasted”
- kosher salt & black pepper
- hoisin sauce
- fresh lime juice (rice vinegar would also work)
- low-sodium soy sauce
- toasted sesame oil
- sesame seeds, cilantro and scallions for serving, optional
Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Hoisin Meatballs
1: mix the ground turkey, Panko breadcrumbs, garlic, scallions, egg, ginger, toasted sesame oil, salt and pepper together.
2: form mixture into meatballs and arrange on a baking sheet.
3: bake meatballs until browned and cooked through (165ºF).
4: meanwhile, for the glaze whisk together hoisin, lime juice, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and ginger in a large bowl.
5: add the warm meatballs to the large bowl with glaze and toss to coat.
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.
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 these Asian Meatballs a Meal!
- Top a bed of gochujang noodles with a few of these hoisin-glazed meatballs!
- Serve meatballs with Cilantro Lime Rice.
- Serve with basmati rice and steamed or charred snap peas or broccoli.
FAQ & Test Kitchen Tips
Use gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs and be sure to use certified gluten-free hoisin and soy sauce.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, these meatballs will last up to 4 days.
Yes, you can make these ahead of time. I recommend cooking the meatballs as directed then letting them cool completely before transfering to a clean sheet pan with parchment. Freeze the meatballs until solid then transfer to a resealable zipper-lock bag and store in the freezer.
When you’re ready to serve, transfer the frozen meatballs to a baking sheet and reheat in a 300ºF (149ºC) oven until warmed through. While they are reheating make the glaze.
Sure! Ground chicken, ground beef or ground pork will all work.
I would recommend keeping them warm in a slow cooker on low heat. You can also keep them warm on the stove top in a medium pot, covered, over low heat. Just make sure to give them a stir from time to time to avoid burning.
More Meatball Recipes You May Like…
- Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Pesto Pasta with Chicken Meatballs
- Turkey Swedish Meatballs
- Harissa Lamb Meatballs
- Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs
Did you make this Asian Turkey Meatball recipe?! Let me know how it went—leave a comment and star-rating below. And if you snapped a pic, share it on IG and tag me @zestfulkitchen. I love seeing what you make!
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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! Ready in just over 30 minutes, these Asian meatballs make the perfect weeknight meal or go-to appetizer.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground turkey (93% lean)*
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 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 (218ºC); 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, 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 165ºF (74ºC), 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
* Ground turkey: depending on your store, ground turkey can be sold by 1 pound, 1.2 pounds, or 1.5 pounds. I find 1.5 pounds of 93% lean ground turkey works best, but you can also use 1 pound or 1.2 pounds. 85% lean ground turkey works well (a bit more decadent), but avoid 97% or 99% lean ground turkey.
Make these gluten-free: use gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs and make sure to use certified gluten-free hoisin and soy sauce.
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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This recipe and article were originally published on November 6, 2019.
These went together in a flash and are so full of flavor – I served them with your gochujang noodles – Thanks Lauren!
★★★★★
Great idea to pair them with the Gochujang Noodles. So glad you enjoyed them, thanks for the comment!
Delicious! I served them with rice and stir fry vegetables.
★★★★★
Yum! Love the idea of making it a whole meal that way!