Description
These Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs are tender, flavorful, and coated in a deliciously sticky hoisin and soy glaze. Perfect as an appetizer or main dish, they combine lean ground turkey with fragrant garlic, ginger, and scallions, all baked to perfection and finished with a glossy, slightly sweet glaze topped with sesame seeds.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground turkey breast
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, plain, unseasoned
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Glaze
- 1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, fresh or paste
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Chopped scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the meatballs evenly and thoroughly.
- Prepare the Meatball Mixture: Mince the garlic cloves and chop the scallions finely. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, minced garlic, chopped scallions, ground ginger, kosher salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Form the Meatballs: Using a small scooper or your hands, form the mixture into 24 equal-sized meatballs, approximately 1.5 ounces each for consistent cooking.
- Arrange Meatballs for Baking: Liberally spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. If a mini muffin tin is not available, lay the meatballs evenly spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased.
- Bake the Meatballs: Place the tray or muffin tin in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and slightly browned on the edges.
- Prepare the Glaze: While the meatballs bake, mince the garlic for the glaze. In a saucepan, combine hoisin sauce, reduced sodium soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, corn starch, water, minced garlic, and ginger. Whisk the mixture thoroughly to blend all ingredients and avoid lumps.
- Cook the Glaze: Cook the glaze over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent the corn starch from clumping. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens to a glossy, slightly syrupy consistency.
- Combine Meatballs with Glaze: Once the meatballs are baked, add them to the thickened glaze in the saucepan. Toss gently and cook for another 1-2 minutes to ensure the meatballs are well coated and heated through.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the glazed meatballs from heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds and additional chopped scallions. Serve immediately as an appetizer or main dish, accompanied by rice or fresh greens if desired.
Notes
- If you don’t have a mini muffin tin, placing meatballs on a greased baking sheet works equally well.
- Using panko breadcrumbs helps keep the turkey meatballs light and tender.
- You can substitute ground chicken if preferred for a slightly different flavor.
- The glaze can be made ahead and refrigerated; reheat gently before coating the meatballs.
- For extra crispiness, broil the meatballs for 2-3 minutes after baking, watching carefully to prevent burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 75
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 2.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
