Tasty Tuesday: Turkey Sriracha Meatballs

What is it about meatballs that's so appealing?  I mean, when you think about it, the concept is kind of gross: little wads of meat stuck together with egg and breadcrumbs.

The idea of a wad of meat might be kind of gross, but Meatwad is pretty damn adorable.  I love him (and this show!)

Even though the concept may be gross, meatballs are not.  I love meatballs, and I'm always looking for new and interesting ways to make them.

Today's meatball recipe is pretty straightforward, but the sauce is what makes them really special ... It's spicy and tangy and contains Sriracha, so it's obviously amazing.  This is also a really simple recipe.  Seriously, if you can follow instructions, you can make these meatballs!  (And you should make them soon!)

These meatballs can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish (I served these for dinner over rice with a side of steamed broccoli).

I actually made an effort when plating these meatballs, and I thought this was MasterChef worthy.  Hey, a girl can dream!

Turkey Sriracha Meatballs

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Budget Bytes.


Ingredient List (Meatballs):

• 1-1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced into fairly small pieces
• 1 tsp Sriracha
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

Instructions (Meatballs):

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, spray it with cooking spray, and set it aside.

3.  In a large bowl, add all of the meatball ingredients.  Mix everything together using your hands.

4.  Shape the turkey mixture into meatballs and place each meatball onto the cookie sheet, making sure to space them apart as evenly as possible.  (As I've mentioned before, I kind of suck when it comes to making perfectly uniform meatballs.  The original recipe states that you should get between 25-30 meatballs, but I only wound up with 17.  I'm sure you can stretch this recipe further if you make small meatballs, but I obviously like mine a little bigger.  (That's what she said!)  Sorry ... I couldn't resist.)

5.  Bake the meatballs for 25-30 minutes, or until they are cooked through (I baked mine for the full 30 minutes).

A closer look at these delicious, spicy meatballs.

Ingredient List (Sriracha Sauce):

• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Sriracha
• 1/2 cup water, divided
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions (Sriracha Sauce):

1.  While the meatballs are baking, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly until the brown sugar is dissolved.

2.  Mix the remaining 1/4 cup of water with the cornstarch in a small bowl.

3.  Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan with the Sriracha mixture and stir until well combined.

4.  Bring the mixture to a simmer.  The sauce should thicken and become a little glossy when it has finished cooking.

5.  Drizzle the sauce over the meatballs once they've finished baking.

As I said earlier, I served these meatballs as a main dish over Jasmine rice with a side of steamed broccoli.