Theses “healthified” meatballs are loaded with so much flavor and seasoned with Asian spices and umami ingredients. They are quickly sauteed for a golden crust, then baked in the oven. The Crunchy Peanut Cilantro “Pesto” sauce elevates the flavor to even higher levels. I served these with butter lettuce– though they would be equally good over rice or polenta.
Wow! I’ve finally broken my misguided belief that ground turkey or ground chicken can be dry and bland. Not with these meatballs and peanut-cilantro sauce! These were incredibly delicious and really easy to make.
Fresh ginger and garlic are staple ingredients in our kitchen. Let’s face it– they are flavor bombs! I had ground turkey, but ground chicken can easily be substituted for this recipe. For seasoning, I’ve added ground coriander, low-sodium soy sauce and fish sauce. Fish sauce!? Indeed! Trust me, this ingredient doesn’t taste “fishy”. It adds a subtle layer of “umami” flavor. I keep a bottle of it in my refrigerator, and have used it with many Asian-influenced recipes. I’ve also added lots of scallions and fresh cilantro.
Give this a good mix.
This looks good. I use my medium-sized cookie scoop to shape meatballs (I got nine of them).
I have a food processor, but my mini-chopper is perfect to make this sauce. I’ve sliced a garlic clove, added fresh cilantro and measured out 1/4 cup of olive oil.
Of course, I need roasted unsalted peanuts as well.
I pulsed the ingredients until they were just a bit chunky, then added the olive oil and gave it a stir. Taste. Wow! Lots of garlic! I made a note to use a small clove of garlic next time! I added a little salt, to taste.
My oven is preheated to 425F and I’ve heated a cast-iron skillet with some olive oil. The meatballs are evenly placed into the hot skillet.
It takes 2-3 minutes to given them an even sear. Into the oven they go, for 10 minutes. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Time to eat!
I was fortunate to find organic Bibb lettuce, already separated into leaves, at my local super market. I didn’t add the sauce onto my share of the meatballs, for fear they would taste too strong of garlic. My husband and I sat down to enjoy our meal.
TASTING NOTES: The meatballs were moist and they were anything but bland. My husband remarked that they had a Middle Eastern vibe. He loved the sauce– which is really more of a cousin to pesto. I began to adjust to the garlic flavor, and put a lighter coating on mine. I had originally planned to make this recipe as an appetizer for Super Bowl Sunday, but ended up making my Air Fryer Korean BBQ Chicken Wings. Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I can adjust this recipe for my Air Fryer. Either way, we unanimously agree that this recipe won’t collect dust for long. Very good!
Baked Ground Turkey Meatballs with Peanut Cilantro “Pesto”
Equipment
- Food processor with blade attachment
- oven-proof skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pounds ground turkey or ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger grated or minced
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce or Tamari
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint finely chopped
- 4 Tbsp cilantro finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 lime wedges to serve
- kosher salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
- Bibb lettuce separated, to serve (or rice)
For the Peanut Cilantro sauce:
- 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- 1 clove garlic sliced (NOTE: use a small clove, if you don't want really strong garlic flavor)
- 1 cup Cilantro leaves and stems
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey (or chicken), garlic, ginger, scallions, coriander, fish sauce, soy (or Tamari) sauce, mint and cilantro. Give the ingredient a gentle, but thorough stir, to combine.
- For 8 meatballs and lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Place a saute pan over medium heat and add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the meatballs and sear on all sides until golden brown– 2-3 minutes.
- Place the skillet into the oven and bake the meatballs for 10 minutes.
For the Peanut Cilantro Sauce:
- To the bowl of food processor, add the blade attachment. Add the peanuts, garlic and cilantro. Pulse until the mixture is combine and a coarse crumb. Add the olive oil over the top until just combined. (You want chunky texture)
- Season with salt and pepper
To serve:
- Place the meatballs on a plate. Add a spoonful of Peanut Cilantro sauce onto each meatball.Optional: Place a meatball on each Bibb lettuce cup.
Notes
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