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Italian Turkey Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

Italian Turkey Meatballs

  • Author: Charmian Christie
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 50 mins
  • Yield: 4 to 6 1x
  • Category: Chicken
  • Cuisine: Italian

Description

Italian Turkey Balls While Italian meatballs can make a substitute for their beef counterparts, they don’t require pasta and tomato sauce. This gluten-free version is light enough to be appetizers and filling enough for a main.


Scale

Ingredients

Dipping Sauce

  • 1 cup plain Greek or Balkan yogurt
  • 1 small clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp [5 mL] dried Italian herbs
  • fine sea salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper

MeatBalls

  • 1 tbsp [15 mL] vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 cup [60 mL] fresh oregano, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp [5 mL] dried Italian herbs
  • 1 tsp [5 mL] dried chili flakes
  • 1/4 tsp [1 mL] fine sea salt
  • 1 generous pound [500 g] extra lean ground turkey
  • 1/2 cup [125 mL] grated Parmesan
  • 1 tsp [15 ml] finely grated lemon rind
  • 1 egg
  • good grinding fresh black pepper

Instructions

Dipping Sauce

  1. In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, garlic, dried herbs. Add a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Set aside while you prepare and cook the meatballs. Just before serving taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Meatballs

  1. Preheat the grill to medium.
  2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions for a few minutes until they beginning to look translucent. Add the garlic, oregano, dried herbs, chili flakes, and salt. Cook until the onions are soft. Remove from heat. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey and Parmesan together. Add the cooled onion mixture, lemon zest, egg, and good grinding of fresh pepper. Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  4. Generously spray the meatball basket inside and out with cooking oil. Form 12 meatballs. A ¼-cup [60 mL] ice cream scoop is handy but not necessary for this step. Round the balls gently between your palms and place in the grill basket. Wash your hands when you’re done rolling. Close the basket and secure the latch. Place on the grill with the handle outside the grilling area. Gently close the lid making sure it doesn’t touch the rubber handle.
  5. Cook, turning every few minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of a meatball reads at least 165°F or 74°C, about 16 to 20 minutes.
  6. Remove the meatballs and place the basket in hot, soapy water to soak while you enjoy dinner. Serve with the yogurt dipping sauce.