Tender turkey meatballs made with Thai flavors inside and baked in sweet chili sauce. The meatballs are flavored with garlic, fresh ginger, cilantro, and chives, seared, and then finished in the oven with Thai sweet chili sauce. It’s a great weeknight dinner packed with spicy, sweet, and savory flavors.
TURKEY MEATBALLS
Turkey meatballs is a great alternative to beef or chicken and the meatballs come out soft and tender. Turkey is a mildly flavored meat so it easily adopts to the flavors you add to the meatball mixture.
One of my favorite recipes is the Garlic Parmesan Turkey meatballs and it can easily be made into turkey burgers as well. I also love the sweet, spicy, and savory flavor combination of these Thai Sweet Chili Turkey Meatballs. There is an addition of fresh ginger, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and chives inside the meatball itself, which works very well together with the sauce.
These meatballs can be served as an appetizer since they’re just bursting with flavor. To make it a complete meal, serve the meatballs over rice or quinoa. You can also substitute cauliflower rice instead of rice as a low-carb option.
HOW TO MAKE TURKEY MEATBALLS
To make these turkey meatballs, you will start on stove-top and then finish the meatball in the oven. So make sure to use an oven-save pan for cooking.
Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk the ingredients for the sauce together and set it aside to use later.
Combine all ingredients for meatballs in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Use a cookie scoop to get an even amount of meat mixture every time to make the meatballs all the same. I like to use #40 cookie scoop. Grease your hands with a little oil and shape the meatballs. Shape the meatballs first, before adding to the pan, and place them on a parchment paper.
Preheat a large, oven-safe pan and add oil. Add meatballs to the pan and cook for a few minutes on one side. Gently shake the pan to loosen the meatballs and flip each meatball.
Pour the sauce all over the meatballs and transfer the pan into the oven. Cook for 15-18 minutes.
HOW TO STORE TURKEY MEATBALLS
Leftover meatballs can easily be stored in the refrigerator, in the food storage container with a lid. Make sure the container can be closed air-tight. You can store the meatballs with the sauce together.
Cooked turkey meatballs will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
CAN TURKEY MEATBALLS BE FROZEN?
Yes, turkey meatballs can be frozen. Freeze them without sauce and cook turkey meatballs before freezing them.
Mix all the ingredients for turkey meatballs in a bowl and shape them into meatballs. Place meatballs into a large baking dish and bake them at 350° until done.
Cool completely before freezing. Place cooled meatballs on a cutting board covered in parchment paper and freeze for about 2 hours. (Set the timer to help you remember.)
Once the meatballs are just frozen, portion them into freezer bags, close them tight, label and place back in the freezer. (You can also store all the meatballs in one large freezer bag.)
Thaw frozen meatballs overnight in the refrigerator.
To prepare the meatballs with sauce, place thawed meatballs in a baking dish and add sauce. Bake for about 15 minutes, until sauce bubbles around the edges.
For more tips on freezing meatballs, check out my instructional post here.
CAN TURKEY MEATBALLS BE GLUTEN FREE?
Absolutely! To make these meatballs gluten free you simply swap a regular slice of bread for gluten free bread. Sauce is already gluten free.
SOME MORE RECIPES TO TRY
Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs
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Sweet Chili Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs:
- 2 lbs ground turkey 93/7% lean
- 1 small onion minced
- 6 garlic cloves pressed
- 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 extra large egg
- 2 oz sliced bread (1 or 2 slices depending on the bread)
- 2 tbsp milk to soak the bread
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp cilantro minced
- 1/2 cup chives diced
Sweet Chili Sauce
- 12 oz sweet chili sauce
- 1 lime juice only
- 1 tbsp cilantro minced
- 2 tbsp chives diced
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Whisk the ingredients for the sauce together and set it aside to use later.
- Combine all ingredients for meatballs in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Use a cookie scoop to get an even amount of meat mixture every time to make the meatballs all the same. I like to use #40 cookie scoop.
- Grease your hands with a little oil and shape the meatballs. Shape the meatballs first, before adding to the pan, and place them on a parchment paper.
- Preheat a large, oven-safe pan and add oil. Add meatballs to the pan and cook for a few minutes on one side. Gently shake the pan to loosen the meatballs and flip each meatball.
- Pour the sauce all over the meatballs and transfer the pan into the oven. Cook for 15-18 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Emilee says
Loved these! I cooked these @ 450 for 20 minutes to skip the searing prior to putting in the oven and added broccoli in as others mentioned. I served with rice as meal prep for 3 meals total– This made 17 medium-ish sized meatballs (5-6 meatballs per meal). I also swapped the bread and milk for bread crumbs and added some Cumin and Tumeric to the mix. I bet Thai Basil would add even more depth to this recipe as well!
Isabella says
What is the serving size for this? And is this 206 calories per serving?
Gail says
Is it possible to make these without cilantro, or is there a substitution I can use?
Alicia says
I just made these and they are delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Angie says
By far, the best turkey meatballs I have cooked for my family! We love the sweet and savory combination. This recipe is on my monthly dinner rotation meal!!
Thank you for providing such an easy and delicious recipe.
LyubaB says
You are so welcome, Angie! So glad you enjoyed them!
Paige says
These are delicious! Made them last night, and I’m looking forward to leftovers today! Yum!
I like the recommendation above of adding broccoli to the pan before cooking. I may try that next time!
LyubaB says
Hi Paige,
I am so glad you liked it! I think broccoli would taste great!
Paige says
These are delicious! Made them last night, and I’m looking forward to leftovers today! Yum!
I like the recommendation above of adding broccoli to the pan before cooking. I may try that next time!
Karen Moore says
These meatballs were delicious! I love the sweet chili sauce. I added harissa to the sauce because I love spicy food. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
LyubaB says
So glad you liked it, Karen!
Agnetha Léveillé says
I love these meatballs! I find that I need to double the sauce though. 😉 Thanks for sharing your recipe!
LyubaB says
Thank you!
Ashley says
I made this using my cast iron pan and added 2 heads chopped broccoli before sliding into the oven. Went great over quinoa and has become my go to when I am craving Chinese!
LyubaB says
Thanks, Ashley! Glad you liked it! 🙂
Melia says
What pairs well with these meat balls. Zoodles come to mind, brocolini? What did you us as your side with this.
LyubaB says
Hi Melia, I think zoodles will be delicious with these meatballs!
Julia says
These were delicious! My kids gobbled them up 🙂 I did add salt & pepper to the ground turkey mix, and used breadcrumbs instead of milk & bread, but otherwise did as said, and they were really good. Thank you!
LyubaB says
Julia, I am so glad you liked them! 🙂