There’s nothing quite as easy to make that is so happily received at a game day get-together as a good meatball. In marinara, in BBQ sauce, wrapped in bacon, in a sandwich … meatballs and game-watching parties go hand in hand.
Here, we want to share the basics of making quality meatballs from lean ground turkey. They’re easy to make and, as long as you stick to your critical temperatures, turn out juicy and tasty every time! Read on and get the low-down on these delicious game-day treats that are equally good any day, game or not. Let’s take a look!
Turkey meatballs: basics of juiciness
Ground turkey is lean. To maintain moisture in the finished meatball, you need other ingredients. The egg in this recipe not only acts as a binder, the proteins adding to the structure of the finished product and the liquid of the yolk adds just a little more moisture to the mix. The breadcrumbs, strangely enough, also help keep the meatball moist.
How can that be? Adding dry breadcrumbs can’t make the meat juicier, can it? Yes! You see, as we cook the meatballs, the meat fibers contract, driving out the water they usually contain. If the meatballs were just meat, that liquid would drip out, evaporating in the pan. Breadcrumbs act as tiny sponges distributed throughout the meat mixture, sucking up free moisture as it becomes available. The meat, egg, and bread all work together to retain the juices of the meatballs as they cook.
Turkey meatball doneness temperature
We have written pretty extensively on this blog about poultry doneness temperatures, about how you don’t have to cook your birds all the way to 165°F (74°C). Well, this is ground turkey, so you can forget all that nuance! Meatballs don’t have the thermal mass to maintain a slower-than-instant bacterial kill temperature. Turkey meatballs need to be cooked all the way up to a food-safe 165°F (77°C).
The need to make sure each meatball is safe—you don’t want to accidentally send foodborne illness to one of your football friends—is one reason why Thermapen® ONE is such a great tool for this kind of cook. The small sensor, right in the tip, can handle small food items like individual meatballs, and it reacts so quickly that you can easily temp every single meatball. It can allay nearly all your food safety concerns.
Achieving the perfect meatball texture
Meatballs should not be chewy or bouncy. Rather they should be light and finely textured. No, you don’t want them to fall apart, but holding together just well enough to avoid that is perfect.
Meatballs get tough when they are overmixed. The mixing of meat causes the myosin in the muscles to form protein strands. These act like gluten in bread dough, trapping liquid and firming the texture. You want to mix the meatballs until the meat just starts to seem a little fibrous. At this stage, it should be just a little slack, so that when you start cooking the meatballs they slouch a little in the pan. If your meatballs are forming odd shapes as you turn them—pyramids, etc.—then you’re probably on the road to excellent texture! If your meatballs keep a perfectly spherical shape as you cook them, they’re probably overmixed and may be a little bouncy.
One of the great things about having a good meatball recipe up your sleeve is its versatility. Having an Italian dinner? Hit them with some oregano and maybe some fennel. Asian? Some cilantro, chili, and a little hit of soy sauce get you in the zone. BBQ? Crumble in some crispy bacon. Just keep your ratio close to the one we present in the recipe, and you’ll be fine. And no matter how you choose to modify or use these meatballs, you will love them. We liked them dipped and drizzled with good chili-crisp, but they’d be equally good with some tomato sauce or a nice, spicy BBQ sauce. Give them a try this weekend and see how well it goes!
Simple Turkey Meatball Recipe
Description
Turkey meatballs adapted from Turkey Tailgate Meatballs, at turkeysmoke.org
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
- 2/3 C panko bread crumbs
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika (smoked, if you like)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a large bowl. Mix, either by hand or with a spatula, until well combined and homogenous.
- Portion the mixture into whole-walnut-sized balls, rolling to shape.
- Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Place the meatballs in the hot oil and start to cook. After a minute or two, check to see if they are browned on the side touching the pan. If so, use an offset spatula or other thin tool (like a butterknife) to turn them to another side.
- Once browned on the second side, you should be able to turn them and move them around by shaking the pan.
- Start temping the meatballs all around the pan with your Thermapen ONE. Once the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), remove them from the pan. Thermapen ONE is fast enough that you can easily check every meatball.
- As the meatballs reach their pull temperature, remove them from the pan.
- Serve them up with your favorite dipping sauce and reap the praise of your peers!
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Stu says
These are also excellent served in soup. I fry them in rendered turkey or chicken fat instead of olive oil, and then I wick off most of the fat by letting them rest on paper towels for a few minutes. They can also be served with pasta and greens (such as kale, Swiss chard, spinach, escarole, or other such veg) and a lemon-based sauce for brightness. They can also be made in advance and frozen in air-tight containers for a fast week-night dinner. They’re so versatile that they lend themselves to all sorts of uses… not just snacks. The temps given in the recipe assure that they stay moist and tender instead of rubbery and tough like some that I’ve had.
★★★★★
Martin says
Fantastic!
Becki Wilson says
What is the chili you referred to in “ Asian? Some cilantro, chili, and a little hit of soy sauce get you in the zone” under ACHIEVING THE PERFECT MEATBALL TEXTURE section above. Also, what is chili-crisp referred to as a dip? Thanks in advance for your answer. Looking forward to making these. And I will be able to test them with my Pop thmoworks that should arrive in a few days. Becki Wilson
Martin says
Thai bird’s eye chili is great if you don’t mind some real heat, but a minced serrano would do. Chili crisp is a condiment that is becoming more and more readily available. it consists of dried chili flakes and garlic (and other seasonings) cooked in oil until, well, crisp. It is Sold in smallish jars. YOu stir the oil/chili/garlic mixture and spoon it onto your food and it’s incredibly tasty.