Sesame Ginger Turkey Meatballs



Sesame Ginger Turkey Meatballs



Meatballs are awesome. It’s as simple as that. The concept alone is pretty great within itself. Take any form of ground meat, add in a few ingredients, dress it up however you’d like and just like that, you have a protein packed meal. The best thing about meatballs is that they are a fantastic way to mix things up when it comes to dinner.



Sesame Ginger Turkey Meatballs



These sesame ginger turkey meatballs are so incredibly good, I patted myself on the back last night in approval. The exterior is crisp while the interior is juicy, and the sesame ginger sauce is out of this world. To clean them up and make them gluten and dairy free, I used gluten free breadcrumbs and a flax seed ‘egg’ as a binder. Flax seed ‘eggs’ are an amazing way to substitute eggs in any recipe for those who are vegan or looking to cut out extra cholesterol and calories. I would definitely recommend trying it out, just be sure to grind your own flax seeds using a coffee grinder as pre-ground flax seeds can turn rancid quickly. In the near future, I will do a more elaborate post on flax seed ‘eggs,’ but in the mean time, 1 Tbsp. ground flax + 3 Tbsp. water = 1 ‘egg.’ To ensure a perfect ‘egg’ each time, allow at least 10 minutes for the flax mixture to sit in the refrigerator. Honestly, the longer the better, so try to make this ahead of everything else in the recipe.

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Sesame Ginger Turkey Meatballs
 
Recipe Type: appetizer, dinner
Author: The Lean Clean Eating Machine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Delicious, gluten-free meatballs with an Asian flair.
Ingredients
  • MEATBALLS:
  • 1 lb. organic lean ground turkey
  • 2 Tbsp. minced ginger root; peeled (I grate the ginger using a small hole cheese grater to get the full flavor)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
  • 2 Tbsp. almond meal flour
  • 1 flax seed ‘egg’
  • 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil for light pan frying
  • SAUCE:
  • 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp. tamari or liquid aminos
  • 3 Tbsp. organic raw honey
  • 1/2 tsp arrowroot starch
  • 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
  • 2 large dried chilies; stems removed, seeded and chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds with 3 Tbsp. water. Whisk mixture with a fork and set in refrigerator for at least ten minutes.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients and mix thoroughly, adding in finished flax egg last.
  4. Form turkey mixture into golf ball sized balls and saute in oil over medium heat until all sides of exterior are golden brown. This gives the meatballs their crisp exterior.
  5. With a slotted spoon, remove finished meatballs from pan and transfer into an oven safe baking dish. Bake meatballs for about 25-30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F. If you do not have a cooking thermometer, meatballs will be done when interior is opaque and no pink is visible.
  6. While meatballs bake, combine all of the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan. Whisk thoroughly and bring to a boil.
  7. Return burner to low and simmer sauce for about 5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Remove finished sauce from heat.
  8. Once meatballs are done, mix with sauce and top with additional scallions to serve.
 

 

4 comments on Sesame Ginger Turkey Meatballs

  1. kristen
    August 9, 2014 at 12:12 pm (10 years ago)

    flax seed “eggs”? Surely your joking. Post on a vegan website only

    Reply
    • Danielle
      August 10, 2014 at 5:18 pm (10 years ago)

      Hi Kristen,
      As with all of my recipes, you can certainly use real eggs if you would like. A lot of my readers have allergies to eggs, or, like you mentioned, are vegan, but this is obviously not a vegan recipe, nor is it a fully vegan website. Rather than answer to each person who asks for an egg substitute for whatever their reason, I simply post the alternative in the recipe so the option is there.

      Reply
  2. Peggy
    January 1, 2015 at 9:42 am (9 years ago)

    Danielle,

    I have made these meatballs many times now and just made them again with my son. He and his girlfriend raved about them. The are easy, divinely delicious and healthy. Also, they do freeze well but mine don’t make it to the freezer. I can’t stop eating them. Thank you for this fabulous recipe. The flax meal egg is perfect for those watching their cholesterol too.

    Reply
    • Danielle
      January 2, 2015 at 4:20 pm (9 years ago)

      Peggy, I am so happy to hear that you love these! Meatballs are my weakness and these are some of my faves as well :)

      Reply

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