Best Ever Turkey Meatballs

My father stopped by today to say hello. I offered him lunch which he declined but he did take me up on the offer to try one of these turkey meatballs. One bite and two wide eyes later, “Wow, why didn’t you tell me they were good?” Lunch served.

I love ground turkey, but it can be dry. So for meatballs we do things to compensate, like adding moistened breadcrumbs or egg. Grated zucchini is an option too.

For this recipe, we are getting extra moisture from the addition of lots of minced mushrooms, and a little mayonnaise. The mushrooms give the meatballs a meaty flavor. The mayonnaise, which is just an emulsion of oil, egg, and vinegar, not only adds some needed fat, but a bit of egg to help as a binder.

Serve the meatballs with or without sauce. They’re great both ways.

Best Ever Turkey Meatballs Recipe

This turkey meatball recipe is wonderfully flexible. Form small meatballs for appetizer bites, larger ones for a main course meal. Flatten them to make turkey burgers. Serve them with or without a tomato marinara sauce.

If you want a more pronounced mushroom flavor, add a few more minced shiitake mushrooms to the mix.

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 large shallot, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• 6 ounces of mushrooms (a mix of shiitake and cremini), finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• 1 pound ground turkey meat (we prefer thigh meat)
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (plus more to sprinkle over when you serve)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest (optional, if you have it use it)
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Optional Marinara Sauce

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic minced (2 teaspoons)
• 1-28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste

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