This Turkey Meatballs recipe is a firm family favourite in most houses. Even if you’re cooking for just yourself or for two – you can transform your meatball leftovers into a delicious meatball sandwich on day two.
Traditionally, people tend to use beef and pork together for meatballs (which is very tasty) – but I like to cut out that extra fat factor and use either just beef or turkey.
Turkey mince is leaner than beef, so – if you’re trying to keep the dish as low fat as possible, turkey is a great option.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
– 3 cloves of garlic
– ½ an onion
– Olive oil
– Lots of fresh basil
– Black pepper and salt
– 1 tbsp of oregano
– 400g turkey/beef mince
– 1 egg
– Tinned tomatoes
– Passata 300ml
– Few tbsp of flour
– 1 glass of red wine (optional)
Method:
1. Finely chop the garlic and onion.
2. Add one tablespoon of olive or rapeseed oil to a pan and over a medium – high heat… sauté the garlic and onion with seasoning of salt and pepper. This takes only a few minutes and then take the pan of the heat.
3. Place mince into a large bowl, add the garlic and onion mix and crack in the egg.
4. Add a tablespoon of flour and mix everything with a fork.
5. Flour a large plate or chopping board with a couple of tablespoons of plain flour.
6. With a tablespoon or ice-cream scoop, start scooping up about a golf ball sized amount of meat. 7. With your hands, roll the mixture around in your palms and then lightly flour it on all sides using the board – then resting them on the board pre cook.
8. With the same pan that you used for frying the onion and garlic – add a little more oil, heat the pan again on medium-high and start cooking the meatballs in two batches. (Cooking them in batches of five/six at a time is much easier than trying to cook them all at once).
9. Allow them to seal on all sides (takes a few minutes) and then rest them back onto the board. Don’t worry about them not being cooked through – they will cook again once the sauce is ready.
10. Again, take the same frying pan and add to it – the full tin of tomatoes, the passata, about two-three handfuls of fresh basil, a tablespoon of oregano, and a seasoning of salt and black pepper.
11. You may also add a glass of red wine to the pan but this is entirely optional – it adds another depth of richness to the dish.
12. Bring the sauce to the boil and taste – add more seasoning if required.
13. Add the meatballs carefully to the pan and allow them to cook in the sauce on a gentle simmer for about 30-35 minutes. You may use a spoon to cover the meatballs entirely with the sauce. Check on it every now and then and give it a stir.
14. Ten minutes before the meatballs are done – cook some pasta or spaggetti and grate some parmesan.
Serving suggestion:
– Serve as a sharing dish – allowing people to help themselves OR serve about three-four meatballs per person with lots of the tasty sauce over a portion of pasta.
RECIPE BY ANNA-JANE KINGSTON
I’m an Irish food blogger from Donegal, and I am obsessed with food – and in particular, clean & healthy eating. I’ve been experimenting with food since my school days, and I am continuously developing and adapting recipes to keep my body happy and healthy. I always try to make my recipes adaptable – to help suit a wide variety of eaters, so I like to think there’s something for everyone here. I hope that my blog A Thyme to Eat may inspire and bring a little culinary delight to your table. You can also find me on Twitter. Happy Feasting!