It’s fun to eat with our fingers, and these little sticks of meatballs won’t disappoint. Little bites of food on sticks are a festive presentation and encourage interaction. They are also a great way to get your kids to eat their dinner or to feed a crowd as a do-ahead cocktail party bite.
These Asian-spiced morsels take the comforting meatball and jazz it up with a spicy-sweet blend of ground turkey, ginger, cilantro and garlic. They are fragrant and tasty, and when paired with a sweet-and-sour chile sauce for dipping or drizzling, they are guaranteed to be gobbled up.
Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer based in Marin. Visit TasteFood at TasteFoodblog.com.
Asian Turkey Meatballs With Chile Sauce
Active time: 40 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes, plus chilling time
Yield: Makes about 20 (1- to 1 1/2-inch) meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 pounds lean ground turkey
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 scallions, white parts finely chopped, green parts thinly sliced and reserved for garnish
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small red jalapeno chile pepper, seeded, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil for pan-frying
Chile sauce:
- 1 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon red chile paste, such as Sambal Olek
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
Directions
Combine the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix to blend without overmixing.
With damp hands, form into 1- to 1 1/2-inch balls. Arrange on a plate and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 8 hours) to set and meld the flavors.
Prepare the chile sauce. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cool to room temperature.
Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in one layer without overcrowding the pan. Gently press down on the meatballs with a spatula to slightly flatten them. Cook until brown on both sides and thoroughly cooked through the center, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Spear the meatballs with small skewers. Garnish with the green scallions. Serve with the chile sauce for dipping or drizzling.