Baked turkey hoisin meatballs are super juicy and bursting with flavor! Covered in an easy hoisin glaze, these meatballs make a hearty and healthy meal served with brown rice and your favorite vegetables.
Well, it's 2015! Time to eat more kale, say hello to the gym, and be bigger/better/faster/stronger than our last years' selves.
Or we can get specific with our resolutions, and add some such as digging out half-done DIYs and actually finishing them or brushing up on that foreign language you used to know. Your choice.
I'm gravitating toward the latter this year, but I've also decided to improve my meal planning skills.
This has actually been on my to-do list for months now, but seeing as it's the beginning of the year, I might as well elevate it to resolution-level importance. We have a household of two and both of us are super easy going when it comes to food. This is good and bad.
Good because we like to eat the same meals and bad because we fall into ruts...because we eat the same meals.
Five days in and I haven't found my pliers or downloaded an Italian language app yet, but new meal ideas? Check! Meet these baked turkey hoisin meatballs.
Here's why we love this recipe
These hoisin meatballs have a lot of good things going for them.
For starters, they're super juicy. I'll get into my favorite trick for juicy baked meatballs in a bit.
This recipe is also EASY and absolutely suitable for weeknights! You'll need one bowl to mix the meatballs, one sheet pan to cook them, and one saucepan for the glaze, various measuring spoons and cups not included.
These meatballs are also on the healthy side. They're made with leaner ground turkey instead of beef/pork, and are baked, no pan-frying necessary.
And last but not least: there's so much flavor going on here! Between the hoisin sauce, sriracha, five spice powder, and other Asian flavors, there's nothing bland about this ground turkey recipe whatsoever.
Recipe ingredients
With ground turkey as our meatball base, we'll add meatball staples like an egg for binding and some breadcrumbs. Other than garlic, this version takes a pretty sharp turn flavor-wise from my more frequently made meatball recipe, my (reader favorite!) Italian baked turkey meatballs.
I won't hold out any longer on my trick to ensure extra juicy baked meatballs: grating the onion.
It makes such a big difference!! Grating the onion (instead of dicing) makes the onion a much 'wetter' ingredient, which lends a ton of moisture that transfers right through baking to the finished product.
If you've made Asian-inspired recipes at home before, you'll probably have some, if not most, of the other ingredients on hand. We have sriracha for spice, sesame oil, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce (in both the meatball mixture and the glaze), and five spice powder.
Five spice powder adds a really unique flavor blends well with the mild flavor of ground turkey. If you're unfamiliar, five spice powder is a blend of different spices, with the result being a warm/slightly sweet/tangy mix.
It might not sound like it, but it tastes so great with savory dishes. There may be different spice blends depending on the brand, but the kind I have actually has six spices - cinnamon, anise, fennel, ginger, clove, and licorice root.
Feel free to mix up your own blend if you're feeling ambitious. I haven't gotten there yet. 🙂
Recipe steps
While there are a few components here, they're pretty straight-forward. You'll start by mixing up your meatball ingredients.
One bowl is all you need, and to make matters even easier, I like mix up meatballs with my hands. That way you're all but assured you won't overmix everything, which can lead to tougher meatballs.
Once they're scooped and in the oven, it's time to set up the glaze. Hoisin-based with equal parts soy sauce and rice vinegar, sriracha, garlic, and ginger round out this Asian-inspired sauce that coats the meatballs perfectly. Feel free to zhush the ingredients as you like them to make this glaze more in line with your tastes.
My preference for serving these meatballs and glaze is over brown rice. Just rounds out the 'better-for-you' aspect of it, you know? Quinoa, white rice, veggies, etc. all work, too.
Once the meatballs are baked and the glaze is nice and hot, I dunk the meatballs right into the glaze, then scoop and serve them over rice. Lately I've been really into brown jasmine rice, if you can find it.
This recipe yields approximately 17 meatballs, if using a two-tablespoon capacity scoop. You'll have plenty of glaze for the meatballs and drizzling over rice/veggies. One thing I do not skimp on is extra sauce.
P.S. If you're into lots of sauce on your meatballs like me, these honey BBQ chicken meatballs might also be a recipe you're interested in.
Recipe notes
- I'm tough on my hands and usually have some little cuts on them (especially with winter dry skin!) so I like to wear disposable gloves when I mix it up with raw meat. I recognize this isn't the most environmentally-friendly option, but I plan to switch to a biodegradable variety once this box is done.
- As written the sriracha doesn't add much zip to the glaze. Add more if you like things spicy.
Baked Turkey Hoisin Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 16 oz ground turkey
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated onion
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoon sriracha, or to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon five-spice powder
- Pinch of salt and pepper
For the Glaze:
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- Sliced green onion, for garnish
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, add all of the meatball ingredients. Mix everything together using a spoon or your hands.
- Using a 2-tbsp capacity cookie scoop, scoop meatballs and place them about 1" apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until meatballs are no longer pink in the middle and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
For the Glaze:
- While meatballs are cooking, add all glaze ingredients to a small saucepan set over low heat. Stir to combine, then stir occasionally until glaze begins to simmer. Let glaze simmer for a few minutes.
- For serving, coat meatballs in glaze and serve over brown rice (or whatever you'd prefer). Pour extra glaze over top and sprinkle sesame seeds and green onion to garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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Chris @ Shared Appetite says
Love the grating the onion tip! I'm going to have to try that! And these meatballs... they look amazing! Love the flavor combo going on!
Annie @Maebells says
So this one time I tried a recipe with hoisin sauce and it was so terrible that I never tried it again. I wasn't sure if I disliked hoisin or the combo of flavors in that particular recipe. BUT this meatballs look so fantastic you have convinced me I need to try it again! These look totally delicious!
Alyssa says
Thanks Annie! Hmm I've found different brands of hoisin sauce at the store can have kind of different flavors. I think we like the Kikkoman brand one a lot, though I didn't see it when I was shopping for this recipe so I used something else. Spices and other flavors are added to it so you can always adjust to your liking (of course, if hoisin sauce itself isn't the issue!) I've never made my own before, but I found this recipe I'm intrigued by. I might try it myself soon! http://onehungrymama.com/2014/01/7-minute-homemade-hoisin-sauce-recipe-vegan-dairy-free/
Anna @ shenANNAgans says
Yes, what a winning combo. I love hoisin, and everyone says that turkey is a really great meat to eat. Defo adding this to the weekday dinner menu. Yarm!
Alyssa says
Thanks Anna! I tend to go heavy on the chicken, but I figured let me switch it up! I'm taking small steps into being mealtime adventurous this year haha
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Wow - these sound incredible, Alyssa! The onion grating tip is great (I'll remember that one!) and Chinese 5-spice is a magic ingredient, I've found. Got to try this one!
Alyssa says
Thank you Helen! I'm definitely going to experiment with grated onion in recipes and I think I've become obsessed with Chinese five-spice. So unique! 🙂
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
That geometric heart DIY project is so cute! Keep me updated on how it goes. Looks a little tricky, might be beyond my DIY skills. And meal planning is a great resolution! It's fun trying out new recipes, especially when they are a winner. This hoisin glazed meatballs sound delicious! Can't wait to try them.
Alyssa says
I'll definitely let you know! I didn't get too too far into it before I wanted to chuck it out the window because I wasn't using pliers and the straws were bending, but I have a feeling once armed with pliers I'll do better. Right now it looks like SUPER abstract art haha
Christine @ Cooking with Cakes says
if this is what healthy eating looks like, sign my slightly-cushy-bum up!!!! delicious girrrl, happy new year! xx
Alyssa says
Haha I'm there too, girl! Thanks -- happy new year to you, too!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
I want to get onto the meal-planning train, too! 5pm at our house is normally one of us freaking out because nothing is thawed/no ingredients in the fridge etc. I wish I were more organized! These meatballs look so delicious, love your creative spin on them! And good tip about grating the onion (and the goggles, ha!)
Alyssa says
Yesss that scene sounds familiar, Denise! We do a pretty good job of stocking the freezer with leftovers, but a massive container of pulled chicken doesn't help when it's dinnertime and it's frozen solid. Here's hoping we figure out a routine that sticks! 🙂 Thanks!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
Good for you getting your priorities (and dare I say resolutions) set for the year. I don't dare do that, because I wouldn't keep them for long. 🙂 In the meantime, I'm going to be enjoying these delish Turkey Meatballs, so you definitely know where to find me!
Alyssa says
Haha well I'm going to see how long I go with these resolutions! Maybe I should have added "find some time" on the list too to accomplish everything! Thanks Kristi!
Danielle says
Love the glaze on these meatballs! The fact that they're lighter is definitely an added bonus, these look delicious!
Alyssa says
Thanks Danielle! Anything to offset all of those holiday treats I indulged in! 🙂
Sues says
These meatballs look sooo tender and flavorful! And I totally want to see the DIY you do with those straws!
Alyssa says
Thanks Sues! I'm so excited for the end result of this DIY. Finding my pliers (and some time!) ASAP! 🙂
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic says
Love the hoisin glaze on these meatballs. Happy New Year!
Alyssa says
Thanks so much Kathy! Happy New Year to you and your fam, too! 🙂
Ashley says
Yum yum yum! I am alll about baking meatballs and I love this flavor!! Gah, I could pop a few right now!
And yay for meal planning 🙂 I'm obsessed haha
Alyssa says
Thanks girl! And first things first I need to go back and reread every word of your meal planning series...and take notes this time! Hoping it'll keep my momentum going! 🙂
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
I love that these are resolution ready. That Chinese spice probably makes these spectacular. Pinned.
Alyssa says
Thanks Jocelyn! Loooove five-spice!! 🙂