Spinach Turkey Meatballs With Chili Oil Yogurt

The dear old turkey meatball. I remember having these all the time as a kid–so now I’ve dressed them up with a little added (veggies) and major flavor.

Turkey meatballs often don’t get enough credit. I think if you make them well–they’re amazing.

I’ve definitely had a bland turkey meatball in my day and I’ll be the first to say it’s a sad experience. However I’m here to tell you that not every turkey meatball is a boring bland ball! Alas, if you load these babies with garlic, onions, red pepper flakes, and parmesan–they’ll come out amazing every time. I love sneaking in a huge hand full of spinach in here–you can’t even tell and it adds such a nice color!

Ingredients
1 lb organic ground turkey
1/3 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup spinach, chopped

For the yogurt
1/3 cup full fat greek yogurt
1 tbsp hot Italian chili paste
drizzle of garlic oil

Process

Preheat a skillet with 2 tbsp avocado oil on medium heat. You’ll be able to tell when the skillet is hot enough by wetting your fingers with water and flicking it into the pan–if it sizzles, your pan is hot and ready for frying! (If you add anything to a skillet when it’s not hot enough, it won’t cook evenly and will most likely turn out overdone…its a mess, just trust me).

Preheat the oven to 375.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Hand mix until combined. Shape into small balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet and store in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Fry the meatballs in batches so that they all have enough space in the pan. About 2 minutes per side.

Once browned, move them to the oven to finish cooking. Total oven time should be about 12-15 minutes.

To make the yogurt, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and gently mix.

Serve either on the side with your meatballs or drizzled over the top.

Garnish with fresh parsley and a few cucumber slices and enjoy! I love garnishing a spicy recipe with cucumbers–they naturally cool the heat down and add such a natural, crisp contrast.