Asian Turkey Meatball Bowls

Asian Turkey Meatball Bowls are perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner, lunch and are a great option if you meal prep. Flavorful, tender turkey meatballs coated in a sweet and spicy Asian sauce and served on top of rice with plenty of fresh veggies.

Thanks to the sponsor of this post, National Turkey Federation. As always all opinions are my own.

I have lots of recipes for bowls here on Recipe Runner. These Asian Ground Turkey and Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Bowls are great if you want something low carb and I’m always in the mood for these Caribbean Salmon Quinoa Bowls. There’s a bowl recipe for nearly anything you might be in the mood for. 

One type of bowl recipe that was missing, was one that was made with meatballs. I don’t know how that’s possible because I love meatballs! Well, you’ll be happy to know if you’re a meatball lover like me, that you can now make these easy and delicious Asian Turkey Meatball Bowls. 

Ingredients to Make Asian Turkey Meatball Bowls 

• Ground turkey
• Green onions
• Fresh ginger and garlic
• Cilantro
• Egg
• Panko (gluten free if needed)
• Soy sauce or tamari (low sodium)
• Sriracha
• Hoisin sauce (gluten free if needed)
• Rice vinegar
• Honey
• Sesame oil (optional)
• English cucumber, carrots, edamame, sliced jalapeños, sesame seeds or any combination of vegetables you like.
• Rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice

Ground turkey is my go-to choice when it comes to ground meat. Not only do I prefer the flavor, but the health benefits that come with it as well.  Turkey is naturally low in fat, but packed with protein. One serving contains 50 percent of your daily needs. It’s naturally high in B vitamins, which are responsible for helping your body produce energy. Turkey also contains immune-boosting nutrients such as iron, zinc and potassium.

I’ll be the first to admit that ground turkey on it’s one, without any seasoning, doesn’t have much flavor, but that’s actually a good thing! Turkey’s super power is that it soaks in the flavor of whatever seasonings or marinades it’s cooked with. In the case of these meatballs, it will be soaking in tons of Asian flavors.  

How to Make Turkey Meatball Bowls

Making these Asian turkey meatball bowls takes a few steps, but some of the steps such as chopping the vegetables can be done ahead of time. You can also use pre-cooked rice that you stick in the microwave for a couple minutes. I often do that and it saves a lot of time, and dishes. 

1. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with oil. In a large bowl combine the turkey, green onions, ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, sriracha, panko and an egg. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together until they’re combined. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the mixture, then roll it into balls and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
2. While the meatballs are baking make the sauce by combining soy sauce, sriracha, hoisin, rice vinegar, honey and sesame oil in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil then lower the heat and let it simmer until it reduces and thickens. Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and stir them around until they’re coated.
3. Assuming you’ve prepped the vegetables and made the rice, it’s time to assemble the bowls. Start by adding rice, a serving is typically a 1/2 cup. Next add the meatballs on top of the rice along with the veggies, I highly recommend the combination I listed above. If you have extra sauce like I did, drizzle a little extra over the meatballs.

Safety Reminders When Working With Ground Turkey

• Wash your hands after handling raw turkey and disinfect surfaces or any containers you
  may have touched along the way.
• Use clean dishes, utensils and cutting boards when working with raw protein and produce to prevent cross-contamination.
• Turkey should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches 165° F. The easiest way to ensure this is with a meat thermometer. This also ensures that you don’t overcook the turkey and dry it out.

Ingredient Substitutions

Fresh ginger and garlic – If you can’t find fresh, replace with ground ginger and garlic powder. I suggest using 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.

Green Onions – Use finely diced or grated yellow onion instead.

Panko – replace with gluten free panko or unseasoned breadcrumbs

Rice – Quinoa, cauliflower rice or even rice noodles would all be great substitutions for the base of these bowls.

These Asian Turkey Meatball Bowls are a balanced and healthy meal that’s perfect to make any night of the week. For more turkey recipes check out
ServeTurkey.org.

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Yield: 4-5 servings

Asian Turkey Meatball Bowls

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Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1 clove of garlic, grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 3 tablespoons panko, gluten-free panko if needed
• 1 egg
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Other Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
• 1 cup shelled edamame
• 1/2 cup sliced English cucumber
• 1 jalapeño, sliced thin (optional)
• Chopped cilantro
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Cook the rice and prep the vegetables.
2. Preheat oven to 450° F. and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Spray with cooking oil and set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs and mix together with your hands. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the meat mixture. Roll it into a ball and place it on the baking sheet. You should have approximately 20 meatballs. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes or until they're cooked through.
4. While the meatballs bake, add all of the sauce ingredients in a medium sized saucepan and whisk together. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer until it reduces and thickens slightly, about 3-5 minutes. Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and stir them around until they are coated.
5. To assemble the bowls, add rice to each bowl and top with 4-5 meatballs, sliced cucumber and jalapeño, carrot ribbons, edamame, sesame seeds, cilantro and extra sauce if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 434Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 945mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 47g