Glazed Asian Turkey Meatballs

close up asian meatballs coated with sweet and sour sauce.

Delicious Asian turkey meatballs that you won’t be able to stop eating! These amazing meatballs are coated in a sweet and sour glaze and are ready in about 30 minutes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 436kcal

Author Adina

Equipment

Large skillet/frying pan

Ingredients

Turkey meatballs:

1 ¾ lb ground turkey 800 g/ 28 oz
3 oz panko breadcrumbs 85 g
1 small onion
3 garlic cloves
½ inch ginger 1.3 cm 1.5 cm
1 egg
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ - ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Glaze:

1 cup water 250 ml
3 tablespoons ketchup
2-3 teaspoons sugar to taste, Note 1
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar more to taste, Note 2
4 teaspoons cornstarch
fine sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Turkey meatballs:

Grate the onion, garlic, and ginger. Place them in a medium bowl.
Combine: Add ground turkey, panko breadcrumbs, egg, soy and fish sauce, salt, and pepper and mix well to combine.
Form about 30 meatballs, slightly smaller than a golf ball; each should weigh about 1 oz/ 30 g.
Fry the meatballs: Heat the oil in a large skillet. Fry the meatballs for about 5 minutes, turning them often to help them brown all over. If the skillet is not large enough, it’s preferable to fry the meatballs in two batches. The meatballs should be almost cooked through, but not quite there yet.

Glaze:

Make the glaze while the meatballs are in the frying pan.
Whisk the water, ketchup, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch in a smaller bowl. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper. Add more sugar or vinegar to taste; the sauce should be sweet and sour.

Cook:

Remove the meatballs from the skillet.
Cook sauce: Pour the sauce into the skillet and bring it to a boil on medium heat. Cook while stirring often until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
Return the meatballs to the pan and stir to coat them with the sauce.
Cook meatballs: Reduce the heat and cook gently until the meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature 165°F/ 74°C) and the sauce is reduced and glossy. This will take about 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

Notes

Use sugar to taste, one teaspoon should be enough, but it also depends on the ketchup and the vinegar’s acidity.
I sometimes use sushi vinegar instead; it’s sweeter and fits the recipe. In this case, use 2 tablespoons; if the sauce is not sour enough, add 1 teaspoon of regular vinegar.

Nutrition