Turkey meatballs and Falafel unite in this Turkey Falafel Meatballs recipe. When you mix chickpeas, Middle Eastern Spices and ground turkey, you get extremely tender tasty meatballs. And just wait until you try them drizzled with lemon yogurt sauce...
I have a weakness for classic comfort foods: stews, roasts, casseroles, and especially meatballs. All the stick-to-your-ribs kind of foods.
It's great to have a stash of comfort food recipes that taste like a delicious indulgence yet are lighter and healthier than classic comfort foods. These turkey falafel meatballs fit the bill. They have lots of lean protein from turkey and all the nutritious benefits of falafel, but way less fat because they're not deep fried.
How to make Turkey Falafel Meatballs
The recipe is easy enough for a weeknight. Chop the falafel mixture in the food processor, mix it with ground turkey and bread crumbs (or quinoa), roll it into balls and sauté.
- Pulse canned chickpeas, onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, egg, cumin, coriander and salt in the food processor until everything is chopped finely.
- Scrape the mixture into a bowl and add ground turkey and bread crumbs (or quinoa for gluten-free)
- Mix well, roll into balls and sauté until golden brown and cooked through.
- If you prefer, you can bake these turkey meatballs in the oven. Spread them out on lightly-oiled baking tray and cook for 20 minutes at 400ºF.
What is Falafel and Who Invented It?
Falafel is made of ground chickpeas or fava beans, mixed with herbs and spices, shaped into a ball or patty, and deep fried. The balls are usually served wrapped in pita with assorted salad ingredients and tahini sauce on top.
Falafel is extremely popular throughout the Middle East. But like many things in that region, falafel is the subject of a contentious debate about which country is its rightful owner or originator.
Honestly, after a good deal of research, I'm reluctant to connect these fried chickpea balls to any single country for fear of inciting a war. And I can truthfully (and safely) say that my recipe for turkey falafel meatballs was inspired equally by the falafel of Israel, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
How To Serve Turkey Falafel Meatballs
These are great for lunch or dinner, served warm or at room temperature.
- For dinner serve these warm, over rice or mashed potatoes, and choose one of the dishes listed below, to serve on the side.
- Side dishes: These are my favorite sides to serve with these meatballs: Mediterranean chickpea salad, Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad, Moroccan Carrot Salad, Shirazi Salad (Persian Cucumber, tomato, onions salad).
- For lunch, stuff falafel meatballs into a pita with chopped veggies or Shirazi salad, hummus and lemon yogurt sauce.
More healthy comfort food recipes to try:
- Healthy Shepherd's Pie (dairy-free, loaded with veggies)
- Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole with Kale (Vegetarian)
- My Favorite Vegetarian Chili (easily made vegan)
- Moroccan Meatballs (whole30, Gluten-free, Paleo)
Do you have a favorite healthy comfort food? If so, I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
Here's the Turkey Falafel Meatballs Recipe. If you try this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and comment. I'd love to know what you think.
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Turkey Falafel Meatballs with Lemon Yogurt Sauce
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 5-6 1x
Description
Light, flavorful, healthy turkey meatballs made with ground turkey, chickpeas and Middle Eastern spices. Serve with a side salad for dinner or pack into a pita for lunch. Pass around the lemon yogurt sauce!
Ingredients
For The Lemon Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain whole milk or low-fat yogurt
- 1 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried crumbled mint or basil to sprinkle on top (optional)
For The Meatballs
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 pound ground turkey, light or dark meat
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, packed
- ¼ cup parsley leaves, packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup plain Panko bread crumbs or (for gluten-free) 1 cup cooked, cooled quinoa
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the lemon yogurt sauce, combine all ingredients, cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Set up your food processor with the chopping blade. Add chickpeas, onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, egg, cumin, coriander and salt. Process until finely chopped with a grainy consistency. Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl, add turkey and bread crumbs (or cooked quinoa). Mix until just combined and roll into 1 ½ inch balls (should make about 25)
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the meatballs and sauté for 8 minutes or so, turning frequently, until browned on all sides and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the rest of the meatballs.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon yogurt sauce on the side. See post for more serving suggestions.
Notes
Make These Gluten Free: Use 1 cup of cooled cooked quinoa in place of bread crumbs. When using quinoa, the meatball mixture will be a bit looser. Use a light touch when rolling it into balls, tossing the meat from palm to palm and pressing, to shape.
Make These In The Oven: You can bake these turkey falafel meatballs in the oven instead of sautéing them. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spread meatballs out on lightly-oiled baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
[This post first appeared on Panning The Globe in July 2013. It was updated in January 2020 with added nutritional information, clarifying details in the written post and clearer instructions in the recipe.]
Nutrition Information: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for the advice of a professional nutritionist.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Lunch, brunch or dinner
- Method: sauté
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keywords: turkey meatballs, falafel, chickpea and turkey meatballs
Heather
How many meatballs are considered a serving?
Lisa Goldfinger
Hi Heather - This recipe makes about 18 substantial sized meatballs. If you're serving this as an appetizer, 1 or two meatballs makes a serving. As a main dish, 3 or 4.
Emily Segal
This is delicious!!!
★★★★★
Chris
My wife and I absolutely loved these! They came together so nicely and the lemon yogurt sauce is such a great addition. Next time we'll have to add that tomato/cucumber side!
★★★★★
Lisa
Hi Chris, I'm so glad to hear you and your wife enjoyed. Thanks for your note!
Jonas
These, Are. Fantastic.
★★★★★
Lisa
Thanks Jonas - so glad!
Alex G
A healthy meatball that's still delicious. Also was much juicier than I expected which is great.
★★★★★
Kaley Sechman
What are your thoughts on omitting chickpeas in this recipe? (I understand it is no longer a falafel in this case!)
Lisa
Sure! Give it a try without the chickpeas. The texture will be different but I'm sure the flavor will be great! You can also substitute a similar amount of cooked quinoa or cooked bulgar wheat for the chickpeas, if either of those appeal to you. I'd love to know how the recipe turns out for you without the chickpeas.
Laura @MotherWouldKnow
These falafel meatballs are a great twist on a favorite meal of mine. I haven't found a lot of ways to use ground turkey with enough pizzazz to satisfy my tastebuds. This recipe looks like just the ticket!
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom
I love, love falafels--but making them with turkey and pan frying--genius! Pinned
Jane
Made this last night, and they were a big hit with the whole family! We've got a few leftover, so I'm thinking I'll warm 'em up, cut 'em in half, stick toothpicks in, and call 'em a pre-dinner snack tomorrow.
★★★★★
Lisa
Hi Jane! Glad to hear that you and the family enjoyed the falafel meatballs! And I like the idea of reinventing them as appetizers 🙂
Andrea Lowery
I googled for a recipe that included ground turkey and chick peas because I had these ingredients in stock and found this recipe. I made the recipe and it was a huge success!
I worried after mixing the turkey with the chick peas and other ingredients and with the panko crumbs that the mixture was too wet, so I added a bit more panko crumbs and the meatballs came out perfectly! I even got to use my mint and parsley from my garden! I loved the dish and would make it again for my famiy!
Laurel Lyle
Totally family favorite. Everyone loves these!! My husband thinks they're best with extra hot sauce 🙂
Becky Manley
This is one of the best things I have ever eaten!!!!!!!
diane
I would love to try this recipe. Can I bake the meatballs on oven instead of frying in the oil. If so bake for how long?
Lisa Goldfinger
Yes, you can definitely bake them. I suggest preheating the oven to 375F and cooking the meatballs on a foil-lined or lightly-oiled jellyroll pan for 25-30 minutes. If you want them browned, turn up the heat to broil for the last minute or two. Let me know how they turn out.
Sheryl
Can't wait to try this - great idea. Thanks
lindsay
I love turkey meatballs and I love falafel balls. Combining the two sounds delicious, especially with a lemony yogurt sauce. I'll be trying these soon.
Deb Perugi
These sound yummy! Proof that creativity is in the soul and can be utilized every day. Thanks for sharing.