Packed with veggies, herbs and fragrant spices, these turkey zucchini meatballs are exceptionally flavorful, light and healthy. I like to serve these scrumptious turkey meatballs as an appetizer, with lemony yogurt sauce on the side for dipping.
I love meatballs— Moroccan Meatballs, Lamb Meatballs, Meatball Soup — and the list goes on.
I'm always on the lookout for the next amazing meatball recipe to try. So when I discovered this Turkey Zucchini Meatball recipe in Ottolenghi's cookbook Jerusalem, I loved the idea of super healthy meatballs packed with zucchini, scallions and fresh herbs, with no breadcrumbs or flour. But I have to say, I was skeptical that they would hold together.
Even the first time I made them, as I was forming the meatballs, I had my doubts. The mixture seemed much too loose and wet to ever brown properly.
But this recipe works! The meatballs brown beautifully and they turn out tender, juicy and incredibly flavorful. Ottolenghi is a true genius. I say that to myself every time I make these amazing Turkey Zucchini Meatballs.
If you have the cookbook Jerusalem, you'll notice that Ottolenghi calls these burgers. I call them meatballs. They don't look quite like either one. They're small — two or three bites apiece — and they're served with a lemony yogurt dip and no bun.
I like forming them into an oblong shape because it makes them more like finger food that you can hold and dip. In fact I often serve them as an appetizer, with the lemony yogurt sauce in a small bowl on the side for dipping.
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HOW TO MAKE TURKEY ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS
Considering that these turkey zucchini meatballs are made without breadcrumbs or flour, it's surprising how well they hold together and how beautifully they brown up. The mixture is softer and wetter than traditional meatball mixtures, so shaping them requires a slightly different technique. You'd be frustrated if you tried to "roll" them like you normally do with meatballs. Here are some tips:
- Scoop up about 2 ½ tablespoons of the mixture and toss it gently from hand to hand, giving little light squeezes to form a into a small, oblong-shaped meatball.
- Three or four tosses and squeezes per meatball should do the trick.
- If the mixture sticks to your hands, fill a bowl with ice water and dip your hands in from time to time. The mixture is less likely to stick to cold, damp hands.
- As you form the meatballs, set them on a large plate.
- Heat oil in a skillet and gently slide the meatballs into the hot pan. Cook them in batches, turning until they're nicely browned on all sides.
- Transfer the browned meatballs to a parchment-lined baking sheet and finish cooking them in a 425ºF oven for 6-7 minutes.
I love to serve these Turkey Zucchini Meatballs with the lemony yogurt sauce on the side for dipping or drizzling. The sauce is made with Greek yogurt, sour cream, lemon, garlic and sumac — a beautiful deep red Middle Eastern spice with a tangy, lemony flavor.
If you try these Turkey Zucchini Meatballs, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!
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Ottolenghi's Turkey Zucchini Meatballs with Lemony Yogurt Sauce
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 6-8 Servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Low-Carb
Description
These healthy Turkey Zucchini Meatballs are tender, juicy and packed with fresh herbs and spices. They're naturally gluten-free with no breadcrumbs or flour, and they're delicious as a main dish or appetizer with lemony yogurt sauce for drizzling or dipping.
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Yotam Ottolenghi in his cookbook Jerusalem
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅔ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey (white or dark meat)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large zucchini, grated (about 1 ¾-2 cups), squeezed in a clean dish towel to remove excess water
- 6 scallions, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil for sautéing
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Instructions
Make the Yogurt Sauce
- Combine all ingredients. Set aside or refrigerate for up to 3 days, until needed.
Make The Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 425F/220C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, gently combine the turkey, zucchini, scallions, egg, mint, cilantro, garlic and spices, using your hands.
- Shape the meatballs (about 2 ½ tablespoons per ball) by gently squeezing them and tossing them from hand to hand. If they stick to your hands, dip your hands in a bowl of ice water, which will keep the mixture from sticking. Set the formed meatballs on a large plate. Makes about 18 meatballs.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Slide half the meatballs into the pan and brown them on all sides, about 4 minutes. Carefully transfer them to the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the meatballs, adding extra oil to the pan, if needed.
- Slide the tray into the center of the oven and cook for 6-7 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve warm with the lemony yogurt sauce for dipping or drizzling.
Notes
- Yogurt sauce variation: For a lighter sauce, replace the sour cream with additional Greek yogurt. The sauce will be a little tangier but still delicious.
- Make-Ahead Strategy: The meatballs can be browned earlier in the day, arranged on the baking sheet, covered and refrigerated until you're ready to serve. Finish them in the oven as directed, adding an extra minute or two to the cooking time if they're going straight from the refrigerator into the oven.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Appetizer or Main Course
- Method: Baked, Pan-Fried
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
I am so glad I tried these. They are yummy! Love the mix of flavors. Thank you!
I made these tonight as an appetizer, since the main course (fresh, homemade artisan bread and homemade french onion soup) comes later. These are light and delicate, but packed with flavor. They aren't hard to shape if you just follow the directions and toss back and forth. They held together just fine. They are really delicious, and with the lemony yogurt sauce they are absolutely fantastic.
I think these are going to become a favorite in this house!
I often make these as an appetizer too - love them as a starter. I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed them. The rest of your dinner sounds amazing too! Thanks for letting me know Dave.
I am always looking for new uses for ground turkey (it's always in my freezer!), and these look so yummy! I love that they're full of zucchini too. And I really like the addition of sumac to the yogurt sauce!
I just want to mention that while these meatballs were delicious and versatile (i used dill and parsley instead of cilantro and mint), the recipe says to use wax paper on the baking tray which is actually not supposed to be used in the oven. Luckily I noticed this quite quickly as the paper started to melt and smoke (https://www.marthastewart.com/269281/parchment-vs-wax-paper). Also, another suggestion would be to shred the zucchini and then put it in a strainer with a bit of salt so that it will drain some of the moisture from the zucchini, as I found that the meatballs let out a ton of liquid as they were cooking. These were quite yummy and well seasoned but I would use parchment paper instead of wax or even just grease the pan.
Thanks so much for catching my error with the wax paper Emily! Fixed it!!
Do you think it would be ok to make the meatballs in advance (either formed or unformed...?) and then refrigerate them for a couple hours before cooking them? Or should I cook them and reheat? Thanks!!
Hi Eric. I think it would be fine to make the meatball mixture in advance and keep it in the fridge until you're ready for form them. It might even make them easier to form because the fridge will firm everything up. I definitely wouldn't form them first because the mixture is kind of wet and they would lose their shape. You can also form them and brown them and keep them in the fridge, covered, until you're ready to finish them in the oven. I think that would work really well! Once they're browned you can set them up on the parchment-lined tray, cover with foil, store in the fridge, and all you have to do is pop the tray in the oven. You might need a few extra minutes of cooking time if you're going right from the cold fridge to the oven. Enjoy!
Just made them and they turned out great!! Excellent recipe with no need for substitutions/changes.
These were absolutely DELICIOUS! I had never used sumac before...it was awesome to try something completely new. I'm always very skeptical of turkey meatballs, but they are so flavorful - I can't stop eating them!
I'm so glad you enjoyed!!
Made these last night and they were yummy! Everybody loved them and perfect for a weeknight meal.
I have someone in my near family who can't eat beef or pork. This meatball recipe
is PERFECTO. I love the yogurt sauce you whipped up to go with it. Lots of interesting non Italian spices, which makes it more unique. Bottom line--I like it!
I love these Lisa! We are going in for round two tonight. Thank you for expanding my weeknight repertoire!!
I came across this recipe on ChowStalker and it is on my list to make this coming week! I've spent the last 30 min or more looking through so many more delicious recipes and pinning many to try. Thanks for sharing these recipes - the food and your photos are gorgeous and everything looks delicious!
Following up from my last comment...I made these today and they were SOOO good! Perfect blend of spices and so flavorful, complimented by the tartness of the yogurt sauce. These are definitely going into the regular dinner rotation!
Thanks Mandy - I'm so glad you followed up to let me know how they turned out! They're in my regular dinner rotation too!
Made these last night. They were awesome! Light, fluffy and utterly delicious.
Funny thing, I had never used Sumac before, but just so happens I bought some in a health food store in Tel Aviv last week and was waiting for a recipe calling for it to come around.
I made these tonight and I had to leave the kitchen so I would stop eating them! They were delicious! The cilantro and mint were great. I had a few adjustments but it turned out great. I used an egg white instead of a whole egg, and had no sumac, so I grated a little lemon zest into the sauce and I did not have sour cream so I used all greek yogurt. It was easy and delicious. My husband and daughter loved them too. Thanks for a great and easy recipe!
Cannot wait to make these. I am a meatball fanatic, and these look healthy as well.
A fellow meatball fanatic! 🙂
Lisa, These sound amazing! Can't wait to try them out. I'm a sucker for cilantro and cumin! I've never tried sumac though...any info or tips about getting/using it?
Mindy, I learned about sumac in Istanbul. You can sprinkle it on cucumbers, salads, fish, chicken, dips, or anything that you would sprinkle lemon juice on. It has a bright, tart, lemony flavor. You can order it from Penzeys https://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/results.html?id=TAPZQtxN or you can find it in the Boston/Cambridge area at Sofra or Formaggio Kitchen.
Definitely making these this week! They look yummy.