Mediterranean Meatballs made with flavorful floor turkey meatballs served over Israeli couscous and a brilliant, lemony cucumber tomato salad. Make them within the air fryer or oven!
Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs
I really like meatballs, Mediterranean flavors, and pearl couscous, so placing all of them collectively in a one-bowl meal appeared pure. The meatballs brown fantastically within the air fryer, and the equipment is nice throughout the hotter months, so that you don’t warmth up your kitchen. When you don’t have an air fryer, you may make them within the oven. The couscous cooks rapidly and is a wonderful base for contemporary Israeli salad and lemon juice. This dish is nice to meal prep for lunch or make for a fast weeknight household dinner. Extra floor turkey meatball recipes to attempt are these Greek Turkey Meatballs, Italian Turkey Meatballs, and Sheet Pan Turkey Meatballs.
What’s the secret to meatballs?
Listed below are a couple of ideas for scrumptious meatballs:
- Binding Components: To stop turkey meatballs from falling aside, you want one thing to maintain them collectively. That’s why we have now the egg and panko.
- Don’t Overmix: You need to combine the meatball components till simply mixed with out overdoing them. It’ll make the meatballs too powerful.
- Don’t Overbake: Make sure that to not bake (or air fry) the meatballs for longer than wanted, which is able to dry them out.
Mediterranean Turkey Meatball Components
Turkey Meatballs:
- Binders: Egg and panko breadcrumbs bind the meat collectively.
- Herbs: Contemporary dill and Italian parsley
- Salt, Pepper, and Contemporary Garlic taste the meatballs.
- Turkey: Purchase 93% lean floor turkey.
What to serve with Mediterranean Meatballs:
- Couscous: I used whole-wheat pearl couscous, additionally known as Israeli couscous, which is definitely a pasta. When you can’t discover whole-wheat, common is ok.
- Salad: Tomato, Persian or English cucumber, pink onion, Italian parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper
- Mediterranean Meatball Sauce: Serve the bowls with lemon wedges, a dollop of tzatziki or nonfat plain Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Make Mediterranean Meatballs
- Make the Meatballs: Crack the egg in a medium bowl and beat with a fork. Add the herbs, panko, garlic, salt, and pepper and blend. Add the turkey and blend with a fork till every part is mixed. Watch out to not overmix. Roll the meat into 16 one-ounce balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Air Fryer Meatballs: Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil and place the meatballs in a good layer. Prepare dinner at 400°F for eight to 10 minutes, turning midway via.
- Or Baked Meatballs: When you don’t have an air fryer, bake the turkey meatballs at 400°F for 20 minutes.
- Prepare dinner Couscous: Sauté the dry pasta in olive oil in a small pot. Pour within the broth, convey it to a boil, and cut back the warmth to low. Cowl the pot and simmer for 10 minutes till all of the liquid is absorbed. Add a pinch of salt if wanted.
- Make the Salad: Mix all of the salad components in a small bowl.
- Assemble the Bowls: Put the couscous in every of the 4 bowls with the salad, meatballs, and lemon wedges. Prime the Mediterranean bowls with tzatziki or yogurt and olive oil if desired.
Meal Prep Mediterranean Meatball Bowls
These straightforward Mediterranean bowls are implausible for meal prep. All of the components will preserve for as much as 4 days within the fridge. To pack them for later:
- Retailer the meatballs and couscous in a single container, the salad and lemon wedges in one other, and the tzatziki in a small container.
- To reheat, microwave the meatball dish for a few minute and prime it with the opposite components.
Variations:
- Couscous: Substitute common couscous with pearl.
- Grain Bowl: Swap couscous with brown rice, barley, or quinoa.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free panko and brown rice.
- Protein: Make floor rooster meatballs as an alternative of floor turkey.
- Further Veggies: Add diced bell pepper or zucchini.
- Cheese: Prime with feta.
Extra Floor Turkey Recipes You’ll Love
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Dimension: 1 bowl
For the bowl:
- 1 ½ tablespoons further virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/3 cup dry pearl Israeli couscous, I used entire wheat
- 1 ¾ cup reduced-sodium rooster, or vegetable broth
- 1 cup diced tomato
- 2 cups Persian or English cucumber, diced
- ¼ cup pink onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, contemporary chopped
- 2 tablespoons contemporary lemon juice, from 1/2 lemon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly floor black pepper, to style
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- ½ cup tzatziki or nonfat plain Greek yogurt, optionally available, for serving
For the turkey meatballs:
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Crack the egg right into a medium mixing bowl and beat with a fork. Add the herbs, panko, garlic, salt and pepper and blend to mix.
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Add the turkey and with the fork, combine to mix, being cautious to not over-mix. Roll combination into 16 evenly sized meatballs, about 1 ounce every, place on a parchment lined sheet pan and put aside till able to prepare dinner. (Completely wash your fingers and work floor.)
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To air fry: Spray the air fryer basket generously with olive oil. Add the meatballs in a good layer, cooking in batches if wanted, and prepare dinner at 400 levels F for 8- 10 minutes, turning midway via prepare dinner time.
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To bake within the oven, bake on a sheet pan 400F 20 minutes, no want to show.
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In the meantime, warmth a small sauce pot over medium warmth.
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Add ½ tablespoon olive oil and the dry couscous and sauté to toast the grains for about 3 minutes. Add the recent broth, convey to a boil, then cut back warmth to simmer, cowl and prepare dinner for about 10 minutes, or till all of the liquid is absorbed. Add a pinch of salt, if wanted.
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Whereas meatballs and couscous are cooking, make the salad. In a small bowl, mix the tomato, cucumber, pink onion, 3 tablespoons parsley, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, to style.
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To assemble bowls: Add ¾ cup every of couscous to 4 bowls. Prime with 3/4 cup salad and 4 meatballs. Serve with a lemon wedge, a dollop of tzatziki or yogurt (if desired) and drizzle of oil, if utilizing.
Final Step:
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Serving: 1 bowl, Energy: 466 kcal, Carbohydrates: 48 g, Protein: 31 g, Fats: 16 g, Saturated Fats: 3 g, Ldl cholesterol: 130 mg, Sodium: 644 mg, Fiber: 4.5 g, Sugar: 3 g