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World’s Best Turkey Meatballs in a 2-ingredient sweet-sour sauce is a kid-friendly meal that makes the adults smile, too.
My son wangles a dinner invitation at his friend Hannah’s house as often as possible. It’s just plain fun to eat over at a friend’s house, isn’t it? They set the table differently, they have different eating rituals, serve different food on different plates, with different forks, and they talk about different things than your own family does. It’s exotic!
But no small part of the draw, I have learned, is the world’s best meatballs, prepared by Hannah’s mom Michelle.
“Mom,” he shouts to me when he blows back home after the meal. “We had those meatballs!” as his eyes roll back in his head and he gets a dreamy look on his face. This delight has been going on for years. What can be in those meatballs, I wonder, but like most 12-year-old boys, he has absolutely no clue.
So I finally got up the courage to ask Michelle what the secret of her meatballs is. This, despite the fact that my son assured me she would never, ever tell me. “Oh, it’s a secret recipe?” I asked him. “Yes,” he said with some conspiratorial undertones. (Note to self: This kid has been watching too much “CSI.”) “It’s only for their family to know. Michelle will teach Hannah, and then she’ll teach Judah (her son) and then she’ll teach Leila (her younger daughter), and it will just be their family meatballs,” he told me.
Hmmmm…well, Michelle revealed that it IS a family recipe, gleaned from her mother-in-law, and much beloved at their house.
How to make World’s Best Turkey Meatballs
Chop your spinach (or chard). You want it to be in fairly small pieces so they don’t stick out of the meatballs in an ungainly fashion.
In a bowl, mix the turkey, egg, flax, onion, spinach and seasonings and shape using your hands into meatballs. You’ll make 18-20 or so.
Place them in the simmering sauce, spoon some sauce over them and put the lid on for 30 minutes.
You can serve them as-is, over wide noodles, mashed potatoes, rice, another grain or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Michelle notes that when she invites my son to stay for dinner, he always, ALWAYS asks if she’s serving “the meatballs,” and on those nights she isn’t, he might reflect a flicker of disappointment across his face, but then gobbles up everything on the plate. That’s my boy!
The meatball recipe DOES have a secret, which Michelle laughed about and so will you.
Read the “gourmet” sauce ingredients!
World's Best Turkey Meatballs: Healthy turkey meatballs with spinach in a 2-ingredient sweet-sour sauce is a kid-pleaser that makes the adults smile, too.
Ingredients
- Sauce
- 1 (12-ounce) beer
- 1 (20-ounce) bottle Heinz ketchup
- Meatballs
- 1 (16- or 20-ounce) package ground turkey (7% fat version preferred)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons ground flax
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped fresh spinach (or use chard as Michelle does)
- Pinch kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Squirt of hot sauce such as Sriracha (entirely optional!)
- For Serving
- Cooked wide egg noodles, mashed potatoes, rice or loaf of French bread
Directions
- Add beer and ketchup to a large lidded pot, and turn heat on to simmer. Stir to combine (beer will foam).
- Make meatballs: In a large bowl, add turkey, egg, flax, onion, spinach and seasonings. Mix with hands until well combined. Shape into meatballs (you will make about 18-20), and as they are shaped, place them into the now-simmering sauce. When all meatballs are in the pot, spoon some sauce over them, put the lid on, make sure the heat is turned to a low simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes.
- While meatballs are simmering, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente (follow package timing for your pasta). Set pasta aside.
- When meatballs are ready, portion pasta into wide, shallow bowls and top with meatballs and sauce. Enjoy!
- Serves 4.
Notes
Recipe source: Michelle Taub's family recipe
Variations: -- You may add to or omit from the meatballs whatever you like. These additions above are suggestions. Feel free to sub something else, and make your meatballs however you like. You have Michelle’s permission! --Don’t tell Michelle’s kids, but on occasion she will chop up chard and put that in the meatballs! “They never know,” she says with a slight wicked mom-smile on her face. Simply remove leaves from stem and chop leaves using a knife or in the food processor. --Michelle serves the meatballs over wide pasta. I served them with French bread to soak up the sauce. They would also be great over mashed potatoes, brown rice or another cooked grain such as spelt or farro. --Instead of putting the greens inside the meatballs, try putting fresh greens such as baby spinach or arugula in the bowl first, then top with the hot pasta and then the hot meatballs and sauce. The heat from the pasta and sauce will wilt the greens just enough.
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This post was originally published March 23, 2014 and has been refreshed and republished today.
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These look delicious! I love meatballs and the special sauce sounds perfect!
Heather,
We truly loved them, and they reheat well so would be great for weeknight meals as well.
With flax, Srirarcha and spinach, you have definitely created the World’s Best Turkey Meatballs! YUM!!
Alida,
The best part is the spinach makes them look great but they aren’t “spinachy,” and you wouldn’t know the flax was even in there. Score!
Love this! Sometimes the best things are more simple than we could ever imagine!
Sarah,
I agree completely!
These look fantastic and I love that they are made out of turkey!
FoodieArmy,
Yeah, sometimes you just need a turkey meatball. Actually, at our house, MANY time you need a turkey meatball!
LOL beer and ketchup….your son certainly has gourmet taste buds 🙂 Sounds delish!
Shaina,
Yeah, put that way, these are really manly meatballs, aren’t they? My daughter and I loved them, too.
Oh my goodness! What a great “secret” ingredient! These must be some dang good meatballs!
Courtney,
Dang good is a perfect description!
LOVE the secret sauce ingredients! And the story of your son is down right comical. 🙂
Melanie,
Thanks! He’s a funny kid!
Gotta love when kids are gobbling up greens and then proclaim it “the best”!
Brianne,
I completely agree!
I had to giggle at the too much CSI comment. They can be so dramatic can’t they? These meatballs look fantastic, pinned them for later. I know my kids will love them too!!
Bobbi,
Drama king, he is!
Meatballs rock!
Cindy,
They DO!
I have a craving for meatballs now! Yummy recipe!
MealDiva,
Sunday Supper will do that to ya, eh?
LOVE meatballs…we’re actually making them tonight! And now that you make them, your son will probably ask you for them now..hahaha Happy #SundaySupper 🙂
Samantha,
Meatballs are underrated, imho. Much more fun to eat than a big hunk of meat.
I am making these tomorrow. Can you suggest to me a risotto recipe that will be good with these? I am also making some baked potatoes but I wanted some rice too for variety at the table.
Arun,
This is my favorite risotto of all time! https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/red-wine-risotto-for-sundaysupper-and-christmas-dinner/ Since it is a red, and the meatballs are red, I’m not sure it is what you need, but I love it so much.
Hahaha, ketchup and beer! I love it, and I’m SURE it’s delicious. Just think how popular your son will be when he gets to college and can cook this for his roommates!
Lori,
You are so right! Didn’t think of that!
What a great meatball! I don’t blame your son for wanting to gobble them up. I bet the beer in the sauce gives a great flavor and tenderizer. Mmmm!
Shannon,
It’s funny how actually gourmet these taste! That tangy sauce is divine.
I love making meatballs, and these look right up our alley!!!
Wendy,
Somehow, it’s more fun to eat a meatball than a big slab of meat, eh?
Oh my gosh, your son is too cute! And sometimes getting those “special” recipes from others is so fun! How nice that she shared her family’s recipe with you (and the world, now!).
Katie,
I agree. It was nice of her to share this heirloom recipe. We have made it several times since getting it, and the kids know exactly what is cooking by the great smell!
that was so sweet of Michelle to share her recipe!!! I love your son’s enthusiasm! 🙂 so cute!!! can’t wait to try these meatballs!!! yum!!
Alice,
I know, I was quite trepidatious when I asked her!
I love getting recipes from my kids friends mom’s. This is a great one!
Isabel/Family Foodie,
Kids’ friends’ moms are an untapped resource!
LOL at the secret sauce…two of my hubby’s favorite ingredients!!! I need to make these ASAP 🙂
Liz,
If he’s a beer and ketchup guy, then yes! But seriously, you probably wouldn’t know there was beer in the sauce, or ketchup for that matter. It just tastes like sweet and tangy!
What a “gourmet sauce”. Sometimes it is the simplest things that can taste the best and so I’m going to have to try making these “World’s Best” meatballs and see just how good they are.
Renee,
Report back!