This is a great recipe for making a double batch and freezing the extra meatballs for later. When my nephew and his wife had their first child, I took them a bag of these frozen meatballs so they could put together a quick dinner with just a few basics added. Making the meatballs is definitely the most time consuming part of the recipe. Having a batch ready to go from the freezer cuts the time in half or less. Thaw the meatballs in the microwave on low or in the fridge overnight, depending on how far ahead you’re thinking.
Sesame Meatballs and Broccoli
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1¼ lb ground turkey
- 1 egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs or matzoh meal
- ½ cup minced onion
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Kosher salt and pepper
Sauce and Broccoli
- 5 tbsp honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 tbsp ginger grated
- 1½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 8 cups broccoli florets cut bite sized
Instructions
Make meatballs
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a half-sheet sized, rimmed baking sheet with a silicon liner or parchment paper.
- Combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs or matzoh meal, onion, ginger, and garlic powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Using a small scoop or your hands, portion into meatballs. Should be a little smaller than walnut sized. Arrange on baking sheet (they can be lightly touching, don't pack to tightly).
- Bake 15 minutes, until very lightly browned but cooked through. Set aside.
Broccoli
- Put broccoli florets in a bowl and microwave for 1.5-2 minutes until bright green and slightly tender. Set aside
Make Sauce
- Combine honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and cornstarch in a mixing cup. Pour into skillet and cook briefly to thicken slightly. Add in meatballs and broccoli – toss to combine well and coat with sauce.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions – serve over rice.
Notes
I like making this with turkey meatballs. I’ll make a batch of meatballs and freeze half to make a quick dinner easier. You can also leave out the ginger and use the meatballs for other dinners (over pasta, Turkish style meatballs, make smaller and use for wedding soup).
If you prefer, you can make this using 2# chicken thighs cut into 1½” pieces and coating them with a mixture of 6T cornstarch, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Cook in batches in a skillet with 2T oil, turning chicken pieces often until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside and continue with sauce and broccoli instructions.