Turkey Meatballs with Bacon Paste
Recipe for easy turkey meatballs and the secret to adding delicious flavor and moisture to turkey meatballs -- bacon paste! Learn the trick to amazing meatballs for your favorite pasta dish.
Servings 24 meatballs (5-6 servings)
Cost $10
Ingredients
- 2 slices thick cut bacon, (peppered bacon works well)
- 1 package ground turkey, (approx 1.25 lbs)
- 1 egg
- 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
- ¼ cup onion, finely diced (about ½ medium onion)
- ⅓ cup Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
- ½ cup Panko crumbs, or ¼ cup regular bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the bacon in a food processor and pulse it a few times until it turns into a paste. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add all other ingredients and gently combine together being careful to not overwork the meat. Roll into golf ball sized balls and place onto a large foil lined baking sheet. Bake 15-10 minutes, or until internal temperature of the meatballs reads at least 165 degrees.
- Store for later, or combine with favorite red sauce for spaghetti and meatballs.
Notes
This is for the basic recipe. Feel free to add additional seasonings (like oregano, basil, marjoram, etc.) to the recipe as you see fit.
Alternative cooking methods:
Frying: Heat oil in a large skillet and fry the balls for 5-6 minutes (depending on size), until internal temperature reaches 165. Then transfer to the sauce to combine.
To Smoke: Preheat smoker to 250 degrees F. Place meatballs (on a foil lined baking sheet or directly on grates) on smoker until internal temperature reads 165 degrees on a thermometer.