Spicy Turkey Meatballs

These spicy turkey meatballs really amp up the flavor! You can make these on the sweeter side or the spicier side, depending on your tastes. Low fat turkey keeps these nice and light while the bright homemade sauce makes sure your taste buds aren’t napping on the job! These make the perfect little appetizer or snack. Great to feed a crowd and super easy to make in advance. If making in advance, don’t dress the meatballs in the sauce. Whip up the easy sauce and bake the unfinished meatballs for 3 minutes at 475°F to warm them up and help the spicy sauce to stick.

Spicy Turkey Meatballs

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 egg

2 cloves garlic

3 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from the stems

12 buttery crackers

For the sauce (tweaked from the lovely Little Spice Jar.):

1/4 cup hot sauce

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

pinch salt

to garnish:

1 green onion, sliced thin (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. To make the meatballs combine all of the meatballs ingredients except for the buttery crackers. Mix with a fork until just barely combined. Using your hands crush the crackers until they are crumbs and mix this into the meat by hand. Gently scoop the meat and roll it into even sized balls.
  3. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your meatballs, until the center reaches 165°F.
  4. While the meatballs are baking combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens like maple syrup.
  5. When the meatballs come out of the oven toss each one into the sauce, then start over and toss them in it a second time.
  6. Bake these for another minute or two.
  7. Serve warm and garnished with green onions if desired.