Turkey Zucchini Meatballs (for two)

Mediterranean inspired Turkey Zucchini Meatballs for Two packed with herbs, spices and vegetables makes an intensely flavored, fork tender and healthy meatball.  There’s no bread (gluten-free!), flour or milk, instead use an egg to bind the ingredients and grated zucchini for moisture to achieve a tender inside.    

Meatballs are perfect when cooking for two, you can easily make a small batch, double the recipe and freeze for a freezer night dinner.  I prepare these year-round, but I’m more apt to make Turkey Zucchini Meatballs when the farmer’s market bins are bursting with locally grown summer squash and zucchini.

These flavorful balls of turkey and zucchini make a great appetizer, a portable lunch or when I’m apt to fill the table with small plates of good stuff, things that don’t need to be eaten in any order and lend themselves to mixing and matching.  Put a plate of these meatballs into the mix and they will match with a simple green salad tossed with our favorite shallot vinaigrette, a beet salad, burrata appetizer with grilled sweet peppers and so many other dishes.  

A bonus, Turkey Zucchini Meat balls are great eaten right out of the refrigerator.

This recipe comes from the cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi--- and it’s a keeper! I have adapted to make a small batch of meatballs - perfect for two.

Serve them with the sumac and green onion yogurt dipping sauce found in the recipe card, a ranch dressing or a lemony yogurt sauce to make them a little extra special.

Ingredients

Here’s what you will need for this versatile Turkey Zucchini Meatball Recipe for Two.

• Ground Turkey
• Grated Zucchini – the zucchini has the right amount of moisture for a moist and tender meatball.  You could substitute summer squash, if desired.
• Green onions
• Egg – to bind the meat and help the meatballs stay together while you cook them, and as you eat them—no one wants a meatball that breaks apart all over the plate
• Fresh Mint and Cilantro
• Garlic
• Cumin
• Salt and Pepper
• Sunflower oil for searing.  You can also use avocado oil – any light flavored oil will work here.

For Sumac and Sour Cream Sauce:

• Sour Cceam
• Greek yogurt
• Lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice.  A quick tip is to zest a lemon before juicing.
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Sumac – if you cannot find sumac you can substitute lemon pepper, Za’atar or Tamarind.
• Salt and pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Turkey Zucchini Meatballs For Two Instructions

Using an egg as our binder - leaving out the breadcrumbs.  It is surprising how well they hold together and how nicely they fry to a golden brown.  The trick is rolling the meatballs, as the meatball mixture is wetter than traditional meatball mixtures that use breadcrumbs as a binder. 

Combine all the ingredients except the sunflower oil.

Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. 

Scoop the meatballs into golf ball size pieces and place on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. 

A tip is to gently roll each ball between your palms to give it a smooth spherical shape without compacting too tightly, then return to sheet pan.

For this meatball recipe, we will use a stove-top-to-oven cooking method to achieve a crispy, golden brown exterior while keeping the inside moist and tender.

First, sear the meatballs in a large oven safe sauté pan or cast-iron skillet.  Pour enough oil in the pan to cover the bottom, about 1/16 inch up the side of the pan.   Heat the oil until it shimmers over medium high heat.  

Gently place meat balls in even layer to fry until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Rotate the balls, using tongs or a slotted spoon and repeat on other side, only frying 2 sides total to prevent from drying.   Add more oil as needed.

Finish cooking the meatballs in the oven.  Transfer the skillet with meatballs to the oven, baking for 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

How to tell when meatballs are done

As mentioned earlier, we use a stove-top-to-oven cooking method.  First, we will sear the meatballs for 4 minutes until they reach a deep golden brown to achieve a crispy exterior.

Then we will turn to the oven to finish off the cooking of the meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 7 minutes.  

FAQ

Related

Looking for other recipes for two? Try these poultry recipes:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Turkey Zucchini Meatballs for Two: