Meatballs, while universally popular, are not universally accessible to those with gluten, egg or dairy allergies / intolerances. As I am one of those people (gluten), I wanted to change the meatball game in my kitchen. Quinoa is used here instead and it works really well.
These come together quickly because of the short ingredient list and the fact that all the aromatics come from spice jars. Nutritionally, these meatballs mainly provide good protein, vitamins B6 & B12, and a bit of iron and zinc.
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Turkey Quinoa Meatballs
Notes: My favorite spice combo for these is in the main recipe (it’s subtle and really good) but I’ve also added an Italian option below if you’re going for the classic spaghetti with meatballs and marinara sauce. And, of course, you can use ground beef here as well, or a combination of the two.
Recipe updated 11/4/2021
1 cup cooked, unsalted quinoa
1 teaspoon sea salt (use a heaping 1/2 teaspoon if your quinoa is salted)
1 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound ground turkey
Italian seasoning variation:
1 cup cooked, unsalted quinoa
1 teaspoon sea salt (use a heaping 1/2 teaspoon if your quinoa is salted)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 pound ground turkey
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Put the quinoa, salt and spices in a bowl and stir well to evenly distribute all the seasoning. Add the ground turkey, mix well, and form meatballs about 1” in diameter. Arrange the meatballs on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
I serve these all sorts of ways, usually with salad or roasted vegetables. They are very good in a Mediterranean-style spread with hummus, veggies and rice or flatbread.
Makes approximately 20 meatballs.
