I can’t think of anyone I know who eats meat and doesn’t like meatballs. While they are universally popular, they are not universally accessible to those with gluten / egg / dairy allergies or intolerances. Seeing as I am one of these people (gluten), I wanted to change the meatball game in my kitchen. These are allergen-free meatballs; quinoa is used instead and it’s great here.
These come together really quickly because all the seasonings come from spice jars. If you have the time and inclination to mince a fresh garlic clove, it would be wonderful, but this recipe as written can be made more quickly and efficiently. Who doesn’t like that? :)
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Turkey Quinoa Meatballs
Notes: These are delicious with ground beef as well. My favorite way to spice them 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.
Recipe updated 11/4/2021
1 cup cooked, unsalted quinoa
1 teaspoon sea salt (add a heaping 1/2 teaspoon if your quinoa is salted)
1 tablespoon garam masala spice blend
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound ground turkey meat (I use dark)
Italian seasoning variation:
1 cup cooked, unsalted quinoa
1 teaspoon sea salt (add a heaping 1/2 teaspoon if your quinoa is salted)
1 teaspoon garlic granules
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 pound ground turkey meat
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 and mix well (I usually do this with my hands). When the ingredients are combined well, form the meatballs. I make them about 1 inch in diameter, but you can go larger or smaller, as long as they are all about the same size.
As you form the meatballs, arrange them on an ungreased baking sheet, then bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes (depending on size) until done. If you have a meat thermometer you can poke the center of a couple of meatballs to make sure they register over 165 degrees. Otherwise (what I usually do), you can cut a meatball or two in half to test for doneness.
I serve these all sorts of ways, including with salad and/or roasted vegetables. One of my favorite ways is as part of a Mediterranean-style spread with hummus, veggies and flatbread.
Makes approximately 20 meatballs that are 1" in diameter.
