There’s nothing quite as easy to make that is so happily received at a game day get-together as a good meatball. In marinara, in BBQ sauce, wrapped in bacon, in a sandwich … meatballs and game-watching parties go hand in hand.
Here, we want to share the basics of making quality meatballs from lean ground turkey. They’re easy to make and, as long as you stick to your critical temperatures, turn out juicy and tasty every time! Read on and get the low-down on these delicious game-day treats that are equally good any day, game or not. Let’s take a look!
Recipe Tips & Tricks If your turkey meatballs are hard or rubbery, you likely overworked the meat or compacted them too tightly. Trust and Believe: Baking Is Best. It’s fast, has easy clean up, and as long as you brush the meatballs with olive oil, you’ll get juicy results.
Turkey meatballs: basics of juiciness
Ground turkey is lean. To maintain moisture in the finished meatball, you need other ingredients. The egg in this recipe not only acts as a binder, the proteins adding to the structure of the finished product and the liquid of the yolk adds just a little more moisture to the mix. The breadcrumbs, strangely enough, also help keep the meatball moist.
How can that be? Adding dry breadcrumbs can’t make the meat juicier, can it? Yes! You see, as we cook the meatballs, the meat fibers contract, driving out the water they usually contain. If the meatballs were just meat, that liquid would drip out, evaporating in the pan. Breadcrumbs act as tiny sponges distributed throughout the meat mixture, sucking up free moisture as it becomes available. The meat, egg, and bread all work together to retain the juices of the meatballs as they cook.
Turkey meatball doneness temperature
We have written pretty extensively on this blog about poultry doneness temperatures, about how you don’t have to cook your birds all the way to 165°F (74°C). Well, this is ground turkey, so you can forget all that nuance! Meatballs don’t have the thermal mass to maintain a slower-than-instant bacterial kill temperature. Turkey meatballs need to be cooked all the way up to a food-safe 165°F (77°C).
The need to make sure each meatball is safe—you don’t want to accidentally send foodborne illness to one of your football friends—is one reason why Thermapen® ONE is such a great tool for this kind of cook. The small sensor, right in the tip, can handle small food items like individual meatballs, and it reacts so quickly that you can easily temp every single meatball. It can allay nearly all your food safety concerns.
The BEST Baked Turkey Meatballs | LOADED With of Flavor!
FAQ
Why did my meatballs come out rubbery?
How do you make meatballs not rubbery?
Why are my turkey meatballs so dense?
Why is my Turkey rubbery?
There can be a lot of reasons why a turkey can turn out rubbery. It is important to know the potential causes so that you can avoid this in the future. The most common reason for a rubbery turkey is that it has not been cooked long enough. Some people think that a rubbery turkey is just something that happens, but it is actually quite preventable.
How to make Turkey meatballs?
For measuring, you will need 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, a tablespoon, a teaspoon, and 1/2 teaspoon. To make turkey meatballs, start by putting ground turkey and minced garlic in a large bowl. Then, add the grated (or finely chopped) red onion, along with an egg, breadcrumbs, dill, oregano, salt, and pepper.
How do I Avoid dry meatballs?
To avoid tough, dry meatballs, consider one or two of these tips: Add moisture inducing ingredients to the mix (finely chopped or grated onions, parsley or other veggies, Parmesan cheese, BBQ sauce, cream, etc.). You know I don’t mean add all of them – pick and choose one or two based on what you have on hand and the flavor you’re going for.
How do you keep meatballs moist & tender?
When it comes to a low fat ground meat like turkey or chicken, keeping meatballs moist and tender can be a little more challenging. To avoid tough, dry meatballs, consider one or two of these tips: Add moisture inducing ingredients to the mix (finely chopped or grated onions, parsley or other veggies, Parmesan cheese, BBQ sauce, cream, etc.).