Perfect as an appetizer or served over rice for an entrée, these sweet and spicy turkey meatballs prove that healthy foods can also be flavorful!

Disclaimer: I received free samples of SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by SPLENDA® Sweeteners and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

This is one of my favorite recipes that I have been keeping from all of you for awhile. I first made them for a Super Bowl party two years ago and they were a hit! I loved them so much that I started making them for dinner just so I wouldn’t have to wait for another party to have an excuse to eat them.

The sauce is the key to these meatballs, as you want just the right balance of spicy and sweet. For the spice, I rely simply on red pepper flakes in order to keep the sodium low, as many hot sauces and pastes are also loaded with salt. Trust me, those little red flakes can carry some serious heat! And for the sweet, I used SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend – a new product on the market that helps you cut back on sugar while still getting the sweetness that you’re looking for.

SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend is an all-natural product with just 2 ingredients (both non-GMO): stevia and cane sugar. By combining stevia with sugar, the result is 50% few calories than just sugar alone but no bitter taste that you may be concerned about when using a sugar substitute. Plus, there’s no added colorings, artificial flavors, or artificial ingredients. That’s a win in my book!

While I’m using SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend in a savory dish, you can use it anywhere that you would traditionally use regular sugar. Note that ½ tsp of SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend provides the same sweetness as 1 tsp of regular sugar. I’m already thinking about how good this would be in sangria or a fruit crisp! 

So here’s a toast to getting all the flavor without excess sugar!

P.S. These meatballs would be perfect football-watching food 😉 

Print Recipe

Sweet and Spicy Turkey Meatballs

Perfect as an appetizer or served over rice for an entrée, these sweet and spicy turkey meatballs prove that healthy foods can also be flavorful!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian-Fusion

Keyword: Turkey Meatballs

Servings: 8

Calories: 278kcal

Author: Kelli

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 2 lb ground turkey
• 4 green onions chopped and divided
• 2 clove garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eggs whisked
• 1 cup rolled oats pulsed into a flour

For the Sauce:

• 3/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup brown sugar or SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend
• 2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup water
• Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour and water. Set aside.
• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, whisked egg, and oat flour. Next add in the whites of the green onions, garlic, ginger, and salt and pepper.
• Form mixture into 16 meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
• While meatballs are baking, whisk together soy sauce, water, vinegar, brown sugar or Stevia blend, red pepper flakes, oil, and ginger. Pour into a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil.
• Reduce heat to medium and stir in water and whole wheat flour mixture. Simmer for 4-5 minutes or until thickened.
• Add meatballs and toss with sauce. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to do this in batches.
• Remove from heat and serve with rice and vegetables for an entrée or on a platter with toothpicks for an appetizer. Sprinkle greens of the onions and sesame seeds on top for garnish. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition for 1/8 of recipe (using brown sugar): 278 calories, 11g fat (3g saturated fat), 19g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 9g sugar, 27g protein