Asian Fusion Turkey Meatballs

Submitted by gigimimiriri

"This is a combination of recipes that I made into my own. I was looking for Asian flavors fused with sweet sauce and this is what I came up with. Many recipes called for grape jelly or cranberry sauce but I thought I'd try using plum jelly which is my favorite. I made a similar recipe using a mixture of ground beef and ground turkey and it it turned out very well so I believe this one can be varied using your ground meat(s) of choice. They can also be cooked in the crockpot after browning the meatballs (5 hours on low)."

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photo by gigimimiriri

Ready In:: 45mins
Ingredients:: 21
Yields:: 12 meatballs
Serves:: 4-6

ingredients

Meat
1 (5 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
¹⁄₂ cup onion, finely diced (can substitute scallions)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
¹⁄₂ - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (add as needed for consistency you prefer)
¹⁄₄ - ¹⁄₂ cup quick oats (add as needed for consistency you prefer)
1 egg
1 -2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 lb ground turkey
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
¹⁄₄ cup brown sugar (Can add more if you prefer a sweeter taste)
³⁄₄ cup sweet and sour sauce
³⁄₄ cup barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray because it's sweet)
¹⁄₂ cup plum jelly (can use grape jelly or cranberry sauce)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¹⁄₄ teaspoon hot chili, sauce, to taste (Sriracha, a little goes a long way)
1 lemon, juice of

directions

Meat:
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Mix together all ingredients listed under "Meat" EXCEPT the meat. The idea is to handle the meat as little as possible.
Gently incorporate the meat by mixing with hands (spray hands with a bit of cooking spray or oil to prevent sticking).
Heat a skillet over medium heat and then add oil.
Form meat mixture into 12 meatballs and place in hot skillet as you form them.
Lightly brown meatballs on all sides (About 2 minutes total. They will cook in the oven.).
Remove from skillet and place in a shallow baking dish or casserole.
Sauce:
Whisk together all ingredients until well-mixed and jelly is fully incorporated.
Pour over meatballs.
Turn meatballs to coat in sauce.
Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes until meatballs are completely done.
Serve as an appetizer, or as a main meat dish.