Smoky Red Pepper Turkey Meatballs
This turkey meatball recipe is always a big hit with my tribe. The smoky red pepper sauce fills the kitchen with the aroma of garlic and paprika, and you can batch-cook and prep the meatballs and the sauce well ahead of supper time.
The meatballs and red pepper sauce are yummy served over fresh egg spaghetti, which adds a little extra protein. It will properly fill the kids up and, if you are lucky, there will be enough leftover meatballs to pop cold into lunchboxes the next day too, which always feels like a bit of a win-win.
Turkey is naturally rich in protein and contains tryptophan, an amino acid involved in serotonin production, which plays a role in mood and sleep. Turkey also provides important nutrients, including iron, zinc and vitamin B6, to support energy, immunity and growing bodies, making these meatballs a great family meal for busy and sporty children.
You can buy free-range or organic turkey mince from your local farm shop, butcher or online all year round.
Find the gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free switches in the cook’s tips below.
Get our lovely Healthy Bites newsletter!
Each week, you’ll get an amazing recipe, a useful health tip, and an ingredient to jazz up your shopping basket!
Smoky Red Pepper Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs & Sauce
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion and red bell pepper.
- Heat half the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook gently for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened and sweet. Add the garlic for the final 2 minutes.
- Spoon one third of the cooked onion and pepper mixture into a large mixing bowl and leave it to cool slightly. This is a key ingredient for making the turkey meatballs.
- Return the pan with the remaining two thirds of the onion and pepper mixture to the heat to make the rest of the red pepper sauce. Stir in the paprika and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the passata and season lightly if needed. Then reduce the heat and leave the sauce to simmer gently while you prepare the meatballs (cook for a minimum of 20 minutes).
- Now to make the meatballs. Add the parsley, turkey mince and egg to the partly cooled vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined.
- Shape the mixture into small meatballs and place them on a tray or plate with a space in between each one. This takes about 10 minutes. Chill the raw meatballs in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to help them firm up.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan. Cook the meatballs for around 12 minutes (turning three or four times so all the sides are golden and the meat is cooked through). You may need to do this in batches and add a little extra oil if required.
- Whilst cooking the red pepper sauce and meatballs cook the pasta according to the pack instructions.
- Serve the pasta with the smoky red pepper sauce and topped with the turkey meatballs. Finish with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese, if you like.
Notes
Per serving. Nutrition content in food is never consistent, so take these estimates with a pinch of salt! Also, our recipes tend to use low-GI carbs and sugars, so these values are not directly comparable with shop-bought UPFs.
Responses