Turkey Feta Meatballs with Roasted Veg & Quinoa
These turkey feta meatballs are absolutely incredible! They are so juicy, tender, packed with flavour and also happen to be incredibly brain boosting and nourishing.
They are so easy to make and I can say with confidence they turn our perfectly every time.
You can make these turkey feta meatballs for a quick weeknight meal or as a fancier meal when hosting – they’re that good and versatile!!!
If you know me, it will come as no surprise that I love making them a part of a nourish bowl by pairing them with roasted veg, quinoa, some extra feta crumble, and fresh dill. And to top it all off, a drizzle of my beloved lemon tahini sauce (when I’m feeling fancy).
What’s Inside These Turkey Feta Meatballs?
- Ground turkey: I use a high quality ground turkey that I get from a local butcher here in Vancouver called Pasture to Plate
- Ground walnuts/ walnut flour: adds an incredible brain boosting benefit as walnuts are packed with omega 3’s. It also helps these meatballs to turn out so juicy and tender while also keeping them gluten free
- Finely chopped parsley: I’m a huge fan of parsley as it provides such a wonderful subtle fresh flavour along with antioxidants! If you were feeling fancy you could add in some dill or even mint as well. But I like to keep it simple (and more cost effective) with just 1 type of herb
- An egg: helps to bind the meatballs – don’t skip it
- Finely chopped red onion: adds a really nice flavour and some moisture to the meatballs (and a pop of colour)
- Spices: this recipe is pretty minimal on the spices with just some cumin, paprika, and sea salt to give them a flavour boost
- Minced garlic: an ingredient that needs no introduction lol. You can omit if you’re not a huge garlic fan and they still turn out oh so flavourful!
- Feta: the golden ingredient! It makes them so utterly delicious, moist, and gives the perfect element of surprise and excitement with each bite
Ingredients:
Serving size: 2 servings
For the Turkey Feta Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground turkey (preferably pasture raised / organic)
- ½ cup parsley finely chopped
- 1 small red onion (approx. ½ cup finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (sometimes I omit)
- 1 cup walnuts, ground into a flour
- 1 egg (lightly beaten with a fork)
- 1 tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ½ cup (a heaping cup) crumbled feta
For the Nourish Bowl:
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 small zucchini
- 4 radish (easter egg variety works well)
- 5 medium sized carrots
- Extra feta to crumble on top
- Finely chopped dill (or parsley) for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 F (convection)
- Chop your carrots, radish, and zucchini. I like to cut them in thick yet bite sized pieces (see photo for reference)
- Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, a dash of cumin, and a few pinches of sea salt
- Once oven has pre-heated, pop them in. Bake for 12 minutes, then give them a mix and bake for another 6-12 minutes depending on how well done you like them. I like mine to get nice and roasted without becoming mushy. Test them by poking with a fork to make sure they aren’t still crunchy before you remove, but have not yet become mushy / too soft
- Add 1/2 cup of quinoa to a pot with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then place lid on and allow to simmer for 12-15 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork
- In the meantime, place 1 cup of walnuts into a blender or food processor and mix on low-medium until you reach a fine flour like texture. Do not over mix so it starts to turn into walnut butter! A crumbly flour like consistency is what we are going for
- Finely dice your onion and very finely chop your parsley
- Then add to a bowl the: ground turkey, diced onion, chopped parsley, ground walnut flour, 1 egg (beaten), sea salt, cumin, paprika, minced garlic, and crumbled feta. Give a mix until everything is evenly incorporated (you might want to use your hands)
- Line a baking sheet with parchment. Form meatballs with your hands. I typically make mine on the bigger side so I end up with 10 large meatballs.
- Place meatballs on lined baking sheet, ensuring they are evenly spaced, then pop them in the oven. Set your timer for 12 minutes then give them a flip and bake for another 4-6 minutes until fully cooked through. You want to be sure they reach an internal temperature of 165 F, but ideally not much hotter than this. Having a meat thermometer is very helpful here!
- As things are baking, finely chop some dill for garnish (or additional parsley) and crumble some extra feta. You could also make my lemon tahini sauce for an extra wow factor
- Once veg and meatballs are done baking and quinoa has cooked, assemble your bowls
- To each bowl, add a large scoop of quinoa, the roasted veg, meatballs, and then garnish with fresh chopped dill or parsley, and crumbled feta
- ENJOY this delicious, nourishing meal!
