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An overhead shot of falafel meatballs in a pink bowl with arugula, rice, halved tomatoes, tahini sauce, feta, cucumbers, pickled red onions, and a piece of pita bread.

Juicy and Tender Turkey Falafel Meatballs

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4
  • Category: Main Dishes, Meatball Recipes
  • Method: Stovetop, Skillet Recipe
  • Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern

Description

Fresh, herbaceous falafel flavor—stuffed into a juicy turkey meatball!

These tender Turkey Falafel Meatballs are laced with parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and coriander—just like crispy chickpea falafel. Pan-sear until juicy and golden, then serve with tahini sauce, pickled red onions, crunchy cucumbers, and warm pita, and dinner is ready in 30 minutes or less!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey or chicken
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
  • ½ small red onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded as desired and roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • ½ cup packed cilantro tender stems & leaves
  • ½ cup packed parsley tender stems & leaves
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • for serving, as desired: warm pita bread or rice/grain of choice, shredded lettuce or leafy green of choice, diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, pickled red onions, lemon tahini sauce or green tahini sauce (pictured), crumbled feta cheese, etc.

Instructions

  1. Prepare the turkey falafel meatball mixture: Place the ground turkey, egg, panko breadcrumbs, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Set aside. To the bowl of a food processor, add the remaining listed ingredients (red onion – garlic powder). Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer the herb mixture to the mixing bowl with the ground turkey. Using your hands, mix just until combined—take care to avoid over-mixing.An overhead shot of cilantro, parsley, red onions, garlic, jalapenos, and dried coriander, cumin and garlic powder in the bowl of a food processor atop a white textured surface.An overhead shot of ground chicken, an egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, olive oil, and the chopped herb mixture in a glass bowl atop a white textured surface.An overhead shot of the prepared meatball mixture in a glass bowl atop a white textured surface.
  2. Form the turkey falafel meatballs: Divide the falafel meatball mixture into 20 equal portions. Gently roll each into a meatball slightly larger than the size of a golf ball, rolling just until smooth. If desired, press down on each meatball slightly to create a falafel-like patty. For quickness and ease, I like using a spring-loaded scoop. The mixture yields about 20-22 1 ½-inch meatballs.An overhead shot of 20 raw falafel meatballs on a large sheet pan atop a white textured surface.
  3. Cook the turkey falafel meatballs: Add 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the meatballs to the skillet. Working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding the skillet, cook the meatballs 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. If needed, add a little more olive oil to the pan and repeat with any remaining meatballs.An overhead shot of browned falafel meatballs in a white skillet atop a white textured surface.
  4. Serve immediately as desired. We love tucking them into a warm pita with lettuce, cucumber, and a healthy drizzle of tahini sauce or making a falafel bowl with rice and all the fixings. Enjoy!An overhead shot of falafel meatballs in a pink bowl with arugula, rice, halved tomatoes, tahini sauce, feta, cucumbers, pickled red onions, and a piece of pita bread.

Equipment

Notes

  • Serving suggestion ⇢ Herbaceous Green Tahini Sauce. It’s not a falafel-inspired meal without tahini sauce, a dressing made with tahini (sesame seed paste) and lemon juice. I great classic Lemon Tahini Sauce recipe, but I also really love this Herbaceous Green Tahini Sauce. It’s made with the same herbs you’ll already have on hand for your falafel meatballs and you can whip it up using the same food processor.

Jess’ Tips and Tricks:

  • Ground turkey: The secret to seriously juicy and tender falafel-inspired turkey meatballs is using ground poultry with a decent fat content, otherwise your meatballs will dry out. Look for at least 93% lean, though if you can find 90-92%, that’s even better! If you’re purchasing from your grocery store’s butcher counter, ask for ground turkey thigh or dark meat. If you cannot find 93% lean ground turkey, ground chicken is a fine substitute for this recipe.
  • 15-20 Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for these recipe comes from prepping and forming the falafel meatballs. Take care of some of this in advance and you can jump straight in to cooking during the week: mix and form according to Steps 1-2 of Recipe Directions, above. You can roll out the meatballs immediately or save the rolling for dinnertime; either way, the mixture will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (15 minutes active for meatball mixture prep, 5 minutes active for forming the turkey falafel meatballs)

Storage and Reheating: Transfer cooled turkey falafel meatballs to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/turkey-falafel-meatballs/