Turkey Meatball With Cauliflower Mash
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An easy low carb Turkey Meatball Recipe perfect for weeknights and meal prepping. These ground turkey meatballs are accompanied by a cashew cauliflower mash and red wine caramelized onions for the ultimate flavor.
This post was developed in paid partnership with Filippo Berio. Thank you for being supportive of me working with brands I use and love!
Turkey meatball recipe
If you’re looking for a complete turkey meatball dinner from start to finish, sides included, then this is for you!
Sometimes we just need to be told what goes with what and a complete recipe in ONE recipe card, right? Because after a long day at work, the last thing we want to do is use our brains to think about dinner.
Cue: Turkey Meatball Recipe With Red Wine Caramelized Onions And Cashew Cauliflower Mash.
It sounds intricate and fancy, I know, but I break it down into super easy and manageable steps. Keep on reading.
Turkey Meatballs with Cashew Cauliflower Mash are a low carb, super tasty take on classic turkey meatballs with mashed potatoes.
I love mashed potatoes, but sometimes I need a low carb option and that’s where this cashew cauliflower mash comes in.
The red wine caramelized onions are a fun twist on classic caramelized onions that are just as easy to make. They add lots of flavor and a pop of color.
What makes these meatballs extra yummy?
Instead of using breadcrumbs for this recipe, I used cashews that I quickly chopped in a food processor. Cashews are super filling, a good source of protein, and contain about half the amount of carbs that are in breadcrumbs.
I love substituting nuts for breadcrumbs, like I did in my favorite air fryer salmon recipe.
Instead of using loads of butter to make the caramelized onions, we use red wine and Filippo Berio Olive Oil. We’re also adding cashew butter to the cauliflower mash to make it extra creamy.
Filippo Berio Olive Oil
I love using Filippo Berio’s extra light tasting olive oil in this recipe because it has a higher smoke point than other olive oils. This means it can handle heat well without evaporating.
How to make ground turkey meatballs
Making ground turkey meatballs is super easy. All the ingredients get combined in one bowl, then formed into a small round ball, and cooked in a skillet for 2-3 minutes per side until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. You can easily whip up a few batches of turkey meatballs in less than 15 minutes.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
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In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to combine ground turkey, spinach, garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano, egg, almond flour, cashews, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
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Shape 1/4 of a cup (I like to use a cookie scoop here) of the mixture into a round shape. Repeat until the mixture is all used. You should have about 12 meatballs.
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Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and the meatballs are cooked through. I like to cover the pan with a lid or splatter guard.
How to make caramelized onions
Typically caramelized onions are made with lots of butter and cooked slowly in the pan at a low heat. In this recipe, we’re making RED WINE caramelized onions. Because wine makes everything better.
To make these red wine caramelized onions, heat a medium-sized pan on medium heat with 1 tbsp of Filippo Berio olive oil. Then add the onions and red wine, and stir gently to combine.
Let the onions to cook for about 6-10 minutes or until they’re soft and caramelized, only stirring once or twice.
Recipe tips
There are several elements to this recipe since it’s a complete meal, so here are some tips to make it more manageable:
1. First, I start by steaming the cauliflower. While that’s cooking, get the rest of the cauliflower mash ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set them aside until the cauliflower is ready.
2. Next, prepare the red wine caramelized onions. For the best caramelized onions, you’ll want to slice the onion thinly. You can either leave these slices in a round shape, or slice them in half again. I like to mix it up and do a little bit of both.
3. The onions will cook for about 6-10 minutes, so while they’re cooking I get started on the turkey meatball mixture and form the meatballs onto a foil lined baking sheet. This makes it easier to quickly cook the meatballs later on.
A few other notes:
- Wet your hands with water when mixing the ingredients and forming the meatballs.
- Do not over mix the meat mixture. You really just want to nicely combine all the ingredients without crushing the ground turkey. Using your hands works best for this step.
- Using a cookie scoop keeps them all roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
More dinner time favorites:
- Sesame Ginger Chicken With Lime
- Easy Blackened Shrimp
- Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes With Crispy Quinoa
- Israeli Couscous Recipe With Mushrooms, Thyme, And Oregano
Want to try this Turkey Meatball Recipe?
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Turkey Meatball Recipe With Red Wine Caramelized Onions And Cashew Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 16 ounces ground turkey, 99% lean
- 6 ounces frozen spinach, drained really well
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 1/4 cup cashews, finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Red Wine Caramelized Onions
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
Cashew Cauliflower Mash
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons cashew butter
- 1 lemon, juice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Cashew Cauliflower Mash
- Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower, cover, and steam until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together almond milk, cashew butter, nutmeg, lemon juice, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Place the cauliflower and almond milk mixture in a food processor, cover and blend on high until all ingredients are fully combined.
Red Wine Caramelized Onions
- Heat a medium-sized pan on medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add onions and red wine, and stir to combine. Allow the onions to cook for 6-10 minutes or until soft and caramelized, only stirring once or twice. Remove from pan and set aside.
Turkey Meatballs
- In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to combine ground turkey, spinach, garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano, egg, almond flour, cashews, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Shape 1/4 of a cup of the mixture into a round shape. Repeat until the mixture is all used. You should have about 12 meatballs.
- Using the same pan you cooked the onions in, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and the meatballs are cooked through.
- To plate, divide the cauliflower mash between plates and top with caramelized onions and turkey meatballs. Garnish with more fresh chopped parsley.
