orange meatballs

taken from melskitchencafe

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (see note)
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (panko, homemade, or storebought)
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 cloves garlic (about 2 teaspoons), finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
  • 1-2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped

ORANGE GLAZE:
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh orange zest
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 clove garlic (about 1/2 – 1 teaspoon) finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and lightly grease a mini muffin tin (see note above if you don’t have that kind of pan).
  1. For the meatballs, combine all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl and mix until combined (you might need to just get your hands in there and go to town).
  1. Shape the meatball mixture into small balls, a couple tablespoons each, and place into the prepared mini muffin tin. The meatballs will shrink down a bit while baking.
  1. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
  1. Immediately (but carefully) spoon the meatballs out of the tin and onto a layer of paper towels to drain any excess grease (you may not need to do this if the meat was extra lean).
  1. For the glaze, whisk together all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Cook until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  1. Serve the meatballs with the glaze (either poured over the meatballs or served separately for each person to drizzle on as they like).