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My two year old daughter loves these meatballs. I make extra and freeze them until we are ready to eat them. You can eat them on their own or make a hearty pita sandwich and top it with the refreshing cucumber yogurt sauce and pickled onions. Reprinted from Simple Beautiful Food. Copyright © 2020 by Amanda Frederickson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a large cast-iron skillet or roasting pan in the oven while it preheats.
Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 thinly sliced onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, and a pinch of red pepper flakesIngredientRed pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 60 seconds. Let cool slightly in a large bowl.
Pulse 1 cup of fresh parsleyIngredientFresh Parsley leaves and 1⁄2 cup of fresh mint leaves in a food processor, add the onion mixture, and pulse until smooth; return to the bowl. Add 1 1⁄2 pounds of ground turkey, 1⁄2 cup of dried bread crumbs, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Divide the mixture into 2-inch round meatballs.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven and pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oilIngredientOlive Oil. Add the meatballs in a single layer and roast for 18 to 20 minutes, turning over after 8 minutes, until they reach 165°F on a meat thermometer.
Serve the warm meatballs with a dollop of cucumberIngredientCucumber yogurt sauce, a warm pita, and pickled onions.
Using a cheesecloth or sturdy paper towel, gently squeeze out water from 1⁄2 cup of freshly grated cucumber. Combine in a large bowl with 1 cup of full-fat plain Greek yogurtIngredientGreek Yogurt, a large pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, 1 tablespoon of coarsely chopped fresh mint or dill, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest. Stir well and serve immediately.
TIPS: If the cucumber is not squeezed, the sauce will be too watery. I like Greek yogurtIngredientGreek Yogurt because of its thickness, but you can use other types of yogurt; just make sure it is plain, unsweetened yogurt.
In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of apple cider vinegarIngredientApple Cider Vinegar, 1 cup of water, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, and 1 star anise (optional) to a boil.
Put 1 thinly sliced red onionIngredientRed Onion in mason jar or other heatproof container. Pour the pickling liquid over the onion, making sure all of the onion is covered with the liquid. Let it cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate. Once the onions begin to turn pink, after about 30 minutes, they are ready to eat. Keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
TIP: The thinner the onionIngredientOnion is sliced, the faster it will pickle.
These herby turkey meatball pitas are built for contrast: tender, savory meatballs, cool cucumber yogurt sauce, and sharp pickled onions all tucked into warm pita. The recipe is flexible enough to serve as a simple meatball dinner or a handheld pita sandwich, which makes it a smart option for a weeknight meal that still feels a little special.
The meatballs lean on a classic combo of onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, parsley, and mint. That mix gives the turkey more depth without making the recipe fussy. Because ground turkey can taste mild on its own, the herbs and spices do a lot of the heavy lifting here. The yogurt sauce adds cool creaminess, while the pickled onions bring brightness and a little bite so each mouthful stays interesting.
Using both light and dark ground turkey helps keep the meatballs from drying out. If you can only find one kind, the recipe will still work, but the mixed blend is the easiest way to get a juicier result. The mixture should be just combined and easy to shape into 2-inch rounds; if it feels too loose, let it sit for a few minutes before forming. That gives the breadcrumbs time to absorb moisture and helps everything hold together.
Roasting the meatballs in a hot skillet or pan gives them browned edges without needing to babysit them on the stove. Preheating the pan first is a useful detail here because the meatballs start cooking as soon as they hit the surface, which helps them firm up and develop color. If you want to check doneness without guessing, the center should reach 165°F.
This sauce is meant to be fresh and thick, not watery. The most important step is squeezing out the grated cucumber before it goes into the yogurt. Even a little extra water can thin the sauce quickly, so take the time to press it dry. Full-fat Greek yogurt gives the best body, but the key is using a plain, unsweetened yogurt that can stand up to the cucumber and lemon zest.
If you like a more herbal sauce, mint gives it a brighter, cooler feel, while dill pushes it in a more savory direction. Either works well, so this is an easy place to make the recipe your own without changing the structure.
The quick pickled red onions are doing more than adding color. They cut through the richness of the meatballs and yogurt with vinegar and a little sweetness. Thin slices pickle faster, so if you want them ready in a short amount of time, slice them as evenly and thinly as you can. They’ll start turning pink quickly, but their flavor continues to mellow and improve as they sit in the fridge.
The optional star anise adds a subtle warm note, but the onions are still great without it. If you do use it, keep the flavor gentle by sticking to the amount in the recipe so the pickling liquid doesn’t overpower everything else.
These meatballs are versatile enough to work in a few different ways. Piled into pitas, they become a satisfying sandwich with creamy, crunchy, tangy contrast in every bite. Served on their own, they make a lower-effort dinner with the sauce and onions on the side. You could also tuck them into grain bowls or serve them with a simple salad if you want something lighter.
This recipe is a strong candidate for batch cooking. The meatballs freeze well, which matches the recipe’s practical, make-extra approach. Cooked meatballs can be reheated later for an easy lunch or dinner, and the yogurt sauce is best made fresh or very close to serving time so it stays thick and bright. The pickled onions last much longer and are useful to have in the fridge for other sandwiches, bowls, and salads.
If you’re planning ahead, the pickled onions are the best component to make first. They only need a short rest before they’re ready, and they keep for up to two weeks. That makes the whole meal easier to assemble on a busy night.
This is a good recipe to adapt without losing what makes it work. If you don’t have mint, parsley alone will still give the meatballs a fresh, green flavor. If dill is what you have on hand, it can stand in for the sauce. The recipe also works as a simple meatball platter instead of a pita sandwich, which is helpful if you want something less messy or are serving younger eaters.
For readers who like low-drama dinners that still feel layered and bright, this is an easy one to keep in rotation. Save it for the next time you want something that feels fresh, filling, and simple enough to make without much extra planning.
For another crisp side that uses similar ingredients, try this cucumber ribbon salad.
If you like quick pickled toppings, you may also enjoy our guide to red onion salad made with a light vinegar dressing.
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