Spicy Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs
What’s better than party food? Party food your guests love so much that they’re begging you for the recipe! These Spicy Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs are among my favorite appetizers. They’re easy to make, delicious and dairy-free. If made with gluten-free bread crumbs, they can be gluten-free too! Make these for your next get-together. You can even make them for dinner!
Many years ago, my sister gave me a list of ingredients for some meatballs she had either made or eaten somewhere. I still have the sticky note in my old recipe book, with a list of ingredients that I jotted down in my messy handwriting. Of course, it doesn’t include any measurements, which isn’t unusual in my family. So, I took the list and guessed at amounts and made them. Delicious. Then I added some ingredients, adjusted measurements and made them again. Rinse and repeat. And voila! The best darn party meatballs I’ve ever had!
Spicy Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs – Make Them Mild or Turn Up the Spice!
One of the great things about these meatballs is that you can dial the spice up or down, depending on your preferences and that of your guests. My recipe calls for 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of ground red pepper (cayenne pepper). You can omit the red pepper altogether, although I’d encourage you to try it with just a little first. OR … you can add 1/4 or even 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper if you really want to spice it up! I prefer a heaping 1/8 tsp. My husband likes to add sriracha sauce to this recipe’s dipping spice to turn up the heat even more.
Also, you’ll need an 8oz can of pineapple chunks — a) 1/4 cup of the juice for inside the meatball mixture, b)Â leftover juice for the dipping sauce and c) the pineapple chunks to top the meatballs.
I recently served these at a birthday party, and I doubled the recipe. My only regret? That I didn’t triple it. They were gone quickly, and guests wanted the recipe. 🙂
And even though I call them party meatballs, these are also great for dinner. In fact, I made them for dinner tonight … only 2 nights after the birthday party (we were craving them after they disappeared so quickly). 🙂 The best part when you make these just for yourself — you can double dip! 🙂
Need a cocktail recipe that pairs well with these pineapple-topped meatballs? Try my Sweet Hot Mama Cocktail — they’re sweet and spice and everything nice!
PIN IT, SAVE IT!
Spicy Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey (93%/7%)
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dairy-free bread crumbs (and/or gluten-free, d-f bread crumbs)
- 1 8 oz can of pineapple chunks (you will use 1/4 cup of the juice for the meatballs)
- 1 Tbsp Teriyaka sauce/marinade (for meatball mixture)
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt ** (look at sodium content of bread crumbs; if over 400 mg per serving, don't add salt)
- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp teriyaka sauce/marinade (to brush on top of meatballs once formed)
Dipping Sauce
- 1 part Teriyaka Sauce
- 1 part pineapple juice
- optional a little sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Chop the red bell pepper
- Gather your ingredients
- Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl
- Form the meatball mixture into balls and put them in a 13x9 glass baking dish; then brush with the 2 Tbsp of Teriyaka sauce
- Bake for 30 minutes
- Mix up your dipping sauce, using 1 part pineapple juice and 1 part Teriyaka sauce; about 2 Tbsp of each. IF you want to add more spice, you can add a little sriracha sauce to it.
- Let the meatballs cool, then top each with a pineapple chunk using toothpicks. Plate and serve with dipping sauce (and an extra little bowl for the used toothpicks)
