Spicy Chili Honey Turkey Meatballs (Printer View)

Juicy oven-baked meatballs with sweet spicy honey glaze, ready in 45 minutes.

# Components:

→ For the Meatballs

01 - 1 lb ground turkey
02 - 1 large egg
03 - ½ cup breadcrumbs
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 2 green onions, finely chopped
06 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
07 - 1 teaspoon sriracha
08 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
09 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ For the Chili Honey Glaze

10 - 3 tablespoons honey
11 - 2 tablespoons sriracha
12 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
13 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
14 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil

→ Garnish

15 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or green onions, chopped

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or apply light baking spray.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, chopped green onions, soy sauce, sriracha, black pepper, and salt. Mix gently until just combined, avoiding overworking the mixture.
03 - Using damp hands, shape mixture into 20 uniform meatballs. Arrange evenly on prepared baking sheet, spacing them approximately 1 inch apart.
04 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until meatballs are cooked through with light browning on the exterior.
05 - While meatballs bake, combine honey, sriracha, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce reaches desired thickness. Remove from heat.
06 - Transfer baked meatballs to a large bowl. Pour warm glaze over meatballs and toss gently to coat evenly.
07 - Transfer to serving platter and garnish with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro or green onions. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're baked, not fried, so you get all the flavor without the splatter or guilt.
  • The honey-sriracha glaze strikes that addictive sweet-spicy balance that keeps you reaching for just one more.
  • Twenty minutes of prep and they're ready to eat in under an hour, which means weeknight dinner or last-minute entertaining actually works.
  • Turkey stays juicy when you don't overthink the mixing, and that tender bite is exactly what makes these different from dense, heavy meatballs.
02 -
  • Overmixing the turkey mixture toughens the meatballs—mix just until combined, which takes maybe a minute with your hands or a spoon.
  • Don't skip the parchment paper; it makes cleanup easier and prevents the bottoms from sticking or steaming instead of browning.
  • The glaze thickens as it cools, so if it seems thin while simmering, that's actually right—it'll cling beautifully once it hits the warm meatballs.
  • Sriracha heat levels vary by brand, so taste the glaze before pouring and adjust the extra sriracha if you prefer it milder or spicier.
03 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients mix more evenly and cook more uniformly, so pull your turkey and egg out of the fridge fifteen minutes before you start if you have time.
  • If your glaze seems too thin after simmering, it's not a failure—the residual heat keeps thickening it, and it'll cling perfectly once it touches the warm meatballs.
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