Tropical Turkey Meatballs are a perfect appetizer on their own or serve them in a piece of flatbread to make them more of a full meal item. Light and tender, flavored with hints of mango and mild heat of habanero chiles…
Today’s recipe for Tropical Turkey Meatballs was created for using La Victoria’s Mango Habanero Salsa. Many thanks to La Victoria for providing this product for me to try, I was so surprised how perfect it was for an easy summer meal that was both delicious and quick to make up! This post is sponsored by La Victoria, but my love for their Mango Habanero Salsa and the recipe and opinions here are ALL mine! Oh, and yes, it’s a healthy appetizer too which is always a bonus!
La Victoria has been around for such a long time and I’ve used their products often. I love this Mango Habanero flavor of salsa because it reminds me of a tropical vacation. It must be the Mango in it! The salsa has real mango pieces mixed in and the slight heat from the habanero chiles adds a lovely depth of flavor.
The recipe for Tropical Turkey meatballs is a variation on my regular Meatballs here. I’m trying to eat a little healthier so I wanted to try turkey instead of beef and pork. I also left out wrapping them in bacon since I had the perfect sauce for them with the La Victoria Mango Habanero Salsa.
I was worried about not having pork in the meatballs because pork(and the pork fat) naturally give a juicy meatball. So I used a little of the Mango Habanero salsa in the meatball as well as the sauce for the top! I think you’ll find the mango pieces and the salsa gives it just the right amount of juiciness and you won’t miss the added pork fat at all! The Sweet and Heat combination was a real crowd-pleaser at our house! There was not one meatball left at the end!
RECIPE POINTS OF INTEREST FOR TROPICAL TURKEY MEATBALLS!
EASY/HARD: easy… the only thing to be careful of when making them is not to overmix and pack them too tightly. By using a gentle hand, you will get a light and moist meatball!
Cocktail Suggestion: Since these remind me of a tropical island I suggest a Mai Tai or an Icy Rum Slush! A Pinot Grigio would also work for wine to go along with it!
OPTIONS: I served this as a snack when we had people over after attending a friends baseball game. For the people that needed a little more than just meatballs (the boys who had played the game), I served them both with flatbreads wrapping them around like a taco and alone with a toothpick!
Tropical Turkey Meatballs
Tropical Turkey Meatballs are a perfect appetizer on their own or serve them in a piece of flat bread to make them more of a full meal item. Light and tender, flavored with hints of mango and mild heat of habanero chiles...
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Ground Turkey
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 egg, , beaten
- 1.5 teaspoons season salt
- 1 tablespoon Dried Oregano
- ½ cup Panko Bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup La Victoria Mango Habanero Salsa
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, , minced
Toppings:
- 1/2 Cup La Victoria Mango Habanero Salsa
- 1/4 cup Crumbled Feta cheese
- Flat bread cut into pieces small enough to wrap around turkey meatballs
Instructions
- Using a wooden spoon or your hands in a large bowl mix together ground turkey, heavy cream, beaten egg, salt, oregano, panko bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Mango Habanero Salsa.
- Do not pack the meat too tightly, you want to use a lighter touch so that the meatball does not get too compacted allowing for a lighter moist (versus heavy, hard) final product meatball.
- Form the meat into balls, slightly bigger than a golf ball.
- Chill for a minimum of 15 minutes to set the shape.
- If you are making ahead to use the next day or later in the day, you can make the meatballs to here. The meatballs in the raw state will need to be covered with plastic or foil if you are waiting longer than an hour to bake them.
- Heat a saute Pan to high. Place meatballs in the pan and cook until meat is no longer pink. About 20 minutes. Rotate often to brown all sides.
- Place Meatballs on a serving plate and place a dollop of Mango Habanero Salsa on top.
- Crumble feta over top for added flavor boost.
- Serve along side flat bread pieces for those who wish to make a turkey taco.
- Also place a side bowl for additional salsa for those who wish additional salsa! (It will go fast!)
- Serve Immediately.
Notes
All recipe calorie information was calculated on what I purchased to make this recipe in My Fitness Pal. When you make the recipe, the calorie content could vary depending on what specific ingredients/brands you actually use. Please take that into consideration if you are following a strict diet.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
6 servingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 398Carbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 36g
40+ Best Meatball Appetizers (Crowd Favorites) Take Two Tapas
Tuesday 12th of April 2022
[…] 42. Tropical Turkey Meatballs […]
Katie
Saturday 22nd of April 2017
Gotta say.... made this in a hamburger patty instead... loved the burger love the salsa! Thanks! So different than a normal turkey meal!
Lauren
Tuesday 19th of July 2016
Great timing! I was actually on the look out for more meatball recipes! I love making a ton for mini appetizers during the week.
Michele
Wednesday 20th of July 2016
We do that too... smaller portions all packed with lots of flavors! :)
jamie
Tuesday 19th of July 2016
These look really good. My hubby really likes sweet and spicy, Ill have to give these a try!
michaela403
Monday 18th of July 2016
I can't wait to try these! I think they will be a perfect addition to our tailgates this fall!
Michele
Wednesday 20th of July 2016
Yes Michaela! They will be great for tailgating... lots of flavor and not a LOT of work making them! ~m