Spiced Chicken or Turkey Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Have you ever thought about swapping beef mince for turkey sometimes?

Not because red meat is ‘bad’, but because changing your protein sources across the week can be a simple way to improve the balance of fats and nutrients in your diet. These spiced turkey meatballs are high in protein, naturally lower in saturated fat than many beef mince meals, and are super tasty.

Turkey is also a source of nutrients like selenium, B vitamins and tryptophan - an amino acid involved in the production of serotonin and melatonin, which play a role in mood and sleep regulation. If weight loss or cholesterol is something you’re working on, meals like this can also be a helpful swap to include more regularly, alongside plenty of vegetables and fibre-rich foods.

I also made a double batch and froze half raw, which makes busy midweek dinners much easier - cook once, eat twice! Always a winner!

Serve with brown rice, potatoes, whole grains or lots of vegetables depending on what you fancy.

Ingredients

Serves: 3–4

Meatballs

• 500g chicken or turkey mince

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• ½ red pepper, finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• ½ tsp cumin

• ½ tsp ground coriander

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• 1 slice sourdough (approx. 40g), grated or blitzed into breadcrumbs

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp sea salt

Tomato sauce

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 × 400g tins chopped tomatoes

• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes

• Handful fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the mince, onion, red pepper, garlic, spices, breadcrumbs, egg, and salt. Mix well until evenly combined.

2. Roll into small meatballs (about the size of a large golf ball). You should get around 10-12.

3. Heat a little olive oil in a large sauté pan and soften the onion for 10 minutes until translucent. Add the chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened.

4. In a separate frying pan, heat a little olive oil over a medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides (they don’t need to be fully cooked through at this stage

5. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer gently for a further 15 minutes, until cooked through.

6. Finish with fresh parsley

Serve with:

• Brown rice, pasta or quinoa

• Roasted or steamed vegetables/green salad

• Feta cheese