These Gluten Free Curry Turkey Meatballs with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce can be made ahead of time and baked for those busy weeknight dinners. You can also make these meatballs as a satisfying appetizer for any dinner party.
Why hello all you Capturing Joy followers! It’s Brielle from Breezy Bakes again and it’s good to be BACK!
Well let me first say…WE’RE ALIVE!!!
For those of you who don’t know, we just moved to Hawaii almost two months ago. It was the shock of a lifetime! That is putting it very, very lightly.
Between bugs, bugs, MORE BUGSÂ and the most extreme humid and hot summer that Hawaii has seen in the last 20 years, we have been doing everything we can just to survive. I’m not gonna lie; that usually means walking around in my underwear.
Here’s the problem, though; in Hawaii, you leave all your doors and windows open to let the breeze pass through. I’m not even going to think about how many of my neighbors I may have flashed over the past 6 weeks. And there’s always the risk of a neighbor coming to the door to drop off a bag of mangoes, or the landlord checking in, or the FedEx guy dropping off yet another package for Ben.
It’s a free show ya’ll! ALOHA!
Actually, maybe I wouldn’t have to walk around half naked in my hot house all the time if I wasn’t baking with a hot oven so dang much. But I LOVEÂ it, so it’s the price to be paid.
You know what I love the most about making food? It brings people together. Whether it’s your own little close knit family, or it’s a community gathering, food becomes an integral part of connecting people and creating memories.
And isn’t this the season for food, entertainment, and PARTIES?!
Hold your breath and dive on in because before you know it, you’re going to be treading water through Halloween, past Thanksgiving, and right smack into the middle of CHRISTMAS! You’re basically caught in the whirlpool of holiday season.
And if you are anything like me, holiday season = food prep. For every holiday season you need to have a few go to recipes on hand: a quick and easy dinner recipe that you can throw together when family is in town, a stellar pie recipe, a recipe for cookies or bars that you can pass out to friends, a good old chili or soup recipe for those cold winter days, and by golly you NEED an amazing appetizer recipe for all those parties you’re gonna throw.
Appetizers are the most important aspect of a meal, if you decide to serve them, because they basically tell your guests what to expect; whether they are going to love the main course, or whether they are going to have to start concocting a mischievous plan as to how they’re going to avoid eating the rest of your meal. Serving a mediocre appetizer will send your guests running for the hills, blabbering every excuse in the book as to why they can’t stay.
So I’m going to do you a favor. Here is a recipe for meatballs that is going to be my go to appetizer this holiday season. But not just any ordinary meatball…
Gluten Free Curry Turkey Meatballs with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.
YUM!
These meatballs are so easy to prepare. You can make them ahead of time and just pop them in the oven about a half an hour before your guests arrive. The sauce can also be made in advance. In fact it is better when made in advance because all the flavors have a chance to marry.
And the great part about these meatballs is that they are gluten free without any crazy ingredients. I guarantee that you will have at least one gluten intolerant guest this season, and now you have the opportunity to put a big old genuine smile on their face. They may even plant you a big old wet one just for thinking of them.
The flavor profile of these meatballs is heavenly. The curry, cinnamon, and sage give them such a warm, deep, aromatic flavor that just bursts in your mouth. The heat from the cayenne pepper is just enough to give it that exotic “I’m eating something totally new and different” kind of feel. Your guests are going to think you traveled across the ocean just for this recipe.
And then comes the sauce. Ah, this cucumber yogurt sauce is so perfect for dipping. It cools down the slight heat of the meatballs and adds a creamy smooth texture with a slight tang and a bit of crunch from the fresh cucumbers. You can totally use this sauce for dipping veggies, spreading on sandwiches, or scooping with crackers. It’s good all around.
Most meatballs call for breadcrumbs, but I substituted crushed up tortilla chips and they worked like a charm. Most tortilla chips are gluten free, so even if you can’t find the brand I used you should be able to find some bag of gluten free tortilla chips in your local grocery store. Even the plain old Tostitos will work just fine.
Now if you want to serve this meal as a dinner instead of a quick appetizer, just throw these babies over some cooked cabbage, alongside some mashed potatoes, or on top of some brown rice. All would be suitable options.
So for all you people out there that will be experiencing the fall and winter seasons (Wahhh! I’m so jealous!) you now have an appetizer that will shine. Wow your party guests with flavor and pizazz and just nod your head and smile when they ask you about your adventures overseas. Wink, wink!
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out some more of my gluten free appetizers over at Breezy Bakes.
Mango Green Apple Salsa, Chicken Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps, and Exposed Seven Layer Dip.
- For the Meatballs:
- 1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed sage
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs or crushed Food Should Taste Good brand tortilla chips
- For Cucumber Yogurt Sauce:
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon sage
- 1/8 teaspoon oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon curry
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
- For Cooked Cabbage:
- 6 cups chopped cabbage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
-
Prepare yogurt sauce first to allow for chilling time. Mix all ingredients together, except cucumbers, and stir thoroughly. Fold in cucumbers and chill until serving.
-
To make meatballs, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny side down, and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
-
In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat egg. Add cumin, red pepper flakes, sage, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, ground oregano, ground cinnamon, curry powder, and salt. Mix together until evenly distributed. Mix in finely crushed chips, or gluten free breadcrumbs and stir until combined.
-
Add ground turkey and mix thoroughly with hands. Chill until ready to bake or bake immediately.
-
Form golf sized meatballs and lay on cooking sheet 1" apart. Cook at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink in center.
-
To make cabbage, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Once pan is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles, add cabbage and stir. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add apple cider vinegar and cook until reduce and lightly browning, about 5-10 minutes more.
-
Serve meatballs on top of cabbage and drizzle yogurt sauce over top. If serving as an appetizer, omit cabbage and put toothpicks in meatballs. Serve yogurt sauce as a dipping sauce.
