I some times wonder if I chose the wrong profession. Maybe I should have been an architect, a pilot, or possibly a chemist. I love design, travel, and experimenting. But alas, I hate math. So I’m a musician. This way I can count to 4, and start again….
I have much less patience in the kitchen these days. Experimentation doesn’t come easy for me when it’s hot and humid. In fact, nothing is easy for me when the temperature soars and the dewpoint rises. I basically shut down physically and emotionally.
And when my schedule feels like a thermometer ready to explode, easy cooking is crucial for me in order to avoid the temptation of takeout. Regardless of the weather.
These are super-easy, tasty, and versatile. Meatballs that taste good don’t NEED to be smothered in sauce! But, if you like red sauce, gravy, or whatever, these meatballs have a great texture, don’t crumble, and even taste great for breakfast. (Trust me! I have an advanced degree in eating leftovers for breakfast.)
Simply combine the ground turkey and almond flour in a bowl. Then stir in the pesto, salt and pepper. I used cilantro pesto the first time making these meatballs, and it was a-ma-ZING!
Basil pesto is perfect when you are planning on Italian-style meals, or don’t like much “zing” in life. Store-bought or homemade, choose a pesto you like.
Use a scoop to make uniform meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet
Then pop them into a 400℉ oven for about 25 minutes. That’s it! Baking meatballs makes them evenly browned, and you don’t have to clean up grease spatters from the stovetop.
Notice that this recipe is really simple to make in larger or smaller quantities. For every pound of ground meat, use 1/4 cup each of almond flour and pesto. Adjust seasonings to taste.
If you like mini-meatballs, or gigantic ones, baking time will need to be adjusted. However, don’t over-bake these, or they get dry (because of how lean turkey is). If they reach 165 degrees internal temperature, you’re good to go!
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Turkey and Pesto Meatballs – Gluten and Dairy Free
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 30 meatballs 1x
Description
Easy and versatile meatballs that bake instead of fry
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup pesto
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper
- Combine ground turkey and almond flour, then add pesto, salt, and pepper
- Scoop out uniform-sized balls of meat mixture onto baking sheet, and bake for 25 minutes
Notes
Vary the type of pesto depending on how you plan to serve the meatballs:
- basil pesto compliments Italian-style red sauce
- kale pesto is a bit earthier in flavor and goes nicely with pasta and garlic butter
- cilantro-pesto has a great “zing” and is our favorite for making these ground turkey meatballs
Have fun, and experiment!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
This is an earlier post that has been updated.
