It’s always super important to me to have a few fast and healthy dinners in my repertoire. I’m a huge fan of the Eatwell blog site; they have a fantastic selection of lighter meals. They also have a huge selection of meals featuring zoodles, one of my favorite things. It’s where I found this gem of a meal (which I modified slightly, to my liking). You must give these Garlic Butter Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles a try!
Let’s talk zoodles… they’re a super easy, carb-free substitution for pasta. To be perfectly honest, I don’t really consider zoodles to be a substitute for pasta, but I do find them super tasty. The one thing to keep in mind when cooking zoodles is that zucchini have a high water content. So you want to remove any excess water that you can before cooking and here’s how 👇🏻
To remove the excess water from the zoodles, place the zoodles in a bowl and sprinkle with about 1 tsp of salt and let it sit for a few minutes. Drain the excess water, rinse the zoodles, pat dry really well, and set aside.
Let me show you how I made these Garlic Butter Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles 👇🏻
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Add 1 lb of ground turkey, 1/2 lb of ground Italian sausage (hot or mild), 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix well with your hands.
Form into medium-sized meatballs and set on a plate. Then melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the meatballs. Cook the meatballs for about 8 minutes until they’re nicely browned, rolling them around in the butter and juices.
When all of the meatballs are browned, place them on the prepared sheetpan and pop into the oven for 10 minutes to make sure that they’re cooked through.
While the meatballs are cooking, add the remaining tbsp of butter to the skillet that you cooked the meatballs in and melt. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute.
Next, add the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tbsp of sriracha (or hot sauce), and 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes (optional). Stir to mix everything together and then add the zoodles.
Toss the zoodles in the butter and hot sauce and cook until they are tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Season the zoodles with salt and pepper.
Add the meatballs back to the skillet and top everything with chopped fresh cilantro and serve.
Enjoy!
These are some of the recommended products that I used to create this delicious recipe! These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.
Garlic Butter Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles
Ingredients
For the Meatballs-
- 1 Lb Ground Turkey
- 1/2 Lb Ground Italian Sausage (hot or mild)
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
- 4 Large Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped (may substitute with parsley)
For the Zoodles-
- 3 Large Zucchini, spiralized
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon
- 1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- 1 Tbsp Sriracha or Hot Sauce
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Pepper
Other-
- 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, divided
- Chopped Fresh Cilantro (or Parsley), for serving
Instructions
- First start by removing the excess moisture from the zoodles. Place the zoo does in a bowl and sprinkle the zoodles with about 1 tsp of salt and let them sit for a few minutes. Drain the excess water and then rinse the zoodles under cold water and pat dry. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients and mix well with your hands. Form them into medium sized meatballs and set them on a plate.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet (you may need to cook them in 2 batches) and cook for 8 minutes, rolling them around in the butter and juices until the meatballs are nicely browned, and then remove them to the prepared baking sheet. If you have to cook in 2 batches, remove the cooked meatballs to a plate, add another 2 tbsp of butter to the skillet and cook the second batch of meatballs.
- Pop the meatballs in the oven for 10 minutes to make sure that they are cooked all of the way through. While the meatballs are in the oven, add the remaining tbsp of butter to the skillet that you cooked the meatballs in and melt. Add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, and sriracha. Stir to mix everything and then add the zoodles. Cook the zoodles, stirring often, until they are tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the meatballs back to the skillet and top the skillet with chopped fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
Welcome to Cupcakes and Sarcasm! My name is Maggie and I am the creator of C & S. I am a wife and mom of two beautiful kiddos. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and now live in Northeast Ohio with my family. I have been cooking and baking since I was a kid. I decided in 2017 that I wanted to share my passion (and recipes) with all of you! On this site, you’ll find easy and delicious recipes- both savory and sweet. I’ll also sprinkle in some stories of parenting and our adventures along the way.
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