Red pepper flakes—> omit if you don’t like heat, or use a TINY bit of cayenne or chili powder if you do like heat.
Olive oil—> any neutral-flavored cooking oil will work.
Arugula—> this is basically just to make the meatballs look pretty, and give them a simple green. Spinach or any green works instead.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix 1 pound ground turkey, 1/2 cup parmesan, 1/3 cup panko, 1 small minced shallot, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 2 minced garlic cloves, the zest from one lemon , 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes with your hands until just combined. Don’t over-mix or they’ll be tough!
Gently roll turkey mixture into 8 to 10 meatballs and place on the lined baking sheet. The meat mixture will be very wet and sticky, that is correct! If it’s sticking to your hands too much to make it possible to roll out the meatballs, wet your hands as you go. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the top of each meatball.
Place baking sheet in oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal meatball temperature is 160°F.
Serve with arugula, more parmesancheese, and lemon wedges.
Notes
This is a great turkey burger mixture. 1 pound of meat = 4 burgers. Make the patties very thin, and cook them in 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 4 minutes per side.