These turkey meatballs with Asian-style dipping sauce are perfect for a potluck

For the basis of these meatballs, we chose turkey, which is rich in immune-system boosting nutrients like iron, potassium and zinc. The lean protein in turkey will fill you up and keep you satisfied longer than many other party snacks and appetizers.

These meatballs are juicy and tender and loaded with plenty of sticky, sweet sauce. We used fresh ingredients, like ginger, garlic and authentic sake to create a sauce that is full of delicious flavor. We then combine it with meatballs made with only six ingredients — such as turkey, onions, garlic and sesame oil.

You can bake up a bunch of these quickly which makes them a great appetizer for a potluck dinner, cocktail party or to be enjoyed while watching the big game on TV. You can also add some rice, noodles, vegetables or zucchini noodles and serve these as a main dish.

Recipe: The secret to making great fried rice at home

Turkey meatballs with Asian-style dipping sauce 

Ingredients

Sauce:

• ¾ cup soy sauce
• ¾ cup dry sake
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 6 tablespoons rice vinegar, plus more for seasoning
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
• ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes

Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground turkey (white meat)
• 1 pound ground turkey (dark meat)
• ¾ cup white onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 ½ teaspoons sesame oil

For serving:

• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally

Instructions

1. In small saucepan, whisk together soy sauce, sake, sugar, vinegar, ginger and hot pepper flakes. Bring mixture to boil and allow to cook over high heat until thickened into glaze, approximately 5 minutes.   
2. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Set aside half of sauce in small bowl for serving with finished meatballs. Keep remainder of sauce covered with aluminum foil until step 6.
3. In large bowl, mix well-ground white and dark turkey, white onion, ginger, garlic, sea salt and 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil.  
4. Using hands, form meat mixture into generous 1-tablespoon round meatball. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat process until all meat is made into meatballs.
5. To large skillet, add 2 teaspoons sesame oil.  Add half (about 20) of meatballs to skillet and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Turn meatballs over, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Brush half of set-aside covered sauce over meatballs. After 1 minute, flip each meatball over with tong, and brush other side with sauce. Cook another 1 minute, or until glazed and cooked completely through. If sauce darkens too quickly, reduce heat.  
7. Insert bamboo skewer into each meatball and place on serving platter.
8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
9. Serve immediately.

Check out these recipes to up your kitchen game: 

• Hard-boiled eggs: Two easy ways to hard boil eggs to perfection
• Creamy risotto:Pearl couscous is the trick ingredient for creamy risotto
• Fried rice:The secret to making great fried rice at home
• Jambalaya:How to make Cheesecake Factory's Cajun jambalaya pasta at home
• Mustard makes it better:How to use mustard not as a condiment but as an ingredient
• Pasta salad:Perfect every time: The only pasta salad recipe you'll ever need
• Cranberry sauce:Three cranberry sauce recipes you need to try
• Sugar cookies:'The best sugar cookie I've ever baked.' Here's the recipe.
• Kale can be tough:Raw kale can be tough. Here's how salt can help