Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice

This was totally delicious. I did end up overcooking the meatballs slightly because of some organization issues that led to putting the meatballs in really hot oil in a really hot pan. It didn't make a difference though. The flavors were wonderful. And I especially liked the added flavor squeezing the lime slices over both the meatballs and the rice gave the dish.

The kids weren't crazy about this dish since the meatballs had a bit of kick to them. But if you like more spice, I read in the reviews of this recipe that people had found that adding some ginger to the meatballs worked really well. I'll probably try it next time.

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice
Courtesy of Martha Stewart



Coarse salt
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 carrot, shredded
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 1/2 pounds ground dark-meat turkey or ground pork
3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 teaspoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons hot-pepper sauce (preferably Sriracha)
4 teaspoons sugar
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Lime wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice, stir, and return to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and top with carrot. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then stir in carrot and fluff rice with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs and 3 tablespoons water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add turkey, scallion whites, cilantro, fish sauce, hot-pepper sauce, sugar, garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Gently mix to combine and form into 12 meatballs.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high. In batches, brown meatballs on all sides, 10 minutes total (add up to 1 teaspoon oil as needed). Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, 10 minutes. Serve meatballs with rice, scallion greens, and lime wedges.