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Buffalo Turkey Meatballs Low Carb Gluten Free Dinner

Buffalo Turkey Meatballs with Smashed Cucumbers

My best gluten free baked turkey meatballs recipe, jazzed up with an easy buffalo sauce and smashed cucumbers to cool everything down. Lunch = handled.
5 from 1 rating
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Equipment

Ingredients
  

GLUTEN FREE TURKEY MEATBALLS:

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon EACH onion and garlic powders
  • olive oil for drizzling
  • ⅛ cup salted butter or unsalted + a pinch of salt
  • ⅛ cup hot sauce such as Frank's
  • SMASHED CUCUMBERS
  • 4 small cucumbers pickling or persian style
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • cracked black pepper for serving

Instructions
 

MEATBALLS:

  • Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, or cooking spray.
  • Combine all ingredients (except olive oil and extra salt) in a large bowl. Use your fingers to mix the egg and seasoning into the meat.
  • Gently form the mixture into about 16 meatballs, or 20 for smaller bites. The trick is to touch the meat as little as possible, pushing the meatballs into spheres without mushing them too much. The meat mixture will be fairly wet, but move quickly and you’ll get the hang of it.
  • Arrange the meatballs as you go about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the fridge until ready to cook or bake right away.
  • Preheat the oven to 400F. Drizzle the meatballs with a bit of oil and sprinkle with salt.
  • Bake the gluten free meatballs for 25 minutes until cooked through and slightly golden. Serve as desired.

CUCUMBERS:

  • Cut the cucumbers into bite sized chunks.
  • Arrange the cucumbers in one layer on a cutting board, and place a baking sheet or skillet over top. Rock the baking sheet or skillet back and forth over the cucumbers, pressing down slightly, to smush the cucumbers a bit.
  • Transfer the smashed cukes to a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and sugar and toss.
  • Let the cucumbers sit and drain for about 30 minutes until ready to eat. Taste, and add a bit more salt or sugar if you’d like.

BUFFALO TURKEY MEATBALLS:

  • Preheat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the hot sauce, butter, and meatballs. Stir to combine and heat the meatballs through for about 5 minutes until coated and sizzling.
  • Arrange the meatballs and drained smashed cucumbers on plates or shallow bowls for serving. Add avocado, blue cheese, fresh herbs, tomatoes - anything you like!

Notes

I make these meatballs in double batches and keep them in the freezer. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temp for using in this recipe to speed things up.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!