This post originally appeared on my former website, Fighting for Wellness, in June 2015.
This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is an original recipe created by Becki at Fighting for Wellness for Blue Diamond Almonds and may not be reprinted without attribution.
Blue Diamond is one of those brands that I just love. With every new flavor they introduce, I fall more deeply in love. As a sriracha hot sauce lover (I put that stuff on just about everything), I was beyond excited to try the brand new Blue Diamond Sriracha flavored almonds, especially once I learned they are gluten free.
When they arrived I dove right in. Can you blame me? While not too spicy, the flavor was everything I wanted from sriracha. Full on chili pepper flavor with just the slightest hint of sweetness and the awesome crunch and flavor from the almonds themselves. Pure heaven.
Let’s just say it’s a good thing Blue Diamond sent me two cans because it didn’t take me long to get through the first one. I knew that before I demolished the second can I wanted to spice up a recipe from last summer where I used Blue Diamond almonds as a binder in my turkey meatballs, this time using the almonds to coat the meatballs to seal in the moisture. Sriracha Almond Crusted Turkey Meatballs were born!
Makes 11 large meatballs
Ingredients: 1 lb. ground turkey breast 1/2 c. gluten free bread crumbs (I made my own using one slice of toasted gluten free bread, then pulsing in a blender) 1 Tbsp. dill weed 1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 2 Tbsp. (heaping) plain Greek yogurt 1 large egg 1/2 c. chopped Blue Diamond Sriracha flavored almonds
“But Becki,” you may be asking, “why 11 meatballs?” The short answer is that I coated each meatball with chopped almonds as I rolled it and didn’t make sure I would have an even number (which I didn’t). The long answer is that at least this way when the meatballs finish you can try one and still have an even number to serve your guests. You’re welcome.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with oil. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, spices, bread crumbs, Greek yogurt, and egg. Mix well. Roll mixture into balls (large for meal-size; small for appetizer size) and coat in sriracha almonds. Place evenly on prepared baking sheet and cook 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
As a lover of dill, sriracha, almonds, and turkey meatballs I can honestly say this is probably my favorite thing I’ve ever made in the kitchen. The only change I might make in the future is to add a little bit of sriracha sauce to the meatballs themselves for an extra kick, but these meatballs are the real deal.
The Greek yogurt keeps the meatballs nice and juicy while the breadcrumbs and egg hold it all together and the almonds seal in the flavor. Dill lovers will rejoice at the flavor, but it isn’t overpowering for those who don’t fancy themselves dill fanatics. The ginger helps to bring out the sriracha flavor in the almond crust.