These easy Orange Whole30 Turkey Paleo Meatballs taste like orange chicken in meatball form! The whole family will love this delicious weeknight meal.
What is it about meatballs that makes them so fun to eat? Maybe it’s the fact that you can dress them up in so many ways, from tucking them into a bun, to serving them on pasta or rice, to keeping them warm in a slow cooker and letting party guests spear them up with toothpicks. Another thing meatballs have going for them is how they can take on different personalities, whether you’re seasoning them with Italian flavors or giving them the Buffalo chicken treatment.
This recipe for orange turkey meatballs puts a healthy spin on a Chinese takeout favorite: orange chicken. Tender meatballs are served in a delightfully zingy orange sauce infused with garlic and ginger. Orange segments and a scattering of sesame seeds finish the dish, adding even more flavor. I personally think this recipe for orange turkey meatballs tastes way better than any orange chicken I’ve ordered from a Chinese restaurant. It has that same sticky, sweet-and-tangy sauce that folks love from orange chicken, but because it’s made with real ingredients, it has a more complex and clean flavor. Plus, you can rest assured that it’s free of added sugar, gluten, grains, dairy, and soy! This is just the kind of healthy, quick-fix meal you can feel good about serving.
Are These Orange Whole30 Turkey Paleo Meatballs Healthy?
This recipe has been tweaked so it can fit both Whole30 and Paleo diets. It’s made with turkey, which is a good source of lean protein (I use 97 percent lean, so it’s even lower in fat). Using coconut flour and coconut aminos eliminates wheat and soy. And the use of fresh orange juice in the sauce gives it a boost of vitamin C—just make sure that if you’re sticking to a Paleo diet, you use fresh-squeezed juice and not the kind in cartons or from concentrate. Finally, baking the meatballs gives you lots of flavor and tender texture without the fat of frying.
Making Perfect Meatballs
If you’ve never made meatballs before, never fear! Here are my tips to making perfect, uniformly sized meatballs:
- Use a cookie scoop for no-mess cooking. These scoops have a lever (think mini ice cream scoop) that will eject the meatball mixture neatly from the scoop.
- Don’t have a cookie scoop? Use two spoons: one to scoop up the mixture from the bowl, the other to scrape the mixture off the first spoon and onto the baking sheet.
- If needed, shape the meatballs with clean, wet hands. Wetting your hands first will prevent the mixture from sticking to them.
- Before oven-baking meatballs, spritz them with a little bit of olive oil. This will help them get browned and crisp.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Leftover orange turkey meatballs can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months. Thaw the meatballs overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove until the meatballs are heated through.
Serving Suggestions
These delicious orange turkey meatballs are great when served on a bed of Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice or, if you’re not following a Paleo or Whole30 diet, Instant Pot Basmati Rice. It would also be great alongside Asian Healthy Broccoli Salad (which can be tweaked to make the meal Paleo-approved) or Thai Mango-Avocado Salad With Grilled Sweet Potatoes.
Heading to a party this weekend? Bring these meatballs in a slow cooker to keep them warm, and serve them with skewers or toothpicks. They make a great party food that will keep guests coming back for more! You can even have a platter of butter lettuce leaves nearby, which people can wrap around the meatballs for a tasty version of lettuce wraps.
Ingredients
For The Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground turkey 97% lean
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup green onion diced, plus additional for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
For The Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice freshly squeezed
- zest of one large orange
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons tapioca starch
For Serving:
- Orange segments from the orange you zested
- Sesame seeds
- Cauliflower rice or cooked rice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and rub a cookie sheet with avocado oil.
- In a large bowl, stir together the turkey, egg, 1/4 cup green onion, and salt until well mixed. Add in the coconut flour and stir until well mixed. I find it easiest to use your hands.
- Drop by heaping 1-tablespoon balls onto the prepared cookie sheet. You should get about 20 meatballs.
- Bake until no longer pink inside, about 15 minutes.
- While the meatballs bake, heat the avocado oil in a medium pot on medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, or about 2 minutes.
- While the ginger and garlic cook, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Add the orange juice mixture into the garlic/ginger mixture. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Additionally, place the tapioca starch in a medium bowl.
- Once the mixture boils, add 4 teaspoons of the hot liquid into the tapioca starch bowl and whisk until smooth. While constantly whisking, pour the tapioca starch mixture back into the pot of sauce and whisk until smooth and combined. Boil, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken and reduce, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick, glossy, and reduced by about 1/3, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes to thicken up a little bit more.
- Add the cooked meatballs into the sauce and stir to coat completely.
- Serve over the rice of your choice and garnish with more green onions and sesame seeds, as well as the orange segments.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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