Sticky Lime Peanut Meatballs

I’m kind of addicted to making meatballs for dinner. They’re just the perfect size of deliciousness, and I feel like it’s a convenient way to serve a meal. I found some ground turkey yesterday that was on it’s way out, and at first I though to make my Thai Turkey Meatballs, but then I decided to come up with something new! I love the sticky glaze on these and the addition of peanuts in the mixtures is a game changer! The crunch and subtle peanut taste is so good, and the fresh ginger and garlic are so bright and lovely. The sticky sauce adds another dimension to this dish and oooooh baby. You’re gonna love ‘em. Tangy, light, bursting with flavor… These are going to become a staple at the vK house!

STICKY PEANUT AND LIME MEATBALLS
Yields 4 portions, about 16 meatballs
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10-15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
MEATBALLS
- 1 lb ground turkey or sub ground chicken
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5” nub fresh ginger grated or sub 1 T ginger powder
- 1/3 red or orange bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 c peanuts, chopped
- pinch salt and pepper
- 1 T hoisin sauce
- 1/3 c panko breadcrumbs
- 1 T soy sauce
- 1 t lime juice
- shake of red pepper flake or 1 T sriracha sauce
- sesame oil for pan-frying

SAUCE
- 1 T cornstarch
- 3 T water + additional 3 T water
- 1/4 c honey
- 1/4 c soy sauce
- 1 T sriracha or more to taste
- 1 T rice wine vinegar
- 1 T lime juice, plus additional for garnish
- 1/4 cup peanuts

DIRECTIONS
1.) Roughly chop peanuts and dice up bell pepper. Mix all meatball ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Use a cookie scoop to scoop uniform 1” meatballs, and form together with your hands.
2.) Drizzle 1 T of sesame oil into a pan over medium heat, and pay fry. Gently flip meatballs once bottom side is browned. Place lid on top of pan to continue cooking until meatballs are cooked through and reach an internal temp of 165 degrees.
3.) In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and 3 T water until there are no clumps. Add in additional sauce ingredients and stir. Pour mixture into a second small pan (or remove cooked meatballs to a plate, and use the meatball pan to make your sauce). Heat all ingredients together at a low simmer until you have a thick and congruent sauce. Taste and add more sriracha if desired.
4.) Coat your meatballs by gently rolling them in the sauce. Serve with freshly squeezed lime and enjoy! Pairs great on a bed of fluffy rice!