Robust seasonings, cheese, and a buttery garlic sauce make these spicy turkey meatballs with lemon zoodles out of this world flavorful and delicious.

You won’t believe the huge flavor in this recipe for spicy turkey meatballs and lemon zoodles~a Paleo, low-carb, Whole30, Keto friendly skillet dish. I adapted this dish from EatWell101 and it is really outstanding.

As you can see in the above photo, there are myriad seasonings that make the meat flavorful. I opted to increase the red pepper flakes just a bit, and I chose to use parmesan cheese to add sharpness (but you can use another cheese if you prefer).

Skillet: This dish uses the same skillet for both the meatballs and the zoodles. A 12″ is the perfect size. I used my Lodge 12″ cast iron skillet for these; I just love cast iron. If you are a non-stick fan, you might want to consider the Cook’ Illustrated highly recommended Oxo 12″ Open Frypan.  It was the winner amongst all the non-stick 12″ skillets and is a great price point.

Turkey or half turkey half pork? Using a half turkey half pork mixture will yield a more tender meatball. Pork has more fat than turkey but almost half the fat of ground beef. I used all turkey in this version and loved it. The meatballs were on the dry side, but they were still delicious.

Zoodles:  I make my own zoodles with the spiralizer unit of my Ninja Kitchen System. I love it and use it often to make smoothies and zoodles or to chop veggies for soups or stews.

Make ahead: The meatballs can be made ahead up to the point of shaping and refrigerated until cooking time. The zucchini can be spiralized and kept in the fridge a day or two ahead.

Marinara definitely takes this dish over the top (but the original recipes does not include it). Click here for my favorite homemade marinara. It is fresh and insanely flavorful. If you want a store bought option, Rao’s homemade marinara is the winner.

If you try this recipe, please let me hear from you in the comments of the post. As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Be blessed, and stay savvy!!!

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Spicy Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Zoodles

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1/2 lb ground turkey meat
• 1/2 lb ground pork meat
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice (mozzarella, cheddar, provolone…)
• 4 cloves garlic, grated + 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon red crushed chili pepper flakes,
• 1 crumbled bouillon cube, optional
• Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup fresh parsley, divided
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 medium zucchini, spiralized
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce of your choice (I used Sriracha)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey and ground pork, cheese, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, bouillon cube, red chili pepper flakes, chopped parsley and black pepper.
2. Mix well; form into small balls and set aside.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the meatballs, basting with sauce, until browned on all sides and fully cooked (internal temp of 170 F).
4. Remove to a clean plate and set aside.
5. In the same skillet, melt butter; add lemon juice, hot sauce, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes, mixing until combined.
6. Add the zucchini noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes, tossing regularly, until seasoned and crisp tender.
7. Push zucchini on one side of the skillet and return meatballs to skillet, reheating if necessary.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 295Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 88mgSodium 336mgCarbohydrates 9gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 1gSugar 6gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 22g