Food Recipes Turkey-and-Rice Meatballs 4.4 (16) Make an extra batch or two, because these family-friendly meatballs are at home in lots of dishes. By Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer who's been working in the Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017. Her recipes and writing have appeared in more than 10 nationally distributed print publications, as well as on various digital platforms. Anna's recipes have been showcased on the covers of magazines such as Food & Wine and Southern Living. Anna earned her BS in agricultural education and communication from the University of Florida, and a degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. She is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier Birmingham chapter. She has 10 years of experience developing recipes. When not in the kitchen, Anna enjoys hiking with her son, husband, and two dogs. She also loves fostering puppies for a local animal rescue group. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on August 12, 2020 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Caitlin Bensel Hands On Time: 15 mins Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4 serves Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe These meatballs come together quickly—just turkey, cooked white rice, olive oil, and seasoning—and taste great with our crunchy kale-and-apple salad. The creamy texture of its lemony tahini dressing is a winner, adding welcome richness to the plate. Pro tip: A freezer that's stocked with these turkey-and-rice meatballs is your friend. Instead of our kale salad, serve them stirred into a brothy soup, twirled into pasta, or beneath a blanket of melted cheese atop a garlic-rubbed roll. Ingredients Meatballs 1 pound ground turkey 1 ¼ cups cooked long-grain white rice, cooled ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking sheet 1 teaspoon kosher salt Kale-and-Apple Salad ½ cup well-stirred tahini 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (2 lemons) 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon kosher salt 10 ounces (1 bunch) curly kale, stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces 1 red apple, thinly sliced Directions Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat it with oil. Combine turkey, rice, pepper, 3 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until combined. Shape mixture into 12 (2-inch) balls and place on the baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 10 minutes. Set oven to broil and broil meatballs until golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the center of a meatball registers 165°F, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl until smooth. Place kale in a large bowl, drizzle with ½ cup tahini dressing, and massage it into leaves with your hands. Toss in apple. Serve meatballs drizzled with remaining tahini dressing alongside the kale salad. Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 619 Calories 42g Fat 35g Carbs 31g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Calories 619 % Daily Value * Total Fat 42g 54% Cholesterol 78mg 26% Sodium 816mg 35% Total Carbohydrate 35g 13% Total Sugars 8g Protein 31g *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.