Jerk meatballs. Tender, juicy turkey meatballs infused with a variety of Caribbean seasoning and spices. Slathered in a sweet and spicy BBQ glaze. These jerk meatballs are such a treat. They’re full of flavor and so so good. Once you try these meatballs, you’ll never want them any other way.
The Super Bowl is right around the corner and I’m going to need you to add these to your menu! They’re a Caribbean twist to the classic appetizer we know and love.
I’m honestly not a meatball fan. It really depends on the day. But when it comes to these meatballs, I will choose them time and time again.
Disclaimer- this post is not sponsored but contains affiliate links of products I used.
I’m often asked how I come up with a lot of my recipes. I was introduced to different types of food at a young age. I’m a BIG foodie at heart. And that’s where I get a lot of my inspiration from. When it comes to cooking I like to pull inspo from different cultures. It’s so much fun to play around with different flavors and techniques.
When I was brainstorming this recipe I knew I wanted to switch things up and bring a Caribbean spin to meatballs. And adding jerk seasoning just made sense. Once you try these meatballs, you won’t want to eat them another way. They’re juicy, sweet, and spicy.
How to make jerk meatballs?
These meatballs are so good and very easy to make. The recipe starts with combining ground turkey, yellow onion, green seasoning, jerk seasoning, bread crumbs, 1 egg and a few more seasonings. That’s it.
Mix everything together until it’s just combined. Add oil to your hands and roll the meatballs into even sized balls. Sear them in a medium sized skillet, over medium high heat on all sides. Then reduce the heat to medium low, cover with a lid and let the meatballs finish cooking.
While they finish cooking, prepare the sauce. Combining butter, BBQ sauce, honey, pineapple juice, jerk seasoning, and garlic.
Toss the meatballs in the sauce, top with green onions and enjoy!
Ingredients for Jerk Meatballs
Ground turkey– Feel free to use whatever ground meat you prefer.
Onion– I used yellow onion.
Jerk seasoning – I love Walkerswood hot & spicy jerk seasoning. They also have a mild version.
Green seasoning– Green seasoning is a combination of fresh veggies, herbs and spices that’s used to season a variety of dishes. See how I made it here.
Egg– Used as a binder to bring everything together.
Bread crumbs– I like to use panko bread crumbs.
BBQ Sauce– Feel free to use your favorite Bbq sauce. I used Sweet Baby Rays Sweet and Spicy.
Pineapple juice– adds the perfect hint of acidic sweetness to the BBQ sauce.
Butter– Unsalted.
Garlic – Because I wanted a smooth sauce, I used frozen garlic cubes
Worcestershire sauce – A few splashes.
Looking for other game day treats try some of my favorites
Chicken Spinach Dip Sliders
Shrimp Rangoon
Crawfish Pies
If you try these Jerk Meatballs please be sure to leave a comment, and or tag me on Instagram @cookwithci. I would love to see your recreations and hear your thoughts.
Jerk Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 tbsp green seasoning
- 2 tsp Walkerswood jerk seasoning
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 yellow onion diced finely
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon optional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1-2 green onion minced
BBQ Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 tsp Walkerswood jerk seasoning use more if you prefer
- 1 garlic cube
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, jerk seasoning, green seasoning, diced onions, bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, chicken bouillon, and 1 egg. Mix until just combined. Coat hands with oil, and roll meat mixture into balls. The mix will be sticky.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add olive oil and sear meatballs on all sides until browned. Reduce heat to medium low, cover the pan with a lid and cook until the meatballs are cooked through. About 8-10 minutes. (with an internal temp of 165) Tossing/ flipping occasionally.
- To make the BBQ sauce glaze- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, bbq sauce, honey, pineapple juice, jerk seasoning, and garlic. Mix well. Once the sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat and allow to simmer until it thickens slightly.
- Add meatballs to the sauce and shake/ toss until the meatballs are fully coated. OR pour sauce over the meatballs until fully coated. Garnish with green onions and enjoy!.
Notes
Did you make it?
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