These bacon wrapped turkey meatballs are another reason that every serious grilling fanatic needs a meat grinder.
Let me show you how to make them!
I started with two large turkey thighs with a combined weight of about 3.5 pounds.
Go ahead and take the bone out and then cut the meat and skin into strips.
Discard the bones and chill the meat and skin in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.
You want the meat nice and cold for easy grinding.
After the turkey meat has chilled run it through your meat grinder; I use the grinder attachment on my KitchenAid mixer.
After the turkey has been ground combine it with the rest of the meatball ingredients and stir until well mixed.
Turkey Meatball Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground turkey thighs (with skin)
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs.
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
After the ingredients are well mixed form your meatballs. Â I like to go for something a little larger than a golf ball.
I got about a dozen meatballs from the two turkey thighs.
Each meatball was wrapped in half a slice of thin cut bacon secured with a toothpick.
The bacon wrapped meatballs were then cooked on a kettle set up for indirect heat (275F) for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes the meatballs hit an internal temperature of 165F and I brushed them with the Secret Weapon….
Tabasco Pepper Jelly that had been melted in the microwave!
This gives the meatballs a beautiful shine along with a delicious dose of “Sweet Heat”.
I gave the meatballs about another 5 minutes on the grill for the glaze to set and then tore into them pretty hard!
These were absolutely worth the little bit of extra work that comes from grinding your own meat.
Beats the heck out of those frozen, store bought, mystery meat meatballs.
Now get out there and grill something!
BBQ Turkey Meatballs {Bacon Wrapped and Glazed!}
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Ground Turkey Thighs skin on
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 3 pounds ground turkey thighs (with skin)1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs.1 large egg1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 tablespoon hot sauce1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 6 strips bacon
- 1/2 cup pepper jelly
Instructions
- Mix the ground turkey with the bread crumbs, eggs, mustard, hot sauce, salt and pepper.
- Form the meat mixture into meatballs about the size of a golf ball.
- Cut the bacon strips in half.
- Wrap each meatball with bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Smoke the meatballs at 275F for 30 minutes.
- Melt the pepper jelly in a microwave.
- Brush each meatball with the melted pepper jelly.
- Continue smoking until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165F.
