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If ever I want to feel like a culinary genius in my kitchen, I whip up a batch of Greek Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. Baked turkey meatballs get a HUGE upgrade with some greek flavors, and the addition of the most glorious roasted red pepper sauce! This dinner is sure to be devoured and loved by all! Paleo, Keto, and Whole30 compliant.
Heck yes, this recipe is as delicious as it sounds. And in other breaking news, my bell pepper hating child gobbled up this sauce as if she hadn’t eaten in days.
As a nutritionist, I am always looking for more ways to incorporate vegetables into our meals. Especially in ways you won’t recognize! These meatballs are a perfect example. They are packed with antioxidants and vitamin C from the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. It’s something different from a classic marinara, but still looks pretty and creamy to be appetizing.
Greek Meatballs = Healthy Comfort Food!
While keeping with my approach of lightening up meals without skimping on flavor, I turn to meatballs. I have several meatballs on my site that my family devours: Thai Curry Meatballs, Chicken Satay Meatballs, Moroccan Meatballs, and my famous appetizer: Sweet and Spicy Meatballs.
This recipe stands out with it’s bold tangy flavor, and creamy decadent sauce. We roast red peppers in the oven for some smoky flavor, add red wine vinegar for a bit of tang, and some avocado oil for some extra healthy fat that is unbelievably satisfying!
Simple steps to make Greek Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
- Make the sauce by roasting several red peppers in the oven with stems and seeds removed. Toss the roasted peppers in a blender or food processor with red wine vinegar, oil, and garlic.
- Make the meatballs by using a combination of ground turkey and turkey sausage.
- Mix the meat with fresh herbs, onion, almond flour, egg, and coconut aminos. Create balls with the meat, and place on a sheet pan to bake.
- After baking, toss with the sauce. Serve over potatoes or cauliflower rice with fresh feta or herbs as an option.
Variations and Adaptations:
Meat: Mix up the type of meat you use if you prefer. I chose the ground turkey and turkey sausage route, but these would also taste delicious with beef or even lamb. You could also use all pork.
Cheese: Feel free to top with parmesan or feta cheese.
Noodles/Pasta: For serving, you can also use any type of pasta. Spiralized veggies (my personal favorite is butternut squash), also taste delicious with these meatballs on top.
Serving and Storing:
Fresh herbs for garnish are a must! And to serve? These can easily be a main dish on their own, or as an appetizer. As a main dish, you can serve over cauliflower rice or rice, noodles or veggie noodles as mentioned above, or even over potatoes.
Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. This dish also freezes really well! Bring to room temperature and simmer over medium low heat to warm up.
Is this dish Keto and Whole30 compliant?
As written, this dish is Paleo, Keto, and Whole30 compliant. To keep it Paleo and Whole30, omit the feta cheese.
Be sure to rate the recipe below and comment if you make it! Also, tag me on Instagram @wholesomelicious with your creations. I love to see them!
Greek Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
- 6 red bell peppers
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp sea salt
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 lb ground turkey sausage
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp salt + more to taste
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped mint
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare your peppers: Cut each pepper in half or thirds, strip membrane, de-seed, and brush the tops with olive oil.
- Place peppers on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the peppers are nice and soft, and slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Reduce the heat of the oven to 375 degrees.
- Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Combine the ground turkey and sausage with a whisked egg, almond flour, salt, red onion, coconut aminos, parsley, and mint. Mix well with your hands.
- Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form balls approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer pan to the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes.
- While meatballs are baking finish the sauce. Combine the peppers, oil, vinegar, salt, and garlic into the blender. Pulse until smooth.
- Remove meatballs and serve warm drizzled with red pepper sauce over cauliflower rice, rice, or vegetable noodles. Garnish with feta cheese and additional fresh herbs (thyme, or basil), if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tasted great but sauce was significantly less creamy looking than the picture and was a brighter red than the image. Did I do something wrong?
Definitely didn’t do anything wrong! Sometimes it just depends on your blender and how long you blend it for the creamy factor, and the color can also depend on what time of year the bell peppers were picked. Glad you loved it!
Delicious! Was pretty easy to make and so tasty!
The sauce is drinkable!
How many meatballs does this make, and how many meatballs Equal one serving?
It makes a lot of meatballs, but this depends on how big you make them. For me it is usually around 3 dozen, sometimes 40. The serving size is based on oz of meat. The way I make them, a serving would be somewhere around 6-7 meatballs.
Just made this tonight and it was delicious. I made whole wheat spaghetti to eat it with and it was great. The only complaint is that my wife is pretty sensitive to the flavor of vinegar and it was pretty prevalent in the sauce. I will probably cut the vinegar in half next time. If you are sensitive to vinegar I would suggest you do the same. I will definitely be making this again!
I love vinegar, so I agree that it might have more than some are used to! Thanks for your comment and glad you all enjoyed it!
Great recipe Amy! Will definitely add to the regular rotation. Was shocked at how the Greek flavors really came through in the meatballs.
So happy you enjoyed it, Ali!
This was so delicious and worth the effort! I didn’t have ground turkey so I used ground pork and pork Italian sausages.
Super tasty and great recommendation to serve over butternut squash noodles. I wouldn’t have thought of that! Thanks for another amazing recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it over the butternut squash noodles!
Am i able to do this without an egg or substitute something else? (allergies)
Thanks!
Go ahead and omit the egg!
Very tasty and quite filling. In fact we wound up with 8 servings (froze 3 dinners worth). I roasted my peppers on the grill. Served these with brown rice and a couple slices of grilled eggplant. Thanks for a great recipe
Love hearing that!!
I have a jar of roasted red peppers I need to use up! Do we think I can sub those out? How should I adjust the sauce? I’m thinking less oil.
Yes, I would cut the oil and use the peppers.
Can regular flour be used instead of almond flour? Excited to try this recipe!
Yes, you could also do regular breadcrumbs