Oven-Baked Turkey Harissa Meatballs with Courgette

These oven-baked turkey meatballs use grated courgette to keep them tender, with harissa for warmth and a lemony yoghurt topping. Everything bakes on one tray, so the effort stays low. Serve in bowls, wraps or salads, then chill or freeze portions.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Keyword courgette mince, harissa spice, oven baked, Turkey meatballs, yoghurt topping

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings Servings

Calories 399

Author Kitchen Team @ Spooning and Forking

Ingredients

500 g turkey mince 5 percent fat works well
300 g courgette about 2 medium, coarsely grated
1 onion small, very finely chopped (about 100 g)
3 cloves garlic finely grated or crushed
2 tbsp harissa paste mild or hot, your call
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp fine sea salt
Black pepper
1 egg large
60 g breadcrumbs or 60 g porridge oats, pulsed briefly
20 g fresh parsley chopped

For serving (optional but excellent)

200 g Greek yoghurt 0 to 5 percent
1 lemon zest and wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cucumber sliced
250 g cherry tomatoes halved

Instructions

Heat the oven and prep the tray

Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Line a large tray with baking paper or foil.

Grate and squeeze the courgette

Grate the courgette, tip it into a clean tea towel, then twist and squeeze over the sink until you’ve removed as much liquid as possible. You should end up with a fairly dry clump.

Mix the meatball mixture

In a large bowl, combine turkey mince, squeezed courgette, onion, garlic, harissa, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, egg, breadcrumbs and parsley.
Mix with your hands until evenly combined, but stop once it comes together. Over-mixing makes meatballs dense.

Shape and arrange

Divide into 16 meatballs, about the size of a golf ball. Roll lightly, then place on the tray with space between each one.

Bake until browned and cooked through

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. If you want a deeper colour, switch to the grill for 1 to 2 minutes at the end, keeping a close eye.

Make a quick yoghurt topping

Stir yoghurt with lemon zest, a pinch of salt and a small spoon of harissa if you like. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

Turkey can dry out if you treat it like beef, so the courgette and egg are doing important support work here. If your mince is very lean, add 1 tbsp olive oil into the mix, it helps the texture stay tender.

Harissa pastes vary in salt and heat. Start with 1½ tbsp if yours is fiery, then stir a bit more into the yoghurt for serving so you can control the kick at the table.

Nutrition