Big bold flavors. Bright cheerful colors.

There’s nothing boring about these burgers.

I have a Jerk Marinade that I’ve used for Turkey Tenderloin, Turkey Meatballs, Caribbean Couscous Salad….

Its punchy, gently spicy, with bursts of citrus and herbs. There’s warmth from the spices balanced by the natural mildness of ground turkey. I’m addicted!

To make these burgers, mix up your spices and aromatics first then add them to the ground turkey. This insures the flavors are incorporated well without overworking the mixture.

Overworking = tough burgers.

When cooked properly Turkey Burgers are moist and juicy. Ground turkey is tender and can be tricky to cook on a grill. The secret I’ve found is to sear the patties in a hot pan, then finish them in the oven. They come out perfectly every time.

Turkey Burgers reheat beautifully too, so they are fantastic for meal prep and making lunches for the week! The flavors in these jerk burgers are even better the next day, warm or cold!

Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw are fun for the weekend, but easy enough for a weeknight meal! Serve them on toasted burger buns or lettuce wraps, topped with Caribbean Coleslaw.

Are there recipes that remind you of a favorite vacation that you’d like to see us recreate? I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps the recipe love fresh).

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw

Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw scream summer! Big bold tropical flavors. Bright cheerful colors. Smiles all around!

Course Burgers

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs use gluten free panko for GF version

Spices and Aromatics

• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 sprigs minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 scallion thinly sliced
• 1 small jalapeno fine diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• oil for pan frying

For Serving

• 1 cup Caribbean Coleslaw recipe link in post
• 4 burger buns lightly toasted

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Mix spices and aromatic together. Add ground turkey, egg and panko breadcrumbs. Mix with hands until just combined.
• Form into 4 burger patties. Heat 1 Tablespoon cooking oil in oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Pan fry burgers 2-3 minutes per side, then transfer to oven. Cook for 10 minutes or until internal temperature of burgers reaches 165° F. Remove and allow to rest 5 minutes.
• To serve, place each burger on a toasted bun and top with 1/4 cup Caribbean coleslaw.

The post Juicy Jerk Turkey Burgers with Caribbean Coleslaw appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Lemon and feta and fresh spinach and herbs all playing so nicely together.

Ground chicken is such a wonderful canvas for painting big bold flavors and that’s exactly what we’ve done on this Greek Meze platter.

Meze (or mezze) pronounced Meh-ZEH, simply means small plates or an assortment of finger foods and appetizers. Welcome to my happy place.

I could have paired these Greek Chicken Meatballs with a side of rice and it would have been a delicious meal.

But when I have the chance to make an assortment of dishes to be shared with my favorite people, I’m all in.

A nice Greek salad, tzatziki sauce, hummus, assorted olives, pita bread and Greek chicken meatballs make a flavorful Mediterranean inspired board.

How to Make the Meatballs

These meatballs are loaded with flavorful aromatics and come together so quickly.

Simply combine all ingredients except your chicken and mix well. Then add in the chicken and mix until just combined. Form into meatballs, I like these on the larger size – about 1 1/2-inches in diameter (15 meatballs). Then into the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend Recipe

The Results

Greek Chicken Meatballs, inspired by my Greek Chicken Meatloaf, are super flavorful and juicy. They are a wonderfully healthy lunch or dinner option and they reheat beautifully.

If you’re interested in serving these as a Meze, consider pairing them with some of these options.

Greek Salad

Tzatziki Sauce

While I have attempted Homemade Pita Bread (no pockets but makes a tasty flatbread), I recently discovered this Gluten Free Pita Bread by BFree and it’s pretty tasty!

Hummus

Tabouleh & Coucous Salad

Pork Souvlaki

Lamb Gyro

Baked Shrimp {with Feta & Herbs}

That my friends concludes our March Meatball Madness!

For a look back at all the recipes shared over the past month check out Our Favorite Meatball Recipes {and a food truck fantasy}.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Greek Chicken Meatballs {with Spinach & Feta}

Greek Chicken Meatballs are super flavorful and juicy. They are a wonderfully healthy lunch or dinner option and they reheat beautifully.

Course Entree or Appetizer

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (use Gluten Free for GF version)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup fresh spinach rough chopped
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• 1 Tablespoons fresh oregano (and/or parsley) chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend see recipe link in post
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

To Serve

• Greek Salad Recipe link in post
• Hummus Recipe link in post
• Tzatziki Sauce Recipe link in post
• Pita Bread
• Assorted Olives

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients except chicken and mix well. Add in ground chicken and mix just until combined. Form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until meatballs are firm to the touch.

To Serve

• Serve meatballs with Greek Salad, Hummus, Tzatziki Sauce, assorted olives and warm Pita Bread.

The post Greek Chicken Meatballs {and a Meze Platter} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Through all of this March Meatball Madness I have received several requests through social media (some subtle, some not) to share more vegetarian options.

This veggie-loving lady is happy to oblige!

I have shared before how fortunate we are to have two outstanding (and gigantic) year-round indoor Farmers Markets less than 30 minutes away ~ Buford Highway and Dekalb.

Both carry a wonderful selection of produce, so many varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs that I find myself googling how to incorporate them into recipes.

The Process

For this Eggplant Meatball recipe I oven roasted one pound of eggplant cubes at 450 degrees F. for 25 minutes.

Then I pulsed them in the food processor a few times before incorporating them into the remaining ingredients.

For added flavor I used both fresh parsley and fresh basil along with garlic and parmesan cheese.

Then egg and Panko breadcrumbs to bind the mixture.

You should be able to get a dozen nice sized meatballs.

Eggplant Meatballs have a wonderful texture that is both ‘meaty’ and moist with fresh herbs smiling throughout.

We enjoyed them over pasta with tomato sauce and even had enough to share the love with our favorite over-the-fence neighbor Ms. Pat :)

Who in kind, returned the love by sending us two delightful Negroni cocktails.

No doubt the past twelve months have been difficult and for some heart breaking and tragic.

Cooking is my love language and being able to share that love, even if there’s a fence between us, fills my heart.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Eggplant Meatballs

Eggplant Meatballs have a wonderful texture that is both 'meaty' and moist with fresh herbs smiling throughout. Delicious served over pasta with tomato sauce or as an appetizer with a side of marinara.

Course Entree or Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound eggplant cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (Gluten Free for GF version)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs (parsley and basil) finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

To Serve

• 1/2 pound favorite pasta prepared according to package instructions
• 1 cup favorite tomato sauce
• parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley or basil for garnish

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss eggplant cubes in olive oil and spread in single layer onto baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn over cubes and bake an additional 10 minutes. Cool slightly before transferring to bowl of a food processor; pulse 2-3 times.
• Reduce oven to 400° F. In a bowl, combine eggplant with remaining meatball ingredients. Form into 12 meatballs and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

To Serve

• Serve meatballs over favorite pasta with tomato sauce and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil. Also wonderful as an appetizer with a side of tomato sauce.

The post Eggplant Meatballs appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Savory beef meatballs stuffed with provolone cheese, nestled on a bed of sautéed onions, mushrooms and peppers all under a blanket of provolone cheese sauce.

I mean!

The meatball ingredients are pretty straight forward.

I know that the classic Philly Cheesesteak does not necessarily have sautéed onions – you can order ‘wit’ (with) or ‘wit-out’ (without) fried onions.

I’m definitely a ‘wit’ onions girl, so I sautéed some fine diced onion and put them right into the meatballs.

Along with cubes of provolone cheese.

Yes, I stuffed a 1/2″ cube of cheese inside each of the meatballs before baking them at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes.

These Philly Cheesesteak Meatballs fresh from the oven were melt in your mouth delicious! Nice and juicy with an oozy cheesy center.

But we didn’t stop there.

The meatballs alone would make a dynamite appetizer served with a provolone cheese dipping sauce.

But load them into a hoagie roll with some sautéed onion, mushrooms and peppers and drizzle of cheese sauce and you’ll think you’ve died and gone straight to Philadelphia!

Which I’ve had the pleasure of doing several times.

What a great city!

Lovely architecture, loads of history, Philly Cheesesteaks of course, and a great street culture scene painted with colorful murals.

If you haven’t been to Philadelphia I hope you get the chance one day.

Until then, you can get a taste of it by making Philly Cheesesteak Meatballs at home!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Philly Cheesesteak Meatballs

These Philly Cheesesteak Meatballs fresh from the oven were melt in your mouth delicious! Nice and juicy with an oozy cheesy center.

Course Entree or Appetizer

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion fine diced
• 18 1/2 inch cubes provolone cheese about 2 ounces
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (Gluten Free for GF Version)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic & Herb Seasoning recipe on blog
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound ground beef

For the Cheese Sauce

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon flour (or arrow root for gluten free)
• 1 cup milk
• 6 ounces provolone cheese grated
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
• salt & pepper to taste

For Serving (optional)

• 4 hoagie rolls or party toothpicks
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
• 3 Italian long hot peppers or 1 green bell pepper sliced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil for sauteeing vegetables

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Saute onion in olive oil over medium high heat, just until beginning to brown. Cut provolone into 18 – 1/2-inch cubes.
• Combine remaining meatball ingredients, except ground beef. Fold in ground beef and mix just until combined. Form into 18 meatballs, pressing a cheese cube into the center of each, and rolling with hands to encase. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

For the Cheese Sauce

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, continue whisking until flour is bubbling 1-2 minutes. Whisk in cold milk and continue to stir until sauce comes to a low boil. Add in shredded provolone and parmesan cheese. Stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For Serving (optional)

• Saute mushrooms, onions and peppers in olive oil until begining to caramelize. If serving as hoagies, toast rolls. Fill with sauteed veggies, meatballs and drizzle with cheese sauce. If serving as appetizer meatballs, place sauteed veggies in serving bowl, topped with meatballs and cheese sauce. Serve with party toothpicks.

The post Philly Cheesesteak Meatballs appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Chicken Satay Meatballs were my sister Sarah’s call. In fact Sarah had several suggestions for March Meatball Madness. Let’s just say she has a vivid imagination and extreme creativity when it comes to food and I love her for it!!!

After all those colorful suggestions we landed on Chicken Satay Meatballs with Peanut Dipping Sauce. It was a great choice!

For the meatballs, I incorporated many of the ingredients you would use in Chicken Satay marinade. I combined ginger, garlic, chili crisp, sesame oil, peanut butter, turmeric and basil with Panko breadcrumbs and an egg, then folded that mixture into the ground chicken.

I decided to serve these as lettuce wraps so I made them a little larger, almost 2 inches (15 meatballs). Because ground chicken is soft and these meatballs are very tender before they’re cooked, I prefer to bake them at 400 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.

If you’re late to the game like me or haven’t been introduced to Chili Crisp Oil yet, I mean….it’s a spunky jar of flavor wow and you’re missing out!! I’ve come to love it so much I making my own. And I will say that I’m a bit of a spicy food whimp, but there’s something about this blend of garlic and shallot and pepper flakes and oil…..addicting!

And then there’s the Peanut Dipping Sauce. It’s the right balance of sweet and savory and very peanut-y. The perfect dipping partner for these Chicken Satay Meatballs! They make a great appetizer or wrap them up in lettuce leaves and you’ve got a deliciously healthy, flavor-packed meal.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Chicken Satay Meatballs {with Peanut Dipping Sauce}

Chicken Satay Meataballs make a great appetizer or wrap them up in lettuce leaves and you've got a deliciously healthy, flavor-packed meal.

Course Entree or Appetizer

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (Gluten Free for GF version)
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 Tablespoon ginger finely grated
• 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon chili crisp or sriracha chili crisp recipe link in post
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

For Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup coconut milk or more for thinner sauce
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon chili crisp or sriracha

To Serve (optional)

• fresh cilantro leaves
• crushed peanuts
• thinly sliced scallion
• lime wedges
• bibb lettuce cups

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and then add the ground beef. Mix just until incorporated. Form into 1 1/2" meatballs, place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.

For the Peanut Sauce

• Add all dipping sauce ingredients to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat just until bubbling. Turn off and allow to cool slightly before serving.

To Serve

• Serve meatballs with peanut dipping sauce and as many optional garnishes as you like. Enjoy!

The post Chicken Satay Meatballs {with Peanut Dipping Sauce} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

When I decided to share a different meatball recipe for the month of March I needed to enlist my loved ones for some recipe inspiration.

For Nick, we would transform his favorite Beef & Broccoli in a meatball meal.

The results were out of this world!

You know that sweet, salty, slightly spicy sauce that IS Beef & Broccoli, I incorporated that inside our meatballs and then gave them a quick stir-fry in it to glaze them before serving.

Our sauce combined coconut aminos (or soy sauce), honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, chili crisp oil, and black pepper.

The meatballs consisted of ground beef, Panko breadcrumbs, an egg, sliced scallion, and 1/4 cup of our stir-fry sauce. I baked them at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes before giving them a swirl in the wok with the remaining sauce.

These meatballs are stop-you-in-your-grazing-tracks good!

Without question they are the star of Meatball Beef & Broccoli, however they are now going straight to the top of any appetizer or game-day spread we put out.

The only thing I’d change is to double (or triple) the recipe.

These went way too fast!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Meatball Beef & Broccoli

Without question they are the star of Meatball Beef & Broccoli, however they are now going straight to the top of any appetizer or game-day spread we put out. The only thing I'd change is to double (or triple) the recipe.

Course Entree or Appetizer

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Stir Fry Sauce

• 3/4 cup coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger finely grated
• 2 teaspoon chili crisp oil or sriracha sauce recipe link in post
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (Gluten Free Panko for GF version)
• 1 large egg
• 2 scallion thinly sliced, about 1/2 cup
• 1/4 cup Stir Fry Sauce (above)

To Serve

• 2-3 cups broccoli florets blanched
• 1 cup rice prepared according to package
• 1 Tablespoon high heat oil such as avocado or sesame
• 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 scallion thinly sliced

Instructions

For the Stir Fry Sauce

• Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Reserve.

For the Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl combine panko breadcrumbs, egg, scallion, and 1/4 cup of prepared Stir Fry Sauce. Add ground beef and mix gently until combined. Form into 1 1/2" meatballs (about 20) and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

To Serve

• While meatballs are in oven, bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch broccoli for 2 minutes. Drain and reserve. Prepare Rice according to package instructions.
• In a wok or heavy skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of high heat oil. Add meatballs and remaining stir fry sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened.
• Serve in bowls with rice, broccoli, and meatballs. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

The post Meatball Beef & Broccoli appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

These spinach and ricotta ‘dumplings’ are soft and tender and practically melt in your mouth.

The simple ingredients come together to form a soft dough. Roll the dough into balls, then boil until they float.

I experimented with the ratio of ricotta & spinach to flour. The result was that the Malfatti held together nicely even when the flour was reduced. Yielding a dumpling with more spinach flavor which is absolutely delicious.

Malfatti are classically served with sage brown butter and crispy sage leaves, one of my most favorite flavor pairings.

Sage Brown Butter

To make sage brown butter, simply melt butter in a skillet over med-low heat, toss in some fresh sage leaves.  Allow to cook, stirring occasionally until butter turns a nice golden brown.  Remove the sage leaves and most the butter to a small dish. Toss several Malfatti dumplings in the same pan, then spoon additional butter and crispy sage leaves over top when plating.

We loved them so much that I’ve made them multiple times over the past several weeks. Because these dumplings taste very mild, the intense sensual flavor of the sage brown butter is fabulous.

That said, I also served the Malfatti plated with a tomato sauce and basil pesto, then topped them with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese. Another fantastic pairing.

Malfatti can be made ahead and refrigerated then boiled just before serving. This makes them a wonderful weeknight ‘meatless’ meal or as a first course appetizer for a more formal Italian themed evening.

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Malfatti {Spinach & Ricotta Dumplings}

These Malfatti {spinach and ricotta 'dumplings'} are soft and tender and practically melt in your mouth.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the Malfatti

• 21 ounces fresh spinach discard any hard stems
• 8 ounces Ricotta cheese drained well
• 1 large egg beaten
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup semolina flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon frehly grated nutmeg

For the Sage Brown Butter

• 8 Tablespoons butter
• 12-15 fresh sage leaves

Instructions

For the Malfatti

• Place ricotta into fine mesh strainer and allow any liquid to drain off.
• In a large skillet, add spinach with a sprinkle of water and salt over medium heat. Cook covered until wilted, using tongs to turn a couple times during cooking. Drain in a colander until cooled. Place cooked spinach in a clean cotton dish towel and completely wring out all liquid. Finely chop spinach.
• In a bowl, combine drained ricotta and spinach with egg, parmesan cheese, flour, semolina, salt and nutmeg. Mix until evenly incorporated. Roll into 1 1/2" balls.
• Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook Malfatti in batches in boiling water until they float, about 2-3 minutes.

For the Sage Brown Butter

• Melt butter in a skillet. Add sage leaves and cook over medium-low heat until sage is crispy and butter is golden brown. Remove the sage leaves and most of the butter to a small bowl. Add the Malfatti to the pan in batches and gently stir to coat. Plate with a spoonful of sage brown butter, crispy sage leaves and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

The post Malfatti {Spinach & Ricotta Dumplings} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.