Recipe for teriyaki turkey meatballs with cabbage and ramen noodles

Ramen gets a bad rap. Too many college dorms, too many hot plates, too many quick and cheap dinners on the run between classes. This dish of teriyaki turkey meatballs with cabbage and ramen noodles is not the packet-o'-soup food we boiled up in our frugal college days, though the noodles are the same. In this recipe, low-fat turkey meatballs take center stage, and cabbage cooked in with the noodles bathe in a sweet and salty sauce. With the exception of the meat and cabbage, all of the ingredients in this dish come straight from your pantry; you can substitute spaghetti or angel hair pasta for the ramen. At the beginning of the year, I try to eat foods that are a bit lighter, and this ramen dish fits into a healthy eating plan. Also, it's just plain good food.

Teriyaki turkey meatballs with cabbage and ramen noodles

From the pantry, you'll need: dry bread crumbs, Greek yogurt, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, shao hsing wine, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, ground turkey, reduced sodium soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, ramen noodles or spaghetti.

Serves 4-5 as a main dish (makes 36 1-inch meatballs); can be doubled.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:
1-1/4 lb ground turkey (I use 93% fat-free)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use fat-free)
3 scallions, minced
1-1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 large egg
1 Tbsp shao hsing wine
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp minced fresh ginger (or ginger paste)
1 Tbsp 1 minced fresh garlic (or garlic paste)

For the sauce:
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp minced fresh ginger
4-1/2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp shao hsing wine
1-1/2 tsp rice vinegar
3/4 tsp sesame oil
1-1/2 tsp honey
1-1/2 tsp hoisin sauce

16 oz ramen noodles (discard any seasoning packets)
2 cups shredded Savoy cabbage
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat (silicone mat) or parchment paper, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients. With your (clean!) hands, mix everything together gently, just until the ingredients are incorporated.

Roll the meat into 1-inch meatballs, and set them on the baking sheet (or on two plates). Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce, and set aside.

Put the meatballs into the oven on the middle rack, and bake at 425F for 18 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking, bring 3 quarts of water to boil in a pot on the stove.

When the meatballs are done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside. Drop the noodles and cabbage into the boiling water, and cook for 3 minutes, until the noodles are soft. Drain, and place the cabbage and noodles in a large bowl.

Pour the sauce on the noodles, and toss to combine. Then, add the meatballs, and toss lightly again. Top with the sliced scallions, and serve hot or at room temperature.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Thai red curry turkey meatballs
Turkey-falafel meatballs with pasta, spinach and tahini dressing
Greek red pepper and feta turkey meatball salad
Spicy Asian grilled chicken and pasta salad
Chinese "spaghetti and meat sauce"

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Baked teriyaki turkey meatballs, from Cookin' Canuck
Teriyaki turkey sliders, from Dinners for a Year and Beyond
Thai turkey meatloaf, from Budget Bytes
Teriyaki meatballs bento, from Adventures in Bentomaking
Scallion turkey meatballs with soy-ginger glaze, from Chick in the Kitchen

Want more meatball recipes? Get A Flock of Meatballs, my e-book packed with amazing, crowd-pleasing, family-friendly turkey meatball recipes, plus full-color photos and a few fun videos. With the FREE Kindle Reading App, great meatballs will always be just one click away on any computer, tablet or smart phone. Click here to learn more.

Teriyaki turkey meatballs with cabbage and ramen noodles

From the pantry, you'll need: dry bread crumbs, Greek yogurt, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, shao hsing wine, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, ground turkey, reduced sodium soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, ramen noodles or spaghetti.

Serves 4-5 as a main dish (makes 36 1-inch meatballs); can be doubled.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:
1-1/4 lb ground turkey (I use 93% fat-free)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use fat-free)
3 scallions, minced
1-1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 large egg
1 Tbsp shao hsing wine
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp minced fresh ginger (or ginger paste)
1 Tbsp 1 minced fresh garlic (or garlic paste)

For the sauce:
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp minced fresh ginger
4-1/2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp shao hsing wine
1-1/2 tsp rice vinegar
3/4 tsp sesame oil
1-1/2 tsp honey
1-1/2 tsp hoisin sauce

16 oz ramen noodles (discard any seasoning packets)
2 cups shredded Savoy cabbage
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat (silicone mat) or parchment paper, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients. With your (clean!) hands, mix everything together gently, just until the ingredients are incorporated.

Roll the meat into 1-inch meatballs, and set them on the baking sheet (or on two plates). Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce, and set aside.

Put the meatballs into the oven on the middle rack, and bake at 425F for 18 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking, bring 3 quarts of water to boil in a pot on the stove.

When the meatballs are done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside. Drop the noodles and cabbage into the boiling water, and cook for 3 minutes, until the noodles are soft. Drain, and place the cabbage and noodles in a large bowl.

Pour the sauce on the noodles, and toss to combine. Then, add the meatballs, and toss lightly again. Top with the sliced scallions, and serve hot or at room temperature.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Thai red curry turkey meatballs
Turkey-falafel meatballs with pasta, spinach and tahini dressing
Greek red pepper and feta turkey meatball salad
Spicy Asian grilled chicken and pasta salad
Chinese "spaghetti and meat sauce"

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Baked teriyaki turkey meatballs, from Cookin' Canuck
Teriyaki turkey sliders, from Dinners for a Year and Beyond
Thai turkey meatloaf, from Budget Bytes
Teriyaki meatballs bento, from Adventures in Bentomaking
Scallion turkey meatballs with soy-ginger glaze, from Chick in the Kitchen

Want more meatball recipes? Get A Flock of Meatballs, my e-book packed with amazing, crowd-pleasing, family-friendly turkey meatball recipes, plus full-color photos and a few fun videos. With the FREE Kindle Reading App, great meatballs will always be just one click away on any computer, tablet or smart phone. Click here to learn more.

Comments

These are definitely not "those" ramen noodles Lydia, so much flavour and protein too.

Everything about this sounds good to me. I might use whole wheat spaghetti to replace the ramen though.

Looks so good and easy to make with simple ingredients I always have on hand! I printed it out since I have some fresh cabbage that needs to be used up. I just ate lunch and feel hungry again after reading the recipe!

Bellini, as I recall, "those" ramen noodles were really, really salty.

Kalyn, whole wheat spaghetti or any whole wheat pasta would be great in this dish.

Kitty, yes! The Perfect Pantry is all about using what you already have in your pantry. Hope you try this one.

I love Asian noodles of all sorts - would have loved this version in college - this reminds me of Lion's Head meatballs in mini form.

Jeanette, I'm trying to give ramen noodles a good name, and in this recipe they really deserve it.

Oh yes, this looks far better than any ramen-ish dish that I cooked up in my college dorm room. Thanks for the mention of my meatballs!

It is like "grown up college food!" :-)

looks great! where is the best place to find shao hsing wine and hoisin sauce?