This recipe for Blackberry Umami Turkey Cocktail Meatballs features one of the most flavorful and versatile sauces, the Use-It-For-Everything Blackberry Umami Sauce was created by Dorie Greenspan, a James Beard award-winning cookbook author. Mixing this balanced and robust sauce with ground turkey guarantees a super moist and deliciously satisfying result!
Recipe by Dorie Greenspan
⅓ cup sweet Thai chili sauce
3 tablespoons Use-It-For-Everything Blackberry Umami Sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
8 blackberries, frozen or thawed
¼ teaspoon sambal oelek
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 large egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons Use-It-For-Everything Blackberry Umami Sauce
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons sambal oelek
1 pound regular ground turkey (not ground white meat turkey)
1 tablespoon oil for roasting
Additional Blackberry Umami Sauce for glazing
Use-It-For-Everything Blackberry Umami Sauce
Sliced or cubed mango
Thinly sliced red radishes
Cilantro
Step 1
Stir all the ingredients, except the sambal oelek and blackberries, together in a bowl.
Step 2
Taste and see if you’d like more spice. If yes, add the sambal oelek. Then stir in the blackberries. The sauce is ready to use now, but it’s even better after a 2-hour rest at room temperature. Keep in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container for up to 4 days.
Step 1
Stir all the turkey mixture ingredients – except the turkey – together in a bowl.
Step 2
Add the turkey and gently mix to blend.
Step 3
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with oil.
Step 4
Spray your hands with a light coating of cooking spray. To get even sized meatballs use a #40 cookie scoop. If you don’t have a scoop, use a teaspoon and try to keep meatballs 1 inch in diameter. Quickly roll the meatballs in your hand and add them to the prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 1 day before cooking.
Step 5
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 6
Transfer chilled meatballs on baking sheet to a preheated oven and cook to an internal temperature of 165°F, about 10-15 minutes (colder meat will take longer).
Step 7
To assemble cocktail meatball skewers, first spear a cilantro leaf, then a cube of mango, a thin slice of radish and finally the meatball. Glaze each meatball with additional Blackberry Umami Sauce, chopped cilantro and serve with Blackberry-Chili sauce for dipping.