Swap the spaghetti and the beefballs for this Sriracha Turkey Meatball Zoodles. 100% grain free/paleo, low carb and high in protein, you can still eat spaghetti and meatballs while staying on track!
Zucchini is one of those squash vegetables that can be very versatile. I mean you can literally use it in almost everything! One of my favorite recipes in which I incorporated zucchini was my paleo chocolate zucchini bread, mostly because It makes me feel better while indulging in some chocolaty goodness. After all, chocolate comes from the cacao plant, so that makes chocolate a vegetable amirite?! I’d like to think so. I’ve also used zucchini in a pizza crust, dessert roll, and of course as spaghetti. Womp womp wohoo!
My point? Zucchini is just awesome. It’s that one vegetable that works as a savory or dessert recipe, mostly because zucchini itself has a natural sweetness to it. Although, I will admit that I’m not the greatest fan of eating zucchini on it’s own. Whether is raw or cooked, I just can’t seem to enjoy taste of zucchini by itself. It just has a concentrated sweetness which leaves a weird aftertaste in my mouth and I can’t seem to figure out why! Maybe it’s because of the high moisture content interfering with the flavor of the zucchini, so that makes it taste like sugar water? Who knows!
However, for those of you who can relate to my zucchini drama, I made a few tweaks to make these zoodles work. And you can still eat it raw! The remedy is simple:
- Line your counter with paper towels and place your spiralized zucchini on top of it, making sure it’s spaced out properly.
- Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the zucchini and cover with another layer of paper towels, pressing down slightly.
- Let it rest for 30 minutes until most of the moisture is soaked out!
Now that the zucchini dilemma has been covered, we can now move on to these amazing meatballs! For someone who doesn’t eat meat, I have made these turkey meatballs many times and they have been a hit at dinners and events every single time. To make these meatballs healthier, here are the few substitutions I made:
- Ground beef – swapped for lean ground turkey. You can also use lean ground chicken or lamb.
- Bread crumbs – swapped for almond meal. You could also use cornmeal.
- Baked the meatballs in the oven rather than fry them. These are also oil free.
- Added 1 cup of chopped spinach for more nutrition.
And there you have it! Sriracha turkey meatball zoodles for the win! Have an amazing week!
- 1 large zucchini, sliced with a spiralizer
- 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon thai fish sauce
- ½ cup chopped red onions
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 cup chopped spinach (plus extra for topping)
- 1 cup almond flour/meal
- 1 free fun egg
- 1 tablespoon green curry paste
- 3 tablespoons sriracha sauce
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine turkey, fish sauce, onions, garlic powder, spinach, almond meal, egg, curry paste and sriracha sauce in a bowl.
- Roll mixture into palm size meatballs and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes. When ready, toss zucchini and soy sauce together. Serve with meatballs.
Looks truly delicious! I don’t think anyone would miss the beef or the “traditional” pasta with a vibrant collection of flavors like this!
Thank you! I appreciate it. You can’t go wrong with zoodles! 🙂