The Scoop
Brown Sugar Meatballs: Sweet-savory, quick to prepare, and great for gatherings.
The first time I made these brown sugar meatballs was during a delightful reunion with my college roommates. We had all scattered across various cities post-graduation, and this was our first get-together since those carefree dorm days. I wanted to create a dish that was both comforting and a little unexpected, something that would stir the pot of nostalgia and perhaps unlock a few forgotten memories. As I dug through my pantry, I spotted a canister of light brown sugar, right next to a jar of paprika and a tiny bottle of rice vinegar. Those ingredients sparked the idea for a sweet-savory glaze that would elevate the humble meatball into something special.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 (2-pound) package sweet onion turkey burgers, such as Butterball®, thawed
- 1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place a baking rack or wire rack over a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, add the thawed turkey burgers, the breadcrumbs, the egg, the paprika, the cayenne, the salt, the freshly ground pepper, the garlic, and the oregano and, using a wooden spoon, mix until well-combined and thoroughly incorporated.
- Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. You may have to do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of your baking sheet.
- Bake until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 16-18 minutes.
- In a large, nonstick frying pan over medium heat, add the brown sugar, the white vinegar, and the rice vinegar and stir to combine.
- Add the baked meatballs to the pan and cook, while stirring occasionally, and turning the meatballs once halfway through, until the sauce is thickened and eagerly coats the meatballs, about 10 minutes.
- Serve.
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