These juicy, Grilled Turkey Meatball Skewers are perfect for easy summer grilling! Made with all Trader Joe's ingredients, these meatball skewers come together in just 20 minutes! How easy is that for your next backyard party?
The Dilemma: You find out 2 hours before that an outdoor party is happening in your backyard!
What to do? No worries! Hop in the car and head to Trader Joe's for these simple ingredients that make these awesome skewers (a.k.a. kebabs) come together in literally no time!
What's in these turkey meatball skewers?
I kid you not! These are the easiest meatball skewers ever. Every single ingredient can be purchased at Trader Joe's! Here's what you'll need:
- Trader Joe's frozen turkey meatballs
- Chunks of fresh pineapple
- Mini bell peppers
- Red onions
- Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Fresh cilantro
- Optional: steamed white rice on the side. (I used Trader Joe's organic frozen Jasmine rice.)
[*See recipe card for exact quantities.]
In This Article:
Trader Joe's Turkey Meatballs
Fresh Pineapple
Mini Bell Peppers
Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce
How do you assemble the skewers?
It's totally up to you in what order you assemble the skewers. I suggest you place the veggies in between the meatballs to hold them in place. Here's how I assembled these turkey meatball skewers:
- Pieces of peppers and red onions.
- A turkey meatball.
- A pineapple chunk.
- Repeat until the pineapple is just below the top of the skewer.
- Brush with the teriyaki sauce before grilling.
Helpful Tip: Using double-pronged wooden skewers (or stainless) keeps the meatballs from spinning around. Otherwise, they won't cook evenly (and may even fall off!). You'll definitely thank me for this tip!
Once assembled, brush the turkey meatball skewers with Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce before grilling (or use your favorite teriyaki sauce).
Grill the skewers
Summer calls for outdoor grilling. But, I used a stove-top grill pan to grill the turkey meatball skewers because it was raining outside! Either way has the same, beautiful grilling outcome.
Variations
This turkey meatball skewer recipe is just a template for the many variations you can use on skewers. Customize your own! Here are some ideas:
- Substitute the turkey meatballs with beef, pork, shrimp, chicken, or plant-based meatballs.
- Make your meatballs from scratch! Try my Shrimp and Turkey Asian Meatballs recipe, or my Spicy Baked Shrimp Balls recipe.
- You're not married to these ingredients. Switch out the vegetables with zucchini or yellow squash, or whatever is in your fridge.
- Try out different sauces! Want more heat? Brush the skewers with a Sweet Chili Sauce instead.
Serve this skewer dish with a side of steamed, white Jasmine rice. I used Trader Joe's organic frozen Jasmine rice).
Eat the rainbow! This colorful dish will fulfill all of your grilling dreams! These Grilled Turkey Meatball Skewers are going to be a huge hit at your next summer party!
Other tasty meatball recipes
Looking for some other great meatball ideas? We've got you covered! Check out these crazy-delicious recipes on the blog!
- Shrimp and Turkey Asian Meatballs
- Pressure Cooker Asian Meatballs
- Sweet and Spicy BBQ Meatballs
- Spicy Baked Shrimp Balls
Want another awesome meatball recipe? These tasty Shrimp and Turkey Asian Meatballs are a fantastic twist on the traditional meatball. You can substitute the ground turkey for ground pork, ground chicken, or even ground sausage. So many options!
Recipe notes
- You don't have to use ready-made meatballs like I did. If you're feeling it, make your own meatballs with your favorite protein!
- Using double-pronged wooden skewers (or stainless) is recommended for meatballs. Otherwise, the meatballs will be sliding around and won't cook evenly (and even fall off!) You'll definitely thank me for this tip!
- Thread the turkey meatballs onto to the skewers while they're still a bit frozen so they don't break off. Then let the skewers sit until the meatballs get to room temperature before grilling.
- You can grill these skewers on a stove-top grill pan or on an outside grill. Either way will work beautifully!
Grilled Turkey Meatball Skewers - Trader Joe's
These juicy, Grilled Turkey Meatball Skewers are perfect for easy summer grilling! Made with all Trader Joe's ingredients, these meatball skewers come together in just 20 minutes!
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 8-10 Skewers 1x
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce package) Trader Joe's frozen Turkey Meatballs
- 8-10 double-pronged wooden skewers
- 1 fresh pineapple
- 1 bag mini bell peppers
- 1 large red onion
- Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 bags Trader Joe's frozen Organic Jasmine Rice
Instructions
- Place the meatballs on a dish and let it get to nearly room temperature (should still be slightly frozen).
- Peel the pineapple and cut into 1-inch chunks.
- Slice the mini bell peppers in half or quarters.
- Peel the red onion and slice into 1-inch pieces.
Assemble the skewers:
- Place a few peppers and onion slices at the bottom of the skewer. Then thread a meatball on top of that, then a pineapple chunk. Repeat until the pineapple chunk is at the top of the skewer.
- Once you've assembled all of the skewers, brush the skewers generously with the Soyaki sauce on all sides.
Grill the skewers:
- Heat a stove-top grill pan, or outdoor grill, to medium-high heat.
- Place the skewers on the grill and cook 5-7 minutes on each side. Keep basting with the sauce to get a nice brown glaze, and the veggies are nicely charred. (The meatballs come pre-cooked so you don't need a lot of cook time.)
Make the rice: Cook the Jasmine rice according to package directions.
To serve: Place a skewer on each plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro. Serve with a side of Jasmine rice and extra Soyaki sauce for drizzling.
Notes
- You don't have to use ready-made meatballs like I did. If you're feeling it, make your own meatballs with your favorite protein!
- Using double-pronged wooden skewers (or stainless) is recommended for meatballs. Otherwise, the meatballs will be sliding around and won't cook evenly (and even fall off!) You'll definitely thank me for this tip!
- Thread the turkey meatballs onto to the skewers while they're still a bit frozen so they don't break off. Then let the skewers sit until the meatballs get to room temperature before grilling.
- You can grill these skewers on a stove-top grill pan or on an outside grill. Either way will work beautifully!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top / Grill
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 262
- Sugar: 8.1 g
- Sodium: 699.1 mg
- Fat: 12.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.2 g
- Protein: 10.8 g
- Cholesterol: 37.4 mg
Kym says
Making these this weekend! Another 5-star recipe!
Asian Caucasian says
Can't wait for you to try it! You'll be amazed at how quickly these meatball skewers come together!
Mary Fisher says
I love Trader Joe's too! These skewers look amazing, and I love all of the ingredients. Making these for Father's Day for sure! Thanks for the great recipe.
Asian Caucasian says
Isn't TJ's the best? These turkey meatball skewers came together so quickly. You'll have plenty of time to celebrate Father's Day without slaving over the grill. Enjoy!