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    Home » Recipes » Chicken and Turkey

    Grilled Turkey Meatball Skewers - Trader Joe's

    June 4, 2022 · Published: June 6, 2022 By: Asian Inspired Eats 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    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?

    Grilled turkey meatball skewers placed on top of a white serving platter with green herbs on the side.

    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!

    A close-up image of a gloved hand holding up a turkey meatball skewer ready for the grill, with other skewers beneath on top of a baking sheet.

    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.]

    Several ingredients on a wooden board for making turkey meatball skewers.
    In This Article:
    • What's in these turkey meatball skewers?
    • How do you assemble the skewers?
    • Grill the skewers
    • Variations
    • Other tasty meatball recipes
    • Recipe notes
    • Grilled Turkey Meatball Skewers - Trader Joe's
    A hand holding up a package of Trader Joe's turkey meatballs.

    Trader Joe's Turkey Meatballs

    Fresh whole pineapples lined on a shelf at Trader Joe's with fresh mangos in boxes on a shelf below.

    Fresh Pineapple

    A hand holding up a bag of Trader Joe's colorful mini bell peppers.

    Mini Bell Peppers

    A hand holding up a bottle of Trader Joe's Soyaki teriyaki sauce with various bottles on shelves in the background.

    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:

    1. Pieces of peppers and red onions.
    2. A turkey meatball.
    3. A pineapple chunk.
    4. Repeat until the pineapple is just below the top of the skewer.
    5. 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!

    A gloved hand basting turkey meatball skewers with teriyaki sauce placed on top of a baking sheet with a white bowl of sauce on the side and fresh cilantro in the back.

    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.

    A basting brush basting turkey meatball skewers with teriyaki sauce on top of a stove-top grill pan.

    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.
    A gray bowl of steamed white rice sprinkled with black sesame seed on top of a checkered napkin with black chopsticks on the side.

    Serve this skewer dish with a side of steamed, white Jasmine rice. I used Trader Joe's organic frozen Jasmine rice).

    Grilled turkey meatball skewers placed on top of a white serving platter with white rice and sesame seeds on the side.

    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
    Shrimp and turkey meatballs on a narrow white plate with a side of dipping sauce

    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!
    Print
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    Grilled turkey meatball skewers placed on top of a white serving platter with green herbs on the side.

    Grilled Turkey Meatball Skewers - Trader Joe's

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 2 reviews

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    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

    Scale
    • 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

    1. Place the meatballs on a dish and let it get to nearly room temperature (should still be slightly frozen).
    2. Peel the pineapple and cut into 1-inch chunks.
    3. Slice the mini bell peppers in half or quarters.
    4. Peel the red onion and slice into 1-inch pieces.

    Assemble the skewers:

    1. 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.
    2. Once you've assembled all of the skewers, brush the skewers generously with the Soyaki sauce on all sides.

    Grill the skewers:

    1. Heat a stove-top grill pan, or outdoor grill, to medium-high heat.
    2. 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!
    • Author: Asian Caucasian
    • 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

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @AsianCaucasianBlog on Instagram and hashtag #AsianCaucasianEats

    These juicy, Grilled Turkey Meatball Skewers are perfect for easy summer grilling! Made with all Trader Joe's ingredients, these meatball skewers or shish kabobs come together in just 20 minutes! How easy is that for your next backyard BBQ, cookout, or summer celebrations like July 4th and Labor Day weekend? this recipe

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kym says

      June 06, 2022 at 12:37 pm

      Making these this weekend! Another 5-star recipe!

      Reply
      • Asian Caucasian says

        June 06, 2022 at 5:07 pm

        Can't wait for you to try it! You'll be amazed at how quickly these meatball skewers come together!

        Reply
    2. Mary Fisher says

      June 06, 2022 at 8:30 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Asian Caucasian says

        June 06, 2022 at 8:34 am

        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!

        Reply

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    SAVE & ACCEPT
    These juicy, Grilled Turkey Meatball Skewers are perfect for easy summer grilling! Made with all Trader Joe's ingredients, these meatball skewers or shish kabobs come together in just 20 minutes! How easy is that for your next backyard BBQ, cookout, or summer celebrations like July 4th and Labor Day weekend?