Turkey Feta Meatballs

Thanksgiving. Year three. The rhythm is established: caldo de res, enchiladas, flan, and the turkey that Diego requested and that has now become tradition because once is an event and twice is a coincidence and three times is a tradition, and Diego is responsible for the turkey tradition, which I season with cumin and oregano because the turkey can be American but the spice will always be Mexican.

Luis Jr. brought Andrea. Sofia made dessert (a pumpkin-spice tres leches she invented, which is a fusion that should not work but does, the way most beautiful things are fusions that should not work but do). Carmen came with her grandchildren. No Alejandro this year — Alejandro is in the ground next to Rosa — and the absence is permanent now, the chair permanently empty, the place setting that I still set because setting it is my way of saying: you are still at this table, even when you are not at this table.

Camila said grace. Year three of Camila grace. This year: "Thank you God for the food and the family and Abuela Rosa and Abuelo Alejandro in heaven and the bakery and Luis Jr. who is a soldier and the dog we STILL don't have even though I have been VERY good." The emphasis was audible. The capitals were implied. God has been receiving this petition for three years and has not responded, and Camila is beginning to suspect that God's inbox has a spam filter.

After dinner, Sofia showed me the bakery's year-to-date numbers. Gross revenue: sixty-one thousand through November, on pace for seventy-five thousand for the year. Profit: on pace for forty-nine thousand. Growth from last year: twelve percent. She presented these numbers on a sheet of paper with bar graphs she made by hand, and I looked at the numbers and I looked at her and I said: "You're going to be a great bakery owner." She said: "I already am." She is thirteen. She is right.

Diego’s turkey is always the centerpiece — but what makes it ours is the cumin, the oregano, the understanding that the bird can be American while the seasoning stays Mexican. These Turkey Feta Meatballs were born from that same philosophy: a familiar form dressed in the spices that live permanently in my kitchen, the ones that traveled with us and never left. I started making them between Thanksgivings as a way of holding onto that flavor, and now the whole family requests them year-round — which means, by our rules, they are officially a tradition too.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 22 min | Total Time: 37 min | Servings: 5 (about 20 meatballs)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (93% lean)
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white onion, finely grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil (for pan-searing)
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.
Mix the meatball base. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, feta, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, grated onion, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until combined — do not overwork the meat or the meatballs will be dense.
Form the meatballs. Using a 1 1/2-tablespoon scoop or your hands, roll the mixture into balls roughly 1 1/2 inches in diameter. You should get about 20 meatballs. Place them on a plate as you go.
Sear for color. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the meatballs for about 2 minutes per side until lightly browned on the outside. Transfer seared meatballs to the prepared baking sheet.
Finish in the oven. Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. The feta inside will have melted into pockets of creamy salt throughout.
Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and let rest 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve alongside warm rice, roasted vegetables, or tucked into warm tortillas with a squeeze of lime.

Nutrition (per serving)

Turkey Feta Meatballs — The Turkey That Became Tradition