TURKEY MEATBALL FAJITA BOWLS

Turkey Meatball Fajita Bowls are a quick and super easy weeknight dinner that will leave your family licking their plates. This recipe takes the traditional fajita and deconstructs it, putting everything back together again for a fork-friendly, healthy dinner.

During summer months, my family eats fajitas from the grill at least once each week. You could definitely say it’s a family favorite meal for us. During colder months, though, grilled fajitas just aren’t the same because the dipping temperatures cause them to lose their sizzle before they make it to the plate. If you know me, you know I’m nothing if not a problem solver and I’m not ashamed to tell you that this Turkey Meatball Fajita Bowls recipe is proof positive that I’m still on the top of my game. Unwilling to just forego fajitas during the winter, I found a way to serve up a similar flavor profile, straight from the oven.

One of the absolute best things about this meal is that it’s almost a one pan meal, making it super easy both in preparation and clean up. The meatballs, onions and peppers are roasted sheet pan style. Once those emerge from the oven in all their colorful goodness, you nestle them atop a bed of creamy polenta you’ve made stovetop and dinner is done. Hello! Did someone say easy peasy fajita squeezie? I think so.

If you’ve tried my Instant Pot Mexican Meatball and Barley Soup recipe, you might recognize these meatballs. Made with a surprise ingredient, they burst with favorite Mexican flavors. Combined with tender bell peppers and roasted red onions, each bite will remind you of summer nights when the drifting, smoky scent of grilled fajitas makes your neighbors wish they were invited for dinner.

If you’re still not convinced that you need to try these for dinner this week, how about the fact that this meal is fairly good for you. Made up mostly of lean turkey and vegetables, the only cheat comes in the form of creamy polenta but even that isn’t so bad. In any case, if your dinners are in a rut and you need a little something new to spice them up, I encourage you to treat your family to this Turkey Meatball Fajita Bowls recipe. They’ll thank you.

If this recipe looks good to you, you might enjoy following my Such the Spot Recipes board on Pinterest.

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TURKEY MEATBALL FAJITA BOWLS

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

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Ingredients

FOR THE MEATBALLS

• 1.5 pounds ground turkey
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup crushed tortilla chips (about 12-14 chips)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup salsa verde
• 1/4 cup cotija, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• pinch of cayenne
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

FOR THE POLENTA

• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup polenta (this is dry polenta, the consistency of cornmeal, not prepared polenta)
• 4 oz. can diced green chiles

FOR THE FAJITA MIX

• 3 bell peppers, seeded and sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

TO MAKE THE MEATBALLS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375º.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
   
3. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a wooden spoon, gently combine the ingredients until they are mixed through. 
4. Using your hands, roll the meatball mix into balls the size of a golf ball. 
   

TO MAKE THE FAJITA MIX:

1. Place sliced red onions in a medium sized bowl. Drizzle with one tablespoon of the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Transfer seasoned onions to the prepared baking sheet. Arrange prepared meatballs around the onions. Bake for fifteen minutes. Remove from oven.
3. While the meatballs and onions are in the oven, place peppers in the same bowl you used for the onions. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. When the onions and meatballs have cooked for fifteen minutes, arrange the peppers evenly around the meatballs. Return baking sheet to oven and fook for an additional ten minutes, or until peppers are tender and internal temperature of the meatballs registers 160º on a thermometer.

TO MAKE THE POLENTA:

1. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Stir in the polenta.
3. Reduce to lowest heat setting.
4. Cover the polenta and stir occasionally, allowing the polenta to simmer for about five minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in diced green chilies.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 695Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 1403mgFiber: 6gSugar: 10gProtein: 47g

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