Turkey Falafel with Herby Tahini Sauce

Recipe from Plays Well with Butter.

Ingredients:

Turkey Falafel:

• 1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey or chicken
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 3-4 TBSP olive oil, divided
• Salt and ground black pepper, to season
• 1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded as desired and roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
• 1/2 c. packed cilantro
• 1/2 c. packed parsley 
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Herby Tahini Sauce:

• 1/2 c. tahini
• 2 lemons, juiced (4-6 TBSP lemon juice)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 c. packed parsley and cilantro (can also use basil, chives, and/or mint)
• Heaping 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 – 1/2 c. ice cold water

Directions:

1. Prepare the Turkey Falafel Meatball Mixture: Place the ground turkey, egg, panko breadcrumbs, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Season with 1 1/2 tsp. salt and ground black pepper as desired. Set aside. To the bowl of a food processor, add the remaining listed ingredients (red onion – garlic powder). Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer the herb mixture to the mixing bowl with the ground turkey. Using your hands, mix just until combined—take care to avoid over-mixing.
2. Form the Turkey Falafel Meatballs: Divide the falafel meatball mixture into 20 equal portions. Gently roll each into a meatball slightly larger than the size of a golf ball, rolling just until smooth. If desired, press down on each meatball slightly to create a falafel-like patty. The mixture yields about 20-22 1 1/2-inch meatballs.
3. Cook the Turkey Falafel Meatballs: Add 1-2 TBSP of the remaining olive oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the meatballs to the skillet. Working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding the skillet, cook the meatballs 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. If needed, add a little more olive oil to the pan and repeat with any remaining meatballs.
4. Herby Tahini Sauce: To the bowl of a food processor, add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, fresh herbs, and salt. Pulse to combine well, then run the food processor until the mixture is smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Thin the mixture out with water, just until your desired consistency is reached—for a thick green tahini sauce, start with 4-6 TBSP ice water and for a drizzly green tahini dressing, 6-8 TBSP ice water is great. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
5. Serve: Serve Turkey falafel meatballs drizzled with the herby tahini sauce with rice, quinoa, over a salad, or in a pita and add hummus and a Greek salad.