These super easy and delicious, oven-baked baby-friendly Asian turkey and rice meatballs are the perfect iron-rich finger food for babies, children of all ages, and adults!
Meatballs for Babies
Meatballs are so easy to whip up, budget-friendly, and you really can pack in a lot of nutrition into them. And because I make them all the time, they sure are a freezer staple around here. I can always count on them to come to the rescue on days when I’m running on fumes.
What makes these Asian turkey rice meatballs special? Well, the rice! In Asian countries, rice porridge is extremely popular as a first food. In fact, it was what my family members insisted was the only food acceptable for my back then baby.
They genuinely thought that I had lost my mind when I told them that I was going to do baby led weaning and offer him soft finger foods. Oh those were the days…
And to make clear, if you’ve decided to take the traditional approach of spoon-feeding purees, that’s perfectly fine! You do You! I discuss this in much greater detail in my post – Starting Solids – Purees or Baby Led Weaning.
What’s super important to know is that if you started out with purees, be sure to move forward with texture by 9 months. I can’t emphasize this enough. This will lead to fewer feeding problems down the line and greater food acceptance.
Is your baby 6 months old and up?
Learn all the secrets to starting solids safely while optimizing nutrition!
The Perfect Meatballs for Baby Led Weaning
Now, I get a lot of messages on Instagram from moms telling me that their babies won’t eat anything other than rice porridge or that they want to encourage self-feeding but not sure how to do so.
Enter these baby-friendly turkey rice meatballs. They are perfect for tiny, clumsy hands, and serving them won’t turn your dining area into a disaster zone. Although nothing is guaranteed. Mess is definitely a not-so-fun but oh-so-important part of learning to self-feed.
Now your baby may not like these (or other foods) at first, but keep offering! Be consistent and persistent. Repeated exposure is everything!
This is also a wonderful way to get those essential nutrients – iron and zinc – into your baby’s diet. But you might be wondering, my baby has no teeth. There’s no way he/she can eat this. I know. It’s super nerve-wracking in the beginning to offer foods that are not super soft. I literally had to sit on my hands during those early days.
And here’s what I want to encourage you to do. Be informed first and foremost….then follow your heart.
Did you know that babies don’t need teeth to eat table/finger foods? I go into a greater detail in this post – how to serve the right food size and texture. Meatballs were one of the first foods I served to my son.
He didn’t actually consume anything for a while but just sucking on the meatballs allows for:
- exposure to a variety of different flavors and texture
- iron and zinc consumption – yes! they are found in the juices
- engagement of all senses as they explore food through sight, touch, smell, and taste
- development of fine-motor and oral-motor skills (like chewing).
Having said all this, if you’re feeling terrified about offering meatballs to your baby, then don’t! Your baby will sense your energy, and it won’t be good for anyone involved.
There are other ways to serve meat and rice, the two main ingredients in these meatballs. So don’t feel pressured. Ever. This recipe will be here for you when you’re ready ;).
Ingredients
- Ground turkey. Feel free to swap with chicken, pork, or beef
- Vegetables. Can use whatever you have on hand. Be sure to chop finely.
- Rice. Feel free to swap out rice with other grains! Quinoa, barley, couscous, etc. They will all work. Variety is the name of the game ;).
- Cheese. Can use whatever variety. Can leave out if you wish.
Expert Tips
- Combine all the ingredients before adding the ground turkey. This will allow you to gently mix in the meat.
- Don’t overwork the meat. Your hands are seriously the best tools for mixing meatballs. You just want to mix until everything is combined. Otherwise, the meatballs will turn out really tough, especially since you’re working with lean meat.
- I recommend using a small ice cream scooper to make them the same size.
- When shaping the balls, work with slightly wet hands to prevent them from sticking to your hands. Otherwise, you may accidentally overwork them.
- This is a trick I learned during our trip to Korea! In a small oven-safe dish(es), add some water and place in the pan alongside the meatballs. This helps create steam and helps to achieve tender meatballs. You’ll achieve similar outcome with vegetables, like beets.
- Flip halfway through to prevent the bottoms from browning.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. I personally flash freeze all my baked goods.
Other Baby-Friendly Meatballs
- Turkey Beet Meatballs
- Quinoa and Mushroom Beef Meatballs
- Butternut squash baby meatballs
- Super Basic Meatballs
Did you make this baby and toddler-friendly Asian Turkey Rice Meatballs? Follow me on Instagram post a photo and tag me, post a photo on my Facebook page, or save it to Pinterest. I love to see what you’re making!
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Asian Turkey Rice Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground turkey (can use beef, chicken, or pork)
- 3/4 cup cooked rice, see note
- 3/4 cup finely chopped vegetables of choice (I used broccoli, carrots, spinach)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese, optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
- Add the veggies to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. You can also do this by hand.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook vegetables until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.Â
- Add the rice, sesame oil, garlic powder, and cheese. Combine until well-incorporated. If the rice (or whatever grain you're using) is too hard then microwave briefly to soften.
- Add the turkey and mix gently using hands (don’t overwork the meat!) . Working with wet hands, shape into small-sized balls. I highly recommend using an ice cream scooper.
- Place on baking sheet. In a small oven-safe dish(es), add some water and place in the pan alongside the meatballs.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Notes
- Combine all the ingredients before adding the ground turkey. This will allow you to gently mix in the meat.
- Don’t overwork the meat. Your hands are seriously the best tools for mixing meatballs. You just want to mix until everything is combined. Otherwise, the meatballs will turn out really tough, especially since you're working with lean meat.
- I recommend using a small ice cream scooper to make them the same size.
- When shaping the balls, work with slightly wet hands to prevent them from sticking to your hands. Otherwise, you may accidentally overwork them.Â
- Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. I personally flash freeze all my baked goods.
Can i use like chicken or pork instead of turkey? its not easy to find it here!
Absolutely!
Thank you so much Min! It is hard to get turkey where I live. Can I please know What meat is a good substitute to turkey for this recipe?
Hi! You can use chicken, pork, or beef!
Always kids friendly 😉
Hehe always!! Thank you!!
Can I use quinoa instead of rice?
absolutely!
Do you bake and then freeze? If so, how do you reheat after defrosting?
Yes refer to the freezing suggestion in the post. I normally reheat in the microwave for no more than 45 seconds or simmer in some type of sauce (like tomato or curry) on the stove!
Do you have a curry sauce recipe? Can you please share, thank you!
Hi! there’s a couple of curry recipes in my 3rd e-cookbook
from all your recepies in this blog,how can i know suitable starting age?
Most of the recipes you see under baby/kid friendly subcategories are appropriate for 6 months and up
Is the rice just steamed? Can it be brown rice?
Cooked in rice cooker. Yes you can use brown rice or any other grains!
Hi min! Do you cook the broccoli first? Before adding to the meatballs?
No just finely chop all the veggies 😉 and feel free to swap out the veggies with whatever you have on hand!
Do you freeze raw or cooked?
Sorry, just saw the above comments since I had this tabbed since you released the recipe, prior to anyone commenting!
No worries 😉
Cooked!
hi, quick question on. this awesome recipe. Do you serve this on its own or with other things to make it more of a “meal’?
usually with other foods, like cooked veggies, fruit, grain, etc
Couple questions…meatballs usually have egg, do these hold together without it? Also, what’s the purpose of the dish of water on the baking sheet while baking?
Can i use another type of oil?
Sure sesame oil def adds great flavor but feel free to swap
Love it! Love everything you do! Definitely follow her on Instagram as well!
aww thanks mama!
My kids aren’t meat lovers but they love this! So many ways to make this, works with any veggies and any protein. I make a big batch and pop some into their favorite soups.
Ooh! Love that you add these to soups!