By Lynda Balslev | TasteFood

It’s fun to eat with our fingers, and these little sticks of meatballs won’t disappoint. Little bites of food on sticks are a festive presentation and encourage interaction. They are also a great way to get your kids to eat their dinner or to feed a crowd as a do-ahead cocktail party bite.

These Asian-spiced morsels take the comforting meatball and jazz it up with a spicy-sweet blend of ground turkey, ginger, cilantro and garlic. They are fragrant and tasty, and when paired with a sweet-and-sour chili sauce for dipping or drizzling, they are guaranteed to be gobbled up.

Asian Turkey Meatballs With Chili Sauce

Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes, plus chilling time
Yield: Makes about 20 (1- to 1 1/2-inch) meatballs

Meatballs:

2 pounds lean ground turkey
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 scallions, white parts finely chopped, green parts thinly sliced and reserved for garnish
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small red jalapeno chile pepper, seeded, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for pan-frying

Chili Sauce:

1 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon red chili paste, such as Sambal Olek
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

Combine the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix to blend without overmixing.

With damp hands, form into 1- to 1 1/2-inch balls. Arrange on a plate and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 8 hours) to set and meld the flavors.

Prepare the chili sauce. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cool to room temperature.

Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in one layer without overcrowding the pan. Gently press down on the meatballs with a spatula to slightly flatten them. Cook until brown on both sides and thoroughly cooked through the center, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat with the remaining meatballs.

Spear the meatballs with small skewers. Garnish with the green scallions. Serve with the chili sauce for dipping or drizzling.

Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer based in northern California. Visit TasteFood at TasteFoodblog.com.