Name: Oriental-style chicken meatballs with sumac sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Israel
Ingredients: 500 g ofturkey breast; 250 g ofzucchini; 40 g ofspring onions; 1 egg; 2 tbsp ofmint (chiseled); 2 tbsp ofcilantro (chiseled); 2 pods ofgarlic; 1 tsp ofcumin; 1/2 tsp ofCayenne peppers; 1 tsp ofsalt; 1/2 tsp ofblack pepper; 10 cl ofcooking oil (for frying; adjust the amount as needed); 100 g ofheavy cream; 150 g ofGreek-style yogurt; 1 tsp oflemon zest (Take an organic lemon); 2 tbsp oflemon juice (1 tbsp of juice is about half a lemon); 1 pod ofgarlic; 1,5 tbsp ofolive oil; 1 tbsp ofsumac; 1/2 tsp ofsalt; 1/4 tsp ofpepper; deep fryer (optional: a cast-iron casserole dish or a deep skillet)

main courses baking finger food fried foods poultry prepared in advance

Updated on 29 March 2026 by

doubichou

9 reviews 4.9 : Very good

Cuisine

Israel

Level

Easy

Preparation

30 minutes

Cooking

15 minutes

To create this recipe for Middle Eastern-style chicken meatballs with sumac sauce, I drew heavily on the magnificent and challenging book Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi / Sami Tamimi, Ebury Press, 320 pages.

Table des matières

Are these meatballs difficult to make?

Don’t be intimidated by the number of ingredients and the recipe’s apparent length. It’s actually very simple to prepare, and it’s a true invitation to explore Middle Eastern cuisine and its distinctive flavors.

What ingredients are needed for these Middle Eastern-style chicken meatballs?

As for the ingredients, all are available at your local grocery store, except for sumac, which I found at a Middle Eastern grocery store. Sumac is a dark red spice with a tangy flavor, and its aroma is somewhat reminiscent of mustard seeds. The Greeks and Romans used it in ancient times as a substitute for vinegar and lemon.

When should you serve these meatballs?

These Middle Eastern-style chicken meatballs with sumac sauce will be a hit at a Middle Eastern-inspired meal, served with a salad of baby spinach leaves, for example. They can also be prepared in advance and make a great addition to a gourmet picnic. You can also make smaller meatballs and serve them on skewers for a cocktail party.

Give it a try!

As you can see, this recipe for Middle Eastern-style chicken meatballs is absolutely delicious and easy to prepare. What a treat to top them with white sauce and savor the contrast of hot and cold, creamy and crispy…

In any case, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, and I wish you a wonderful meal in advance.

Thank you in advance for your comments 🙏

For

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For the meatballs
500 g of turkey breast
250 g of zucchini
40 g of spring onions
1 egg
2 tbsp of mint chiseled
2 tbsp of cilantro chiseled
2 pods of garlic
1 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp of Cayenne peppers
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
10 cl of cooking oil for frying; adjust the amount as needed

For the sour cream with sumac
100 g of heavy cream
150 g of Greek-style yogurt
1 tsp of lemon zest Take an organic lemon
2 tbsp of lemon juice 1 tbsp of juice is about half a lemon
1 pod of garlic
1,5 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of sumac
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of pepper

Kitchen utensils
deep fryer optional: a cast-iron casserole dish or a deep skillet

Preparing the sauce
- 1
  Grate and squeeze the lemon, and set aside the amounts listed in the ingredients. Peel, remove the germ, and crush the garlic clove.
- 2
  Combine all the sauce ingredients in a large bowl: crème fraîche, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, sumac, pepper, and salt.
- 3
  Mix well and refrigerate.
Making the meatballs
- 4
  Slice the turkey into strips and place it in a large bowl.
- 5
  Coarsely grate the zucchini into the bowl.
- 6
  Remove the mint leaves from the stems, and trim the bottom parts of the cilantro stems. Coarsely chop the herbs and the spring onion. Add them to the bowl.
- 7
  Crush the cayenne pepper and add it to the rest of the ingredients, along with the cumin, salt, and pepper.
- 8
  Crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife, then peel them, remove the germ, and cut them into a few pieces. Add them to the mixing bowl.
- 9
  Finally, add the egg and pour the contents of the mixing bowl into the bowl of a food processor.
- 10
  Chop just enough to combine everything. Don’t chop for too long, or your meatballs will lose their shape and tend to fall apart when cooked.
Cooking the meatballs
- 11
  Pour a generous amount of frying oil into the bottom of a skillet and heat it up (see this article). Preheat the oven to 220°C, and don’t forget to remove the rack—it’ll make things easier for you later.
- 12
  Once the oil is hot, drop the meatballs into it using a tbsp, and fry until golden brown on both sides. Set aside in a bowl lined with paper towels.
- 13
  Once all your meatballs are nicely browned, place them on a pizza stone or on your oven rack lined with parchment paper. Bake for 6 minutes.
- 14
  Serve your meatballs with the sumac sauce.