2/3 cup regular or gluten free Panko2 (quick or whole oats work too!)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or about 1 Tablespoon minced)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 and 3/4 cups BBQ sauce3
1/2 cup store-bought or homemade Italian dressing3
1 Tablespoon olive oil
PREP TIME
35m
COOK TIME
7h25m
TOTAL TIME
8h
YIELD 25 medium size meatballs
Instructions
Beat the egg in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground turkey, Panko, garlic, oregano, salt, paprika, and pepper. Mix everything up just so the ingredients are combined - avoid overmixing. Roll into desired size balls - mine were slightly larger than a golfball. Place all rolled meatballs on a large baking sheet.
Place onion slices in the bottom of the slow cooker, then top with half of the BBQ sauce and half of the Italian dressing (the rest will go on top).
Coat a large skillet with the olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Lightly brown the meatballs in batches for about 1 minute on each side. (Do not skip this step! So much flavor and it helps set the meatballs so they do not fall apart.) Layer the meatballs into the slow cooker as you're browning each batch. Once all browned meatballs have been added to the slow cooker, pour remaining BBQ sauce and Italian dressing on top.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Serve warm with sauce and onions. You can enjoy alone or with mashed potatoes and veggies, salad, sweet potato fries, onion rings, with rolls and melted mozzarella for sandwiches, or even with toothpicks as a party appetizer. Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.