Sesame-spiced turkey meatballs and smashed chickpea salad from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes and Wisdom from an Obsessive Home Cook (page 167) by Deb Perelman

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Accompaniments: Yogurt-tahini sauce

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    Correction from the author's website: "[Fixed: 4th Ed.] Under Cook meatballs, where the meatballs are browned in an ovenproof sauté pan, no lid is needed."

  • karon_drdoiv on June 01, 2026

    I didn’t cook the meatballs in the frying pan - I just put them in the oven on a parchment lined bed sheet pan and cooked them in the oven. Worked fine and one less pan to wash

  • Rachel_ on May 31, 2026

    Got a little overzealous with the pepper flakes. Next time I will double the smashed chickpea salad

  • Jhein12 on May 08, 2026

    I used lamb. Turned out delicious.

  • jghidinelli on March 26, 2026

    This is my go-to turkey meatball recipe. Toasted in the pan is best, but I’ve also thrown these in the oven to cook without it.

  • readergrl56 on December 25, 2024

    Meatballs cooked beautifully. Spices definitely need to be doubled (at least), since they didn't show up in the final product. The chickpea salad didn't go to plan. It tasted ok, but definitely needs tweaking to be servable.

  • Pandan on September 14, 2024

    Tasty, simple and quick dish! Decided to do this last minute because I didn’t have all the ingredients for another turkey recipe. Ground up turkey breasts and used canned chickpeas and bottled lemon juice. Baked the meatballs in my ninja grill, which took only about 8 minutes after frying. The chickpeas come together really quick. Nice low carb dish. As a full meal without any sides the chickpeas aren’t enough for four portions though, more like 2,5.

  • john628556 on June 27, 2021

    This is a good recipe that benefits from significant revision. As I see it, there are three problems: (1) the portions make meatballs for at least 4, but barely enough salad for 2; (2) the meatballs are a bit bland and dry; and (3) the dish is arguably too heavy, as the meatballs and the chickpeas are each very filling on their own. To solve the first problem (too little salad), double the salad ingredient amounts. / To solve the second problem (bland, dry meatballs), double the amounts for spices, and use a fattier meat, like lamb. It's telling that Perelman, in a related recipe that she published later, added yogurt to the meatballs for moisture; you may want to do the same. / To solve the third problem (too heavy)...I'm unsure of what to do. Switching to a lighter salad may be appropriate, but what? / I've also added Perelman's raita to the salad and meatballs. It complements them nicely, as would tzatziki or any yogurt-based dressing.

  • mharriman on January 19, 2019

    I’m not usually a fan of turkey meatballs, but with the spice additions, these didn’t even taste like turkey and complemented the delicate chickpea salad. I had a hard time keeping my meatballs in ball shape as they browned on the stove; they were more like flattened meat squares, but tasted great all the same. I served tzaziki sauce on top of this entree and my husband and I loved it. I liked that I could put the chickpea salad together while the meatballs were baking in the oven.

  • AKPatterson on October 31, 2017

    Enjoyed these! Meatballs are flavorful and the sumac in the chickpea salad is fantastic. I served with Israeli couscous cooked in chicken broth and a quick yogurt sauce (cucumber, garlic, salt, lemon zest and olive oil).

  • ksg518 on March 03, 2017

    Lots of people have already noted how good this is and I agree. I'll try a yogurt sauce next time too, as suggested below. The meatballs were a little hard to brown since they were so soft but they were moist at the end. The chickpea salad is great. I forgot to buy green olives but I threw in some black ones, which worked out nicely.

  • NJChicaa on June 30, 2016

    The meatballs were just okay in my opinion. Moist, tender, but didn't wow us. The chick pea salad, however, is a real winner and one that we will make over and over again.

  • chawkins on August 02, 2015

    Very flavorful, moist and slightly spicy meatballs, the sesame seeds gave them a bit of texture and crunch, I used kosher salt instead of table salt and found them a tad salty, but then I'm very salt sensitive. The chickpea salad was a cinch to make and great for summer, I used 8 olives and probably could have used more.

  • Rutabaga on July 28, 2014

    The chickpea salad was the real standout for us - us adults, that is; my three-year-old loved the meatballs. So really, there was something for everyone. The meatballs were not spicy, but well-flavored and would be excellent with a yogurt sauce, such as the one mentioned by the reviewer below. The chickpea salad is a snap to make with canned chickpeas, and a would be a great side dish for almost any summer meal.

  • hillsboroks on July 12, 2014

    Just read the note about no lid needed but I used the lid from my Le Creuset braising pan and it kept the browned meatballs nice and moist without drying out in the oven. These weren't as spicy as I had anticipated but were very flavorful. I made a yogurt sauce using garlic, cucumber, lemon juice and sumac that complimented them nicely. I also served them with the August 2014 Cooking Light Peach Salad with Tomatoes and Beets plus Orzo With Summer Squash and Toasted Hazelnuts from Gourmet August 2003. It was the perfect summer dinner!

  • alisonkc on January 21, 2014

    Meatballs were super yummy! I really enjoyed these. Great for a Sunday supper.

  • Vanessa on March 16, 2013

    The "smashed chickpea salad" is incredibly good. We've made it several times and it is great as part of a light supper.

  • kimbaroni on December 29, 2012

    Page 167

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Reviews about this recipe

  • Kate Cooks the Books

    So easy for a weeknight. Saute the meatballs and smash the cooked chickpeas in a bowl with spices, olives and olive oil. The chickpea mash was a tiny bit bland so I would salt pretty aggressively.

    Full review
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