Sticky sesame turkey rissoles are simply scrumptious! Made with turkey mince, chopped onions and garlic, and lots of flavorful aromatics for the sauce, it’s an Asian-inspired recipe you’ll love.

  • Quick and easy — a great weeknight dinner idea!
  • Loaded with flavour thanks to the turkey, garlic, onion, and Asian-inspired sauce.
  • You can make them ahead of time and freeze for later.
  • The sticky sauce is perfectly sweet and savoury — simply delish.
  • Turkey rissoles are even easier to make than meatballs.
  • Minced turkey means that these easy rissoles are light and healthy.

I opted for turkey for this homemade rissoles recipe as it’s a lot lighter than beef, lamb, or pork. The turkey also works beautifully with the sticky Asian sauce, which is made with soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, sriracha, and a few other aromatics. Pair with a side salad, plain or fried rice, or coleslaw and dinner is served!

Top down view of rissoles in sauce in a skillet.

What are rissoles?

Rissoles are many different things around the world, but the type of rissole I’m sharing here is the Australian/New Zealand version. They are essentially irregularly shaped meatballs. Rissoles are generally flatter than a meatball, but they are made with mince/ground meats and often include shredded vegetables as well.

Ingredients you’ll need

Ingredients for turkey rissoles on a baking tray.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Turkey Mince: You may also know turkey mince as ground turkey.
  • Panko Breadcrumbs: You can theoretically use any type of breadcrumbs you want. Panko bread crumbs are just the ones I most often have on hand if not my own homemade breadcrumbs.
  • Spring Onion & Garlic: A savoury dish wouldn’t be the same without the addition of garlic and onion. So much umami.
  • Soy Sauce: The base of your Asian-inspired turkey mince rissoles sauce.
  • Honey: I told you this recipe was sweet and savoury – use honey for the added sweetness.
  • Rice Wine Vinegar: Made from fermented rice, this rice wine vinegar will add a little bit more sweetness to the mix. I recommend always having this versatile vinegar on hand but if you’re in a bind, use some white wine vinegar.
  • Sesame Oil: Another key ingredient for the sticky sauce and bucket-loads of flavour.
  • Sriracha: Feel free to play around with the quantity you use if you like spicy foods. You can also swap it for some jarred minced chilli or dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes).

How to make quick and easy rissoles (step-by-step)

A collage showing how to make turkey rissoles.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. Mix: Start by mixing the breadcrumbs and soy sauce in a large mixing bowl (photo 1) – the sauce softens the breadcrumbs. Then, you’ll want to add in the turkey mince, egg, the white bit of the green onion, garlic, sesame oil, and pepper and mix it all up (photo 2).
  2. Shape: Just like meatballs or burger patties, you need to shape your homemade rissoles. First, divide the mixture evenly into 12 pieces (shape into a circle then cut that in 2, then each half into 3 wedges, then each 6th in half). You can wear gloves if you don’t like touching raw meat. Make sure to flatten them out more than you would a meatball.

How to cook turkey rissoles

Turkey mince rissoles can be pan-fried until cooked through or, like I have here, can be partially pan-fried before being finished in the oven. I love doing them this way as the turkey mince rissoles can bake while I create the sauce in the pan. The whole dish is ready in about 30 minutes!

  1. Seal the rissoles: Place the rissoles in a hot frypan or large skillet with some oil and pan-fry them for about 4 minutes on each side or until browned (photo 3).
  2. Bake: Place your turkey mince rissoles onto a prepared baking sheet (photo 4) and bake.
  3. Make the sauce: While you wait for your quick and easy rissoles to bake, you can make the sauce in the same frying pan (photo 5).
  4. Glaze: Add the baked homemade rissoles to the sticky sauce to glaze (photo 6). Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds before serving!
A fork taking a piece of rissole away.

What to serve with turkey mince rissoles

These Asian-inspired turkey rissoles are lovely served with steamed rice and Asian coleslaw. My apple coleslaw also works well!

Tips and tricks

  • Don’t handle the meat mixture too much: The goal is to mix it just enough to combine everything and have it hold together.
  • Don’t skip the caramelising step: While you could just bake your turkey rissoles recipe in the oven from start to finish, browning them in a pan first gives them so much flavour.
  • Don’t forget to flatten the rissoles slightly: Remember that turkey rissoles are different from traditional meatballs in that they are flatter. This shape helps them cook up a lot more quickly.

FAQs

What makes a rissole a rissole?

Rissoles are made with minced meat (ground meat) and often shredded vegetables. They’re flatter than a meatball and can be round or oblong in shape. While flat and round, they are smaller than a burger patty.

How do you make rissoles stick together?

Start with a good recipe, like this turkey rissoles recipe. An egg in the mixture plus breadcrumbs helps everything to bind together.

What is rissole made out of?

Rissoles are made with minced meat (sometimes even leftover meats, finely chopped) and vegetables with an egg to bind it all into a small patty. My quick and easy rissoles recipe is made with turkey, but you can also use beef, pork, lamb, or chicken.

What is the difference between meatballs and rissoles?

Generally, meatballs are round, and rissoles are flat but thick. Rissoles often have vegetables as well, while meatballs generally don’t.

What country do rissoles come from?

There are different types of rissoles around the world. These Asian-inspired turkey rissoles are made the Australian way but probably originate from British rissoles that were created as a way to use up leftover roast meats.

Spooning sauce over turkey rissoles on a plate.

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Glazed turkey rissoles in a pan.
5 from 2 ratings
These sticky turkey rissoles are quick and easy and taste amazing in their sticky Asian sauce. They can be ready in under 30 minutes — the perfect weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

FOR THE MEATBALLS

  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (notes 1 & 3)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil (notes 1)
  • 500 g turkey mince (ground turkey)
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup spring onion (scallion/green onion), finely chopped (notes)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

FOR THE SAUCE

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (notes 1)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (notes 1)
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan) / 350F. Drizzle just a little oil over a baking tray, rub all around with some paper towel (or use oil spray). Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and soy sauce, mix and let sit for 2 minutes to soften.
  • Heat oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
  • To the breadcrumb bowl, add the turkey mince, egg, white partsof the spring onion, garlic sesame oil and pepper. Mix well. Shape meat mixture into 12 balls, then flatten slightly into an oblong patty shape.
  • Add to the hot pan and cook rissoles for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden. If your pan isn’t large enough, don’t crowd them, instead cook them in 2 batches.
  • Transfer to prepared tray. Bake for 15 minutes, turning halfway during cooking, or until browned and cooked through.
  • While they cook, add the sauce ingredients to the same pan. Mix well, then bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
  • Add the rissoles to the sauce and gently turn to glaze all over.
  • Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Notes

  1. Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons worldwide). Many countries use a 15ml tablespoon so check yours first.
  2. Spring onions: Save the green parts of the spring onions for garnishing at the end. They add freshness and colour.
  3. Soy sauce: Feel free to use a low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the salt level.
MORE ASIAN INSPIRED RECIPES!
Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.
Nutrition Facts
Sticky Sesame Turkey Rissoles
Amount Per Serving
Calories 406 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 139mg46%
Sodium 1501mg65%
Potassium 394mg11%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 19g21%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 223IU4%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 67mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.