Turkey Boudin Balls

Boudin Balls
Boudin Balls. Diana Rattray
  • 75 mins
  • Prep: 20 mins,
  • Cook: 55 mins
  • Yield: 8 servings
Ratings (4)

By Terri Wuerthner

Updated 09/01/17

These seasoned boudin balls are made with leftover turkey and rice. Like many Cajun dishes, the recipe looks long because there are a lot of ingredients. It's really a one-step process of simmering everything together in a pot, then forming the mixture into balls and frying them. 

I freeze some of these to have as hors d'oeuvres for the Christmas holidays...cool after frying and put into a freezer container or bag.

What You'll Need

  • 2 pounds turkey (leftover, coarsely chopped)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/2 cup onion (chopped) 
  • 1/2 cup celery (chopped)
  • 1/4 cup green bell pepper (chopped )
  • 2 Cloves garlic (minced)
  • 4 teaspoons salt (divided)
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper (divided)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup green onions (chopped)
  • 3 cups cooked rice (about 1 cup raw)
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs (beaten)
  • 1 1/2 cups plain dried bread crumbs
  • oil for frying (3 cups; a 1/2-inch depth in a 10-inch skillet)

How to Make It

  1. Place the turkey, water, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, 2 teaspoons of the salt, 1 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the cayenne in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and gently boil, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
  2. Drain, reserving the liquid. Place the meat and cooked vegetables, fresh parsley, and green onions in a food processor and pulse about 20 times until well mixed but not pureed. Transfer to a large bowl.
  1. Add rice to the mixture and gently stir to combine, adding the reserved broth 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture can be formed into balls and will hold its shape (I usually need 2-3 tablespoons broth). Taste, and add more seasoning if necessary. Using about 2 tablespoons turkey mixture for each one, shape into balls. These may also be formed into mini balls the size of large marbles to have as hors d'oeuvres. Use about 2 teaspoons turkey mixture for each mini ball. The frying time will be 1-2 minutes for these smaller balls.
  2. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs mixed with the remaining salt and pepper in three separate dishes. Roll the balls in the flour, then the beaten egg, and then in the bread crumbs. 
  3. Heat the oil to 375ºF in a large saucepan. When the oil is hot add the balls, 5 or 6 at a time, adjusting the heat up or down as necessary to maintain a temperature of about 375ºF. Transfer the balls to paper towels as you remove them from the oil; they will take 2-3 minutes to fry.
  4. Makes 4 dozen (serves 6 as an entree) or 12 dozen mini balls for hors d'oeuvres.
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 603
Total Fat 10 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Unsaturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 150 mg
Sodium 2,279 mg
Carbohydrates 93 g
Dietary Fiber 5 g
Protein 33 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)