Turkey Swedish Meatballs
Classic Swedish meatballs made with ground turkey.
Serves6 to 8
Prep10 minutes
Cook25 minutes to 30 minutes
A plate of Swedish meatballs, complete with creamy gravy and tender egg noodles, is the perfect quick-yet-satisfying dinner that’ll please everyone. This version is made entirely in one pan in under an hour, with less than 10 ingredients. Serve them with a side of tart lingonberry jam and you have yourself a crowd-pleasing dinner that is — dare we say — even better than IKEA.
Try Ground Turkey Instead of Beef
This version of Swedish meatballs swaps out the traditional combination of ground beef and pork for 100 percent lean ground turkey, which lightens it up while still keeping it rich and flavorful. The meatballs are quickly seared in a hot skillet, then simmered in a rich sauce made with heavy cream and broth.
3 Tips for Making The Best Swedish Meatballs
Before you head into the kitchen to make these Swedish meatballs, a few tips.
1. Don’t over mix the meatballs. Over working the meatball mixture can make the meatballs tough. As soon as all of the ingredients are combined, stop mixing. It’s okay if there are still some pockets of unincorporated breadcrumbs or seasonings.
2. Don’t worry if your pan starts to form burnt bits. After you brown your meatballs in the skillet, there might be some brown, burnt bits stuck to the bottom — but that’s ok! These will actually help make the sauce super flavorful and rich.
3. Serve over noodles, rice, quinoa, or any other grain. My favorite way to serve these meatballs is over egg noodles, but you can serve them with just about anything you want from cooked farro to brown rice to a mountain of mashed potatoes.
Turkey Swedish Meatballs
Classic Swedish meatballs made with ground turkey.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes to 30 minutes
Serves6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
medium shallot
- 1 tablespoon
chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 pound
ground turkey
- 1
large egg
- 3/4 cup
plain dried breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
- 2 cups
beef broth
- 1/2 cup
heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon
onion powder
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Cooked egg noodles, for serving
Instructions
Grate 1 medium shallot. Coarsely chop 1 tablespoon parsley leaves.
Place 1 pound ground turkey, 1 large egg, 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and grated shallot in a large bowl. Use your hands to gently work everything together into a homogenous mixture. Scoop the meatballs into 2 tablespoon-sized portions and roll into balls.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning every 1 to 2 minutes, until browned on a few sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the oil and cook until the flour is no longer dry, about 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups beef broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon onion powder, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until smooth. Cook until just beginning to simmer, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley leaves and serve over cooked egg noodles, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.