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Turkey Swedish Meatballs

by Katerina

4.58 from 7 votes

Jan 17, 2016, Updated Dec 27, 2023

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These juicy turkey Swedish meatballs with cream cheese-mustard gravy are pure comfort food in a bowl. Their saucy twist is a great way to spice up your weeknight dinners!

Why You’ll Love These Turkey Swedish Meatballs

These creamy baked meatballs will become a staple dish in no time.

• Lean. Using ground turkey and olive oil for these turkey meatballs ensures they don’t turn out greasy.
• Versatile. Swap the protein to chicken, beef, or pork if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
• Great for weeknights. The rich and creamy sauce makes the gravy and meatball combination super comforting for a weeknight.
• Freezer-friendly. Pop the meatballs out of the freezer, make the sauce, and enjoy!

Recipe Ingredients

Properly seasoned meatballs are just as important as a properly seasoned gravy. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.

For the Meatballs

• Ground turkey – Fresh or frozen (thawed) is okay.
• Panko – You can also use regular bread crumbs.
• Egg – Feel free to use liquid eggs.
• Paprika – Use your favorite kind.
• Cayenne pepper – Red pepper flakes work too.
• Salt and pepper – I prefer kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is best, but garlic powder can be used instead.
• Dried oregano – Dried parsley is a great swap.

For the Gravy

• Olive oil – Avocado and coconut oil are fine too.
• Cream cheese – Choose full-fat or low-fat.
• Dijon mustard – Don’t use American yellow mustard for this.
• Worcestershire sauce – I don’t recommend swapping it for fish sauce, so leave it out if you don’t have any.
• All-purpose flour – Cornstarch is a great swap.
• Chicken broth – Use homemade or a low-sodium store-bought one.
• Salt and pepper – Season the gravy to taste.
• Fresh parsley – Chives or dill can be used instead.

How to Make Turkey Swedish Meatballs

If you don’t have a wire rack, bake them in the greased baking sheet and flip them over halfway through the cooking time. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for more detailed instructions.

• Prep the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet. Grease it with cooking spray. Set it aside.
• Make the mixture. Add the ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, garlic, and oregano to a large bowl. Stir until well combined.
• Shape them. Grab bits of the mixture and use your hands to roll it into 2″ balls. Place them on the wire rack (in the baking sheet).
• Bake. Pop them into the oven for 16-18 minutes or until cooked through. Remove them from the oven when done.
• Make the gravy. Add the oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon cream cheese and whisk it in until melted. Add the remaining cream cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Thicken it. Add the flour and whisk for another 3 minutes or until the mixture turns golden brown. Pour in the broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer it over low heat for 10 minutes or until thickened.
• Add the meatballs. Return them to the pan and stir them into the gravy. Cook everything for another minute, spooning gravy over the meatballs.
• Serve. Remove the pan from the heat, garnish the meatballs with parsley, serve and enjoy!

Tips & Variations

Use whatever kind of protein you have on hand for these meatballs and they’ll still turn out amazing.

• Grease your hands. Lightly spray your hands with cooking spray so that the turkey mixture doesn’t stick to your hands when rolling.
• Watch the size. The meatballs need to be more or less the same size to ensure even cooking. Otherwise some will be raw, others fine, and others over-cooked.
• Fill them. Dice some melty cheese like mozzarella or Gouda. Stuff one piece into every meatball before baking for a gooey, melty center.
• Soften the cheese. If using cream cheese in the recipe, ensure it’s softened for faster melting in the pan. Cold cream cheese will take longer and might break down into chunks first.
• Swap the protein. Ground chicken, pork, or beef are great swaps for turkey in this recipe. You can also use 50/50 beef and pork.
• Chill it. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the ground turkey mixture chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours before rolling the meatballs. This helps the flavors develop but also makes shaping the balls easier.

Serving Suggestions

These turkey Swedish meatballs are a great dinner option when served over rice or pasta. I love them over my Instant Pot Jasmine Rice or brown rice. For a low-carb option, try my Garlic Asiago Cauliflower Rice with Mushrooms. Plain pasta like fusilli or penne is also great with these meatballs. Sliced baguettes, Skillet Soda Bread, or Focaccia work too.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

Keep some in the freezer for hectic weeknights.

• Fridge: Place them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: You can freeze the meatballs but not the sauce. Place raw meatballs on a baking sheet and freeze them for 1 hour or until firm. Transfer them to a freezer-friendly bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, make the sauce, and cook as usual.
• To reheat them: Microwave them for 1 minute or until warm. A pan over medium heat for 8-12 minutes works too. Stir occasionally.

More Meatball Recipes

• Air Fryer Meatballs
• Oven Baked Meatballs
• Baked Chicken Meatballs with Garlic Dill Yogurt Sauce
• Buffalo Meatballs in Puff Pastry Cups
• Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Asian Meatballs

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4.58 from 7 votes

Turkey Swedish Meatballs

by Katerina | Diethood

This baked turkey Swedish meatballs recipe with homemade mustard gravy is an easy twist on a classic comfort food. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

FOR THE TURKEY MEATBALLS

• ▢ 1- pound ground turkey
• ▢ 1/2- cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• ▢ 1 egg, , lightly beaten
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, , or to taste
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, , minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano

FOR THE GRAVY SAUCE

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, , divided
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2-1/4 cups low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• ▢ salt and fresh ground pepper, , to taste
• ▢ 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Place a wire rack over a baking sheet; grease with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic and oregano.
• Using a wooden spoon, mix until well combined and thoroughly incorporated.
• Shape mixture into 2-inch balls and place on previously prepared baking sheet. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your baking sheet.
• Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until cooked through.

In the meantime, prepare the gravy.

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a nonstick frying pan.
• Add 1 tablespoon cream cheese to heated oil; gently stir it around until the cream cheese melts.
• Whisk in remaining cream cheese, mustard and worcestershire sauce.
• Add flour and continue to whisk for about 3 minutes, or until the roux becomes a golden brown color.
• Slowly add the chicken broth, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
• Continue to cook over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the gravy thickens.
• Remove meatballs from oven and add them to the gravy; continue to cook for about 1 minute, spooning the gravy sauce over the meatballs.
• Remove from heat.
• Garnish with parsley.
• Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 657mg | Potassium: 444mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 730IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2.4mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

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