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Turkey Swedish Meatballs

Posted by in Step-by-Step Recipes

Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

 
I have fond memories of strolling a shopping cart around with my mother as a kid wandering through the living rooms of Ikea. It wasn’t that I loved Ikea per se, but I knew what was about to come just around the bend: the Ikea cafeteria. There, it was a Mecca for little Swedish meatballs slathered in gravy, and along with it often came a dollop of mashed potatoes and some lingonberry sauce of sorts. These little meatballs have always been in the back of my mind, one of those childhood food memories that seem to linger. This is why I was so exited to stumble upon many versions of this recipe here on Tasty Kitchen. This one, Turkey Swedish Meatballs by GottaFeedEmAll caught my eye in particular.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

You begin by combining ground turkey with allspice, nutmeg, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, dried parsley, breadcrumbs and an egg.

I need to take a moment to give a shout out to one of my chickens for laying this egg. Isn’t it purty and bright? Good job girls!

Okay, where was I …

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

Separately, you’ll need finely diced onion and garlic (you can blend it in the food processor), along with flour and sour cream.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

You’ll also need a healthy dose of my friend, butter. You can also use oil, but I love the flavor of butter when browning meat and vegetables.

And stock! (Not pictured). You’ll also need beef stock or whatever stock you have on hand.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

You’ll sweat the onions and garlic in a bit of butter until they’re tender and translucent.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

Then you’ll set them aside and let them cool for a few minutes.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

Once the onion has cooled a bit, you mix it all together. I may or may not have added some fresh parsley in there. It was a gray day and I needed some color in my life.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

Then you roll it all into precious little balls, about 1-inch in diameter.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

Next, I diverged from the recipe a bit, because I wanted to make this a one-pan meal, but you could also bake these as the recipe suggests. Or you could get some butter bubbling like I did. It depends on your mood, really.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

Brown these meatballs in batches, giving them a turn every so often so that they stay round. You don’t need to cook them through, since they will go back into the sauce in just a moment. Simply brown on all sides, then remove with a slotted spoon to a dish. Or like I said, you could bake them.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

Next you make a roux. I noticed GottaFeedEmAll did something nifty by simply shaking the flour and stock together in a jar. I just tossed the flour into the pan grease though and whisked.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

It will become brown and cook for a few minutes, and that’s when you can add the stock and continue to whisk.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

As you whisk you’ll see it begin to thicken and the lumps will disappear. That’s when you add the meatballs back in and let them simmer and cook while the sauce reduces.

I should also note that I added an additional cup of stock than what the recipes says. It could be because I didn’t use the shaker method that I felt it was too thick. So if you decide to use the pan method, you’ll need some extra stock. I also find it helps to warm the stock before adding it to the flour. Extra gravy never hurt anyone, I say.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

If you want to really go Ikea-style here, you could also add a bit of red currant jelly, raspberry jelly, or lingonberry sauce right into the mixture. It gives it a hint of sweetness, which I like. You could also just serve it on the side.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

Once everything is cooked through, you turn off the heat and whisk in the sour cream. You won’t want to cook it much after that. Or if you’re not a fan of sour cream, thick plain yogurt would also be great.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

It will lighten your sauce and give it a bit of a tang.

 
 
 
Tasty Kitchen Blog: Turkey Swedish Meatballs. Guest post by Georgia Pellegrini, recipe submitted by TK member GottaFeedEmAll (panditsgirl).

And there you have it! Ikea would be proud.

Thanks to TK member GottaFeedEmAll for the recipe and inspiration!

 
Here are some other mini meatball recipes here on TK:

Baked Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs by CookinCanuck

Family Favorite Swedish Meatballs by AngieN24

Swedish Meatballs by Mama-M

Cheesy Turkey Meatballs by MommieCooks

 
 

Printable Recipe

Turkey Swedish Meatballs

4.00 Mitt(s) 3 Rating(s)3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 53 votes, average: 4.00 out of 53 votes, average: 4.00 out of 53 votes, average: 4.00 out of 53 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5

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Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

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Description

I came up with this recipe as a way to lighten up the original dish. Nobody in my family even realized they were eating turkey!

Ingredients

  • FOR THE MEATBALLS:
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • ½ cups Minced Fresh Onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 20 ounces, weight Lean Ground Turkey
  • 1 whole Egg
  • ½ cups Dry Bread Crumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • ½ Tablespoons Dried Parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Allspice
  • ¼ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
  • FOR THE SAUCE:
  • 14-½ ounces, fluid Low Sodium Beef Broth
  • 3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • ½ Tablespoons Dried Parsley
  • ¼ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ teaspoons Salt, Or To Taste
  • ¼ cups Light Sour Cream

Preparation Instructions

For the meatballs:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, saute 2-3 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine turkey, onions and garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, allspice, and nutmeg. Shape meat mixture into 1″ balls and place in a baking dish. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.

For the sauce:

Pour beef broth and flour into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously until flour is dissolved.

Pour beef broth mixture into a large skillet with a lid and add Worcestershire and parsley, black pepper, and salt to taste. Heat to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in sour cream.

Add meatballs and cover. Simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over egg noodles, if desired.

 
 
_______________________________________

There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful book Food Heroes, and enjoy her latest adventures.

 
 

23 Comments

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sundayskitchen on 5.1.2011

great recipe, I’ll try soon thank you to share
ciao Domenica

Karen on 4.22.2011

I made them last night. They were delicious but next time I will double the sauce recipe. For the amount of meatballs they make, there will not be enough sauce to cover noodles for the leftovers. My husband loved them!!!! Thanks.

Miz Booshay on 4.21.2011

These look so delicious. I wish I could have them right now.
I have never cooked with ground turkey…perhaps I should give these a try!

Sharon on 4.21.2011

I did make these for dinner! Worcestershire was omitted (only because I forgot to get some and didn’t have any at home) as was sour cream (another forgotten grocery item) but they were out of this world anyway. I forgot the bit where you saute the garlic and onions, (oops!) and they also didn’t suffer. I added Cardamom as I’d seen it used in another swedish meatball recipe somewhere on the web…all in all a hit and I would totally go to the trouble to make these again (time consuming browning them in batches!) Next time I might try brushing them with melted some melted butter and baking them…

Amy | She Wears Many Hats on 4.20.2011

11:04 p.m. isn’t the best time to stop by Tasty Kitchen. Now I’m hungry for some of these. YUM!

Nanette on 4.20.2011

Oh those look great, I too love the meatballs at Ikea, we have one about 20 mintues away. Really love that you didn’t use mushrooms, I hate when people fill in with fungus, eewwww.

Deb H on 4.20.2011

I’m actually a bigger fan of turkey Swedish meatballs than beef. I just love how the spices play out better and it tends to be less greasy. Don’t get me wrong…I love beef….but I just like the flavor/texture of the ground turkey in this application. Thanks for featuring it! :)

Salty Lemons on 4.20.2011

I can’t wait to try this take on Swedish meatballs. The sour cream in the sauce sounds amazing, I think Fage Greek yogurt would be tasty as well.

I’ve made Marcus Samuelsson’s version (http://marcussamuelsson.com/recipes/swedish-meatballs) many times. My Swedish husband says they are the best he’s ever tasted. I can’t wait to test out the turkey version on him. Thanks for sharing, beautiful pictures.

Andrea on 4.20.2011

looks great!

Sharon on 4.20.2011

Okay, this looks amazing and like I might need to make it for dinner tonight. I am thinking of it over some nice wide egg noodles…talk about comfort food!

Kulsum at JourneyKitchen on 4.20.2011

I’m head over heal in love with Ikea meatballs so Im so going to try this.

Liz Bruner on 4.20.2011

This is what’s for dinner tonight! Thanks so much!!!

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alittlenosh on 4.20.2011

I loved the swedish meatballs at Ikea when I was a kid too! I don’t eat red meat anymore so I haven’t had them in years, but I do love to go there for the 99 cent breakfast on the weekends! And the free coffee. :-)

http://alittlenosh.blogspot.com

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Haley on 4.20.2011

I made the mistake once of thinking I could make Swedish Meatballs with ground Venison. It smelled so bad that my boyfriend and I had to leave the apartment and discard the meatballs ASAP! I must try it with ground Turkey this time!

Cynthia Hood on 4.20.2011

Wonderful! Here’s another recipe that I can add to my arsenal that will meet my allergy requirements! This looks fabulous. Thank you!

Heather @ Heather's Dish on 4.20.2011

I absolutely love Swedish meatballs…reminds me of dinners growing up! I love the turkey option too ;)

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GottaFeedEmAll on 4.20.2011

Lol…I guess I wasn’t logged on after all :)

krista on 4.20.2011

How awesome was it to log on this morning and see my recipe featured! The reason for the flour/broth in a jar was simply to cut out the fat, but if you don’t need to worry about that, I say Bring on the Butter :)

d.liff @ yelleBELLYboo on 4.20.2011

These look so tasty! I’m jealous of your freshly laid eggs – my mom’s neighbor has chickens I keep trying to convince her to get all of her eggs from him!

Jessica @ How Sweet It Is on 4.20.2011

Must make! They look fabulous.

Michelle on 4.20.2011

Oh Perfect! I have some ground turkey that will be great smothered in gravy. I like the balance of lean meat with some gravy. Thanks for sharing, I will be making this!

Kristina on 4.20.2011

Oh my goodness. Even as an adult, when I think of IKEA I think of meatballs. Thank you!

claypotclub on 4.20.2011

The nearest Ikea is about 40 minutes away. I’ve driven there exclusively just to eat the meatballs. Their fries are also tasty.

Thanks for posting this! I’ve been wanting to make these for a long time now.