Turkey meatballs with gravy. Recipe in the oven, in a frying pan

Posting in the group: Main courses

Turkey is often an underrated product. This meat certainly has excellent nutritional properties, providing large amounts of protein, minerals and vitamins with low fat content. Some people don't like turkey because it's dry, but you can make dishes from it that completely eliminate this drawback. First of all, these are meatballs with gravy, which can be fried in a pan or baked in the oven.

To prepare these products, the meat is ground into minced meat and then mixed with other ingredients. These are usually a soft binder (egg, breadcrumbs, bread or rice), onion and chicken broth (or other liquid). Often, garlic, celery and any fresh or dried herbs are added to the minced meat for additional flavor.

The formed meatballs are fried in a frying pan or baked in the oven. Since turkey meat is quite light, it can be difficult to visually determine the readiness of the products. Therefore, it is recommended to use a meat thermometer to check this without errors. The internal temperature of the meatballs should be at least 73-74°C.

Prepare the sauce or gravy separately. Despite the abundance of various semi-finished products on sale, it is advisable to prepare this addition to the dish yourself. Commercial versions contain too much starch, salt and artificial flavors, and almost always contain monosodium glutamate. In addition, when preparing it yourself, you can give the gravy any taste and aroma, based on your own preferences.

Turkey with white herb sauce

Turkey meatballs with herbed gravy are a classic dish that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. The products can be fried in a frying pan or baked in the oven - it all depends on the personal preferences of the hostess and her family members.

What ingredients will you need?

For the meatballs:

• 500 g lean minced turkey;
• 1.5 tbsp. white bread crackers, broken into pieces;
• 0.5 tbsp. chicken broth;
• 1 small grated onion;
• 1 stalk of celery, diced;
• 3 tbsp. l. chopped fresh parsley;
• 2 eggs;
• 2 cloves garlic, minced;
• salt and coarsely ground pepper;
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil.

For the gravy:

• 0.25 tbsp. unsalted butter;
• 0.25 tbsp. all-purpose flour;
• 3 tbsp. chicken broth, unsalted;
• 0.5 tsp. dried thyme;
• 1 tsp. dried parsley;
• 1 tsp. salt;
• 0.5 tsp. universal seasoning for poultry;
• 0.25 tsp coarsely ground black pepper;
• 1 tbsp. l. chopped fresh mixed herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley).

Step-by-step cooking process

To cook turkey meatballs in the oven, you will need to do the following:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place the crackers in a tightly sealed bag and crush with a rolling pin or kitchen hammer. The result will be about 1 tbsp. breading mixture.

3. In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs and chicken broth and stir to combine.
4. Add onion, celery, parsley, eggs, garlic, salt and coarsely ground pepper and mix evenly.
5. Add ground turkey and stir gently until smooth.
6. Using an ice cream scoop or a regular scoop, scoop the meat mixture, form it into balls with your hands, and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Sprinkle all the preparations with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until fully cooked; when serving, mix with gravy and side dish.

The process of cooking meatballs in a frying pan is as follows:

1. Prepare meat mixture in the same manner as oven roasting instructions.
2. Heat 1 tbsp. l. oil in a large frying pan over low heat.
3. Working in batches, using a small ice cream scoop or a regular table scoop, scoop the meat mixture, roll into balls in your palms and place in the heated pan. Continue this step until the container is filled to 1 layer.
4. Fry the meatballs, turning them carefully to ensure even cooking on all sides and to avoid burning. It is not necessary to bring them to full readiness - this can be done later along with the gravy.

5. Once the meatballs are browned on all sides, place them on a plate and repeat the previous steps until all the meat mixture has been used, adding remaining oil if necessary. Transfer all fried products to a plate.
6. In an empty frying pan, prepare the gravy, put the meatballs in it, boil and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

To prepare the gravy, you must follow the following instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan over low heat, add flour and cook, whisking continuously, for 2-3 minutes.
2. Pour in the chicken broth and add all the seasonings, stir very well. If the meatballs were fried in the same pan, scrape up any stuck-on bits of meat from the bottom and sides.
3. Remove from heat, adjust saltiness and amount of spices and mix with meatballs; when cooking in a frying pan, continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes; before serving, sprinkle with chopped mixture of fresh herbs.

How to serve

Turkey meatballs and gravy go very well with steamed rice, creamy polenta or a simple risotto with vegetables. A suitable and healthy side dish would be whole grain pasta or plain quinoa.

When serving at a holiday table or dinner party, it is recommended to pair this dish with whipped and fluffy mashed cauliflower or potatoes or roasted garlic green beans.

What can I add?

When making gravy, you can use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour to make the dish healthier and reduce the carb content. The white bread crumbs used to form the meatballs can be replaced with toasted whole grain or corn bread.

Turkey meatballs - general cooking principles

To prepare minced meat, fillet from the turkey breast or thigh is used. The trimmings are twisted in a meat grinder or chopped in a food processor. You can add other types of meat and lard.

What else is put in the minced meat:

• cereals;

• vegetables;

• spices;

• eggs;

• cheese.

The mass is thoroughly mixed and balls are formed from it. For the soup, small meatballs are made; their size does not exceed a quail egg. If you plan to use meat balls for a side dish, you can stick them a little larger, for example, like a walnut.

Meatballs can be boiled, fried, baked or stewed. Sometimes cooking combines several types of heat treatment, which has a positive effect on the final taste of the dish.

With mushroom sauce

Turkey meatballs prepared according to this recipe are juicy and melt in your mouth. This is largely ensured by mushroom sauce with garlic and aromatic herbs, which perfectly saturates the products and complements them.

Turkey meatballs with gravy, recipe with mushroom gravy.

Preparation next.

What ingredients will you need?

For the meatballs:

• 450 g minced turkey;
• 2 dried slices of bread;
• half a small onion, finely chopped;
• 1 tsp. chopped parsley;
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves;
• 1 tsp. chopped rosemary;
• table salt and coarsely ground pepper;
• 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.

For the gravy:

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced;
• half a small onion, finely chopped;
• 0.5 tbsp. finely chopped mushrooms;
• 3 tbsp. l. whole grain flour;
• 1 tsp. chopped parsley;
• 1 tsp. chopped rosemary;
• 3 tbsp. chicken broth or its mixture with water (1:1 ratio);
• table salt and coarsely ground pepper.

Step-by-step cooking process

How to prepare turkey meatballs:

1. Cut the bread slices into large pieces and grind in a blender or food processor to turn into crumbs.
2. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, rosemary, salt and coarse pepper and mix well.
3. Divide the mixture into about 20 parts and form each into small balls.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and place the meatballs in it, keeping a distance between them.
5. Cover and fry for about 3 minutes, then turn the products over, cover again and continue cooking for another 3 minutes, then transfer them to a plate.

Preparing the gravy and finishing the dish is as follows:

1. Place garlic, onions and mushrooms in the vacated frying pan, fry for 3-4 minutes, add a little oil if necessary.
2. Then add flour and fry the mixture for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, continuously whisking the contents of the pan, heat to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Finally, add the meatballs and herbs, season with pepper and salt, mix well, cover and simmer for about 1 minute, then remove from the heat and keep the dish covered until serving.

With sour cream sauce

You can make very flavorful meatballs from ground turkey, which, when combined with sour cream sauce, will compete with many delicious dishes worthy of a restaurant menu. To create meat products you will need:

• 400 g minced meat;
• onion, carrot;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• harvesting rice;
• bread slice;
• a bunch of dill;
• 350 ml sour cream;
• a little flour;
• salt, spices.

Creation stages:

1. The rice is boiled until half cooked and mixed in a bowl with minced meat, which you can prepare yourself by twisting the fillet through a meat grinder (if you use a blender, future meatballs will turn out even more tender).
2. Add chopped ½ onion, ½ carrot, 2 cloves of garlic, a soaked slice of bread and half of dill to the meat mass.
3. The minced meat is kneaded, salted and seasoned, after which it is formed into meatballs, which are fried and laid out on a plate.
4. In the same frying pan, the remaining chopped vegetables are sautéed, which are then poured with sour cream diluted with 100 ml of water.
5. When the sauce boils, place the meat balls in it and add flour to thicken.

Swedish meatballs with apples and cinnamon

Turkey meatballs with gravy are a universal dish found in the cuisines of different countries. However, meat products based on Swedish recipes are the most popular. This is explained very simply: Swedish meatballs are mentioned in the famous fairy tale about the Kid and Carlson, and are also one of the most advertised products in Ikea stores and restaurants.

At the same time, in Sweden there are many variants of these products, including very non-standard ones, with additives unusual for meat. For example, meatballs with apple and cinnamon.

What ingredients will you need?

For the meatballs:

• 3 tbsp. torn pieces of pumpernickel bread;
• 1 tbsp. whole milk;
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce;
• 2 tbsp. l. unsalted butter;
• 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
• 6 small shallots, chopped (about 0.5 cup);
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated;
• 2 cloves garlic, minced;
• a pinch of ground cinnamon;
• kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper;
• 550-600 g lean minced turkey;
• 1 large egg;
• food grade oil spray.

For the gravy:

• 2 tbsp. l. all-purpose flour;
• 1.5 tbsp. unsalted chicken broth;
• 1.5 tsp. Worcestershire sauce.

To submit:

• mashed potatoes (optional);
• chopped fresh parsley and/or minced garlic.

Step-by-step cooking process

This dish is prepared by combining two main methods (in the oven and in a frying pan):

1. Pulse the bread in a food processor to form fine crumbs, add the milk and Worcestershire sauce and pulse to form a smooth paste.
2. Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over low heat, add the shallots and fry, stirring, until golden brown, about 8 minutes.

3. Add apple, garlic, cinnamon, 1 tsp to the onion. salt and a few grinds of coarse pepper and cook until the apple is soft, about 3 minutes.
4. Next, add the bread mixture and continue cooking, stirring, until thickened, about 4 minutes, then transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool completely.
5. Add the ground turkey and egg to the cooled mixture and beat with a mixer on low speed until smooth, about 4 minutes, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 220°C and spray a large baking sheet with cooking oil spray.
7. After the specified time has passed, remove the meat mixture from the refrigerator. wet your hands and form it into 36 balls (about 2.5 cm in diameter), place on the prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, 15-20 minutes.
8. To make the gravy, melt the butter in a frying pan over low heat, add the flour and whisk to form a smooth paste, about 3 minutes.

9. While whisking, gradually pour in the chicken stock, then add the Worcestershire sauce and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
10. Finally, add the baked meatballs to the gravy and simmer for about 10 minutes until they are firm and cooked through.
11. Serve the dish with mashed potatoes, sprinkled with chopped parsley and/or chopped garlic.

With cranberry-orange sauce

This turkey meatballs and gravy recipe is a healthy, nutrition-friendly meal.

Spicy Cranberry Orange Gravy does not detract from this characteristic when consumed in moderation.

What ingredients will you need?

• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
• 2 medium sized carrots, finely chopped;
• 1 stalk of celery, finely chopped;
• 0.5 tbsp. finely chopped onion;
• 1 tbsp. unsalted chicken broth;
• 0.3 tbsp. water plus 2 tbsp. l., separately;
• 0.5 tbsp. bulgur;
• 2 eggs;
• 1.5 tsp. ground coriander;
• 1 tsp. salt;
• 0.25 tsp coarsely ground pepper;
• 450 g minced turkey;
• 1 tbsp. canned cranberry sauce;
• 0.3 tbsp. orange juice;
• 2 tsp. corn starch;
• ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper.

Step-by-step cooking process

To prepare this dish you will need to follow these steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking oil spray.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat, add carrots, celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender on the inside and crisp on the outside, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add broth, 0.3 tbsp. water and bulgur, heat to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer until the cereal is soft and the liquid is absorbed, 10–12 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, coriander, salt and coarsely ground pepper.
5. Combine ground turkey, beaten eggs and bulgur with vegetables in a large bowl and mix well, form into 30 meatballs (use about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each) and place on a prepared baking sheet.

6. Bake the products until fully cooked (a food thermometer should show 73-74°C), from 15 to 18 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, whisk together cranberry sauce, orange juice, cornstarch, cayenne pepper and remaining 2 tablespoons. l. water in a large frying pan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
8. Place the cooked meatballs into the gravy and toss gently to coat evenly.

Italian style

It's pretty easy to make Italian-style turkey meatballs at home. They are baked in the oven and then mixed with tomato sauce.

What ingredients will you need?

For the meatballs:

• 450 g lean minced turkey;
• 0.25 tbsp. grated or finely chopped onion;
• 0.3 tbsp. grated parmesan;
• 0.3 tbsp. breadcrumbs;
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 0.5 tsp);
• 1 large beaten egg;
• 0.25 tbsp. chopped fresh basil;
• 2 tbsp. l. chopped fresh parsley;
• 1 tbsp. l. milk;
• 0.75 tsp. kosher salt;
• 0.5 tsp. dried oregano;
• 0.25 tsp freshly ground coarse black pepper;
• 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes, optional.

For the gravy:

• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion);
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp minced);
• 2 tbsp. l. tomato paste;
• 800 g crushed tomatoes without skins;
• 1 can (200 ml) tomato sauce;
• 1 can (500 ml) diced tomatoes in their own juice;
• 1 tbsp. l. white sugar;
• 1 tbsp. l. dried oregano;
• 0.5 tsp. dried thyme;
• 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 0.25 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 tbsp. l. dried;
• 0.25 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley;
• 1 tbsp. l. butter.

Step-by-step cooking process

Meatballs are prepared as follows:

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC in advance. To make cleanup easier, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients with your hands until smooth.
3. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, scoop equal parts of the meat mixture, roll into 3-4cm balls with your hands and place on the prepared baking sheet, lightly brush or drizzle with olive oil.
4. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of any meatball registers 73ºF.
5. If desired, fry additionally in a pan for 3-5 minutes. until golden brown, then mix with the gravy and serve.

To prepare tomato gravy you will need to follow these steps:

1. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over low heat, add the onion and cook, stirring often, 4-5 minutes, or until translucent, then add the garlic and continue cooking, stirring, 1 minute. or until aroma appears.

2. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it coats all the onions (about 1 minute).
3. Next, add chopped fresh and diced canned tomatoes (along with the juices from the can), tomato sauce, sugar, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes and bay leaf, mix, heat to a boil and simmer under a partially closed lid for at least 1 hour ( up to 3 hours), stirring occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Then remove the bay leaf and add the butter, basil and parsley, stir until the butter has melted, adjust the seasoning and serve with the meatballs.

What can I add?

Italian meatballs according to this recipe are prepared with basil, oregano and parsley.

You can replace seasonings to get a dish in the style of another national cuisine:

• To make Mexican meatballs, use cumin, chili powder and oregano;
• for a Greek-style dish - mint, parsley, cinnamon and oregano.

Ground Turkey Meatballs Recipe. Calorie, chemical composition and nutritional value.

Nutritional value and chemical composition of “Minced Turkey Meatballs.”

The table shows the nutritional content (calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) per 100 grams of edible portion.

The energy value of minced turkey meatballs is 134.6 kcal.

Primary Source: Created in the application by the user. Read more.

** This table shows the average levels of vitamins and minerals for an adult. If you want to know the norms taking into account your gender, age and other factors, then use the “My Healthy Diet” application.

Useful tips

Because the protein in the meat shrinks when cooked, the meatballs can become tough. To avoid this, you need to add eggs and other binding ingredients (such as bread crumbs), as well as ingredients that provide juiciness (most often finely chopped or grated onions) to the minced meat.

None of these components should be excluded when forming products. If necessary, you can replace them with other suitable products. In addition, you can use any seasonings and sauces to give the dish additional taste and aroma.

Other helpful tips and tricks for making turkey meatballs and gravy include:

• It is important not to overdo it when combining minced meat with other ingredients. It is important that the seasonings and other ingredients are mixed evenly into the meat, without excessive beating or squeezing.
• When shaping the products, it is recommended to use an ice cream scoop. This will ensure that you get uniform sized meatballs that will cook evenly.
• When forming meat balls, you should wet your hands. A small amount of water helps remove stickiness.
• A baking sheet with a rim is ideal for baking products in the oven. Although turkey meatballs contain very little fat, other ingredients and parts may leak out during cooking.
• When frying in a pan, it is advisable to use as little oil as possible. If the items start to stick, it is better to finish cooking them in the gravy rather than continue frying with additional oil.
• To make any recipe easier and faster, it is recommended to replace chopped onions and garlic with onion and garlic powder and fresh herbs with dried ones.
• If desired, you can shape the meatballs as large or small as you like. The main thing is that they are all the same. In this case, you will need to adjust the cooking time yourself (increase or decrease, depending on the size).
• Turkey meatballs can be made ahead and frozen. To do this, you need to spread the prepared products on a baking sheet, cool and place in the freezer for 1 hour. When they become hard, you need to put them in a zip bag and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.

• You can check the readiness of the products by cutting any of them in half. If there is no pink layer in the middle, you can safely say that they are cooked. However, the most recommended way to check is to use a food thermometer. When the temperature in the center of the meatballs reaches 73-74°C, they are completely cooked and safe to eat.
• Meatballs that are not eaten immediately should be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. You will need to warm them up to serve. This can be done in different ways.
• Products without gravy can be heated in the oven at temperatures up to 180°C. You just need to place them on a baking sheet, cover with foil and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. Turkey meatballs, cooled along with gravy, should be placed in the multicooker bowl and turned on the heating mode.

Recipe with vegetables

The dish is prepared from:

• 500 g minced meat;
• bulbs;
• carrots;
• zucchini;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• eggs;
• a small amount of sunflower oil;
• salt and spices.

Progress:

1. Carrots and zucchini are grated, onions and garlic are chopped with a knife.
2. The onion-garlic mixture is sautéed in a frying pan until transparent, after which it is mixed with minced meat, where fresh vegetables and eggs are sent.
3. From the meat mass with vegetables, previously salted and lightly seasoned, meatballs are formed, which are fried in the remaining oil until golden brown.
4. Such products are served slightly cooled.