This recipe for Swedish Meatballs is made with lean ground turkey and a creamy sauce to create a delicious, lighter version of traditional Swedish Meatballs.
My recipe for Swedish Meatballs is better than Ikea's. There I said it and I am not afraid to own it!
Inspired by my mom's recipe, this recipe for Turkey Swedish Meatballs is lower in fat and cholesterol than traditional Swedish Meatballs, but every bit as delicious thanks to a few key steps!
- Seasoned Right. Lean ground turkey has the reputation of being dry and flavorless. This recipe proves that it does not need to be the case. Sauteed onion, soaked bread, and herbs are mixed into the ground turkey adding flavor and moisture, creating the best-tasting turkey meatball ever!
- Baked with a Special Technique. Just like my Italian meatballs, these turkey Swedish meatballs are baked with a bit of broth at a high temperature. This keeps the exterior crispy, as though they were fried, but the interior stays tender and moist. It is truly magical!
- Served with Homemade Gravy. The from-scratch gravy is incredibly simple to make but features wholesome ingredients. No canned condensed soups here! It is creamy and flavorful and just simply the perfect accompaniment to these Swedish meatballs.
Bottom line, Turkey Swedish Meatballs are full of flavor and simple enough to prepare any night of the week.
Notes on Ingredients
- Ground Turkey: Because Swedish Meatballs are so packed with flavor, this is a great time to use lean ground turkey. However, if desired, you can use pork or beef (or a combination of the two) in place of the ground turkey for a more traditional Swedish Meatball.
- Bread: Instead of breadcrumbs, this recipe uses bread to help bulk up and bind the meatballs. The bread keeps the meatballs really moist and tender. You can opt to use white bread, wheat bread, or even your favorite gluten-free bread to make these meatballs.
- Milk/Half and Half: The meatballs and the gravy use milk or half and half. Use milk to keep the gravy and meatballs lower in fat or use half and half to really make these meatballs decadent.
- Stock: Use low-sodium storebought or homemade chicken stock. If you happen to have turkey stock on hand, feel free to use that.
- Nutmeg: I love to add nutmeg to cream sauces, but it is always better in terms of flavor to grate whole nutmeg using a Microplane instead of using ground nutmeg.
- Thyme: Feel free to omit the thyme, this is not traditional, I just find it adds tons of flavor and pairs really beautifully with the turkey.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
- Soak the bread in ¼ cup of milk, allowing the bread to absorb the milk and become soggy. This will keep the meatballs super tender and moist, yet the bread also helps to bind the turkey meatballs together.
- While the bread is soaking, use that time to saute the onions and herbs.
- Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the onions and thyme leaves and saute until the onion has just softened and become translucent.
- Transfer the sauteed onions to a large mixing bowl, along with the soaked bread, salt, pepper, allspice, and egg. Mix until the meatballs binders are well combined.
- Add the ground turkey to the mixture and using your hands or a spatula, gently combine the meat with the filler to evenly distribute the seasonings throughout the meat. Be careful to not overwork your meatballs, or they will end up tough.
- Scoop the meatball mixture with a medium cookie scoop unto a rimmed sheet pan. Be sure all your meatballs are the same size before baking. This ensures even baking time.
- Pour 1 cup of chicken or turkey stock around the meatballs. This trick allows meatballs to stay moist and tender and lower in fat.
- Bake the meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 162 degrees F. They will finish cooking and reach 165 degrees F as they rest after baking.
How to Prepare Swedish Meatball Sauce
While the meatballs are baking in the oven, prepare the homemade gravy that makes turns these turkey meatballs into Swedish Meatballs.
- In a medium saucepan, melt additional butter over medium heat.
- Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour, until thick paste forms. Cook this mixture for 1-2 minutes, to rid the sauce of any raw flour taste.
- Slowly add in chicken or turkey stock, whisking to incorporate.
- Season with salt, pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, and 2 sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Bring the gravy to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until sauce is thick.
- Once the Swedish meatball sauce has thickened, remove thyme sprigs and stir in the Worcestershire Sauce.
- Serve the baked turkey meatballs with the Swedish Meatball Sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Swedish meatballs are classically served over buttered egg noodles but are also delicious when served over mashed potatoes. Round out your meal by adding a side of Green Beans Almondine or Roasted Broccoli.
Storage Instructions
Leftover Swedish Meatballs can be stored in an airtight container along with the sauce for up to 3 days. Reheat the sauce and meatballs in 1-minute intervals in the microwave until warmed through. While the meatballs freeze well, the sauce does not, so this is not a recipe I recommend freezing.
Modifications for Swedish Meatballs
- Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs: Use gluten-free bread in place of regular bread in the meatball mixture and use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and gluten-free Worcestershire sauce for the sauce.
- Egg-Free Swedish Meatballs: Instead of using an egg in this recipe, use an additional 1 slice of bread and 2 tablespoons of milk. The extra bread will work as a binder for the meatballs.
- Replace the bread with stuffing. Swedish Meatballs are a great recipe to use leftover stuffing. In place of the bread slices, use leftover stuffing. In fact, the stuffing is packed with tremendous flavor, making the meatballs some of the best you have ever had.
More Meatball Recipes
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If you enjoyed these Turkey Swedish Meatballs, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Swedish Meatballs
This recipe for Swedish Meatballs is made with lean ground turkey and a creamy sauce to create a delicious, lighter version of traditional Swedish Meatballs.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 436kcal
Ingredients
Swedish Meatballs
- 2 slices sandwich bread
- ¼ cup milk or half and half
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
Swedish Meatball Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup half and half or milk/cream
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
Swedish Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a rimmed sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, soak 2 slices of bread in ¼ cup milk.
- While the bread is soaking, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Once the butter has melted, saute the onions and thyme leaves until the onion has just softened.
- Add the sauteed onions and thyme to the bowl with bread, along with the salt, pepper, allspice, and egg. Whisk or mix together until the bread falls apart and the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the ground turkey to the mixture and using your hands, gently mix together until the seasonings are well distributed throughout the meat. Be careful to not overwork your meatballs, to prevent tough meatballs.
- Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture, using a tablespoon measuring spoon or medium cookie scoop, and then gently shape into 1-inch meatballs. Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Slowly pour 1 cup of chicken stock around the meatballs. This trick allows meatballs to stay moist and tender and lower in fat.
- Bake the turkey meatballs for 25 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 162-165 degrees F. (They will continue to rise a few degrees as they rest after baking.)
Swedish Meatball Sauce
- While the meatballs are baking, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan.
- Once the butter has melted, slowly whisk in the flour, until a thick paste forms. Cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste from the sauce.
- Slowly add in chicken stock, whisking to incorporate. Season with salt, pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, and 2 sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Bring gravy to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Add in half and half and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until sauce is thick, whisking often.
- Remove the gravy from the heat, remove the thyme sprigs, and stir in the Worcestershire Sauce.
- Serve the sauce over the baked meatballs with noodles or mashed potatoes, as desired.
Notes
Turkey: Use lean turkey ground turkey breast or dark meat. Alternatively, you can replace the turkey with ground pork or beef (or a combination of the two).
Thyme: Feel free to omit fresh thyme, this is not traditional, I just find it adds tons of flavor.
Bread: You can opt to use white bread, wheat bread, or even your favorite gluten-free bread to make these meatballs.
Milk/Half and Half: The meatballs and the gravy use milk or half and half. Use milk to keep the gravy and meatballs lower in fat or use half and half to really make these meatballs decadent.
Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs: Use gluten-free bread in place of regular bread in the meatball mixture and use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and gluten-free Worcestershire sauce for the sauce.
Egg-Free Swedish Meatballs: Instead of using an egg in this recipe, use an additional 1 slice of bread and 2 tablespoons of milk. The extra bread will work as a binder for the meatballs.
Nutrition
Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1125mg | Potassium: 681mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 820IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 2.5mg
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This post was originally shared in 2018 and updated in 2023.
Jade
I thought they tasted great, but I don’t think my kiddos were too keen on the nutmeg and allspice in the gravy and meat.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing, Jade! It can take kids a bit to get used to new flavors like that, but feel free to omit the nutmeg and allspice in the future.
Whitney M
Perfect. I love Swedish meatballs with Lingonberries. Reminds me of Thanksgiving. Comfort food that’s surprisingly not too heavy. Made a kale salad with dried cranberries and a maple vinaigrette to go with it.