This delectable Turkey Meatball Recipe in Easy Cream Sauce combines perfectly seasoned meatballs with an easy chicken based cream sauce made right in your skillet. This fabulous recipe comes together in a little over thirty minutes.
Weekends are the absolute best!! They allow me the time to create new recipes!! I can kick back and experiment and make something luxuriously good for my family. Anything creamy with gravy is right up my alley.
Now put it over noodles or mashed potatoes and now we are talking the ultimate in comfort food. These delicious Turkey Meatballs in Easy Cream Sauce turned out fantastic. I think hubby would have had three plates if I had not given him the stink eye!! If you like this recipe try porcupine meatballs, baked meatballs, and Swedish meatballs.
How to Make Turkey Meatballs in Easy Cream Sauce
Start by mixing ground turkey, bread crumbs, dried oregano, garlic powder, minced onion, egg and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Using your hands roll the mixture and shape into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add the meatballs and cook until browned on all sides. Do not crowd the skillet. If necessary work in batches and remove the meatballs to a plate.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes while you whisk constantly. Whisk in the chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, cream and oregano. Simmer for about fifteen minutes. Add the meatballs to the skillet and spoon sauce over meatballs. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve the meatballs and sauce over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, spaghetti, zucchini noodles, or rice. Or serve them as an appetizer with fancy toothpicks.
Four ways to keep your meatballs round!
- Refrigerate – after rolling the meatballs store covered in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to 24 hours.
- Freeze – Place the meatballs on a cookie covered with parchment paper. They can be close together but not touching. Place them in the freezer until frozen. You can cook from frozen or transfer to freezer bags. They are good for up to three months.
- Bake – Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. This method works fairly well because the meatballs are not turned like on the stove top.
- Simmer in liquid – drop into simmering broth until they are partially cooked. When they float remove them to paper towels and then brown in a skillet or in the oven.
Several of these methods can be combined to ensure nice round meatballs.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- Use ground turkey that includes both white and dark meat. Ground turkey breast is very lean and does not make the best meatballs.
- Turkey meatballs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. An instant read meat thermometer is a great investment.
- You can also make this recipe with ground beef but substitute beef broth in place of the chicken broth.
- Follow one or more of my helpful hints for ensuring round meatballs.
- Don’t clean the pan from the meatballs to the sauce. If there is excess grease than remove it but keep the brown bits from the meatballs. They add lots of flavor to the sauce.
- Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. We enjoy lots of fresh ground pepper with ours. Or try fresh basil, thyme, or rosemary.
- Do you like a lot of flavor and kick? Add a couple of pinches of cayenne or red pepper flakes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at a reduced power or on the stovetop on low.
- Freeze in a sturdy airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
This delicious dinner idea is easy, quick and oh so tasty. I sure hope you all like this dish as much as we do!!
Sides to go with Turkey Meatballs
Turkey Meatballs in Easy Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
- 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In large bowl mix ground turkey, breadcrumbs, dried oregano, garlic powder, minced onion, egg and Worcestershire sauce. Shape into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add meatballs and cook until browned on all sides. Do not crowd the skillet. If necessary work in batches. Remove meatballs to oven proof plate or cookie sheet. Place in the oven while you make the sauce.
- Melt butter in same skillet over medium low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes; whisking constantly. Whisk in chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, cream and oregano in large skillet. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add meatballs to skillet and spoon sauce over meatballs. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles or rice.
Notes
- Use ground turkey that includes both white and dark meat. Ground turkey breast is very lean and does not make the best meatballs.
- Follow one or more of my helpful hints for ensuring round meatballs.
- Don't clean the pan from the meatballs to the sauce. If there is excess grease than remove it but keep the brown bits from the meatballs. They add lots of flavor to the sauce.
- Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. We enjoy lots of fresh ground pepper with ours.
- Do you like a lot of flavor and kick? Add a couple of pinches of cayenne or crushed red pepper.
Nutrition
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This post was originally published October 24, 2016 and was republished March 9, 2019 with new content.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Julianne Fitzgerald
My husband and I LOVED this recipe. The meatballs were the perfect consistency! DELICIOUS!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Julianne! So glad that you and your husband liked it!
Amanda Shurtleff
Can i use something else besides heavy cream.?
Beth Pierce
Unfortunately no. Not with the same results.
Nicole
If I do not have Canola oil can I sub it for vegetable oil or olive oil?
Beth Pierce
Yes you can.
Tara
This was legitimately one of the best Internet recipes I’ve ever tried. Thank you so much!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome Tara! So happy that you liked it!
Kim
Can I freeze the sauce and meatballs? I made extra and don’t want them to go to waste.
Beth Pierce
Yes you can. When ready to eat thaw in the fridge overnight and heat up on the stovetop or in the microwave at a reduced power.
Barb
I had no heavy cream so I looked up a substitute and used Greek yogurt. It tasted very good. I will definitely be making this again!
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip, Barb! So glad that you liked the turkey meatballs!
Angie
Would Chicken Stock work instead of Chicken Broth? I’m feeling too lazy to go to the tore right now and I have everything else to make this!
Beth Pierce
Yes! So sorry about the late reply!
Brenda
This recipe is BOMB! The sauce is so delicious. Comfort food at its finest. Thank you for posting it!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Brenda! So glad that you like it!!
Jack Meh
Why preheat the oven if it’s not used in the instructions?
Beth Pierce
Because you are placing the meatballs in the oven while you make the sauce. It is in the directions.
JoAnn
In the instructions it says to preheat oven to 350 degrees. Yet, nowhere does it show to use oven to cook meatballs. I’m confused.
Beth Pierce
Hey Joanne! They are in step 2 “Remove meatballs to oven proof plate or cookie sheet. Place in the oven while you make the sauce.” I hope that helps.
Dee
I made this tonight for dinner. I followed the recipe exactly except I added salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to the meatballs and sauce. I made extra sauce, it was so creamy and delicious. The meatballs were juicy and perfectly cooked. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
Awesome! Thanks Dee! So glad that you liked them!
Sara Welch
Served this for dinner last night and it has easily become a new family favorite dish! Excited for leftovers again tonight!
Allyson Zea
Wow this looks like a delicious and easy meal!!
Suzy
The flavor of the cream sauce with the turkey is incredibly good! Definitely will make again!
katerina @ diethood.com
Oh wow, that cream sauce looks incredible! I bet these taste amaaaazing!
Jen
This is yet another winning dinner idea! Loved that I had everything already in my kitchen to make this. My kids loved it over the egg noodles. Thank you!
Catalina
I am impressed how creamy these meatballs are! I should try them!