Turkey Meatballs in Gravy
Our recipe for turkey meatballs in gravy is a very easy recipe that you can make, and the whole family will enjoy it. This recipe can easily be prepared for dinner when you are on the go, or even made in advance. We hope that you will give this recipe a try and that you will enjoy it too!
Turkey Meatballs with Gravy
Turkey meatballs with gravy are surprisingly easy to make and are fabulous. You can make these into a delicious main dish for any occasion.
Not only do these meatballs in gravy taste great, but they are also easy to make. Let’s look at what you will need to make our delicious recipe for turkey meatballs and gravy.
Ingredients for Turkey Meatballs and Gravy
Turkey meatballs ingredients
Ground turkey. You can buy packages of ground turkey frozen and fresh at your local grocery store.
Breadcrumbs. You could make your own breadcrumbs by toasting the bread and then crumbling it finely, or you can buy pre-made breadcrumbs at your grocery store.
If you are gluten-free, you can substitute these breadcrumbs for gluten-free oats, or make your own homemade breadcrumbs using gluten-free bread.
Parmesan cheese. We recommend using finely grated Parmesan cheese for this meatball recipe.
Eggs. Eggs are in an essential ingredient in the meatballs as they help to hold everything together.
Worcestershire sauce. A little bit of Worcestershire sauce helps to make these turkey meatballs moist and delicious. Plus, adding Worcestershire sauce also helps increase the overall flavor of your turkey meatballs.
Minced garlic. Freshly minced garlic will give the best overall flavor to these turkey meatballs. If needed you can substitute freshly minced garlic for dried garlic flakes, but it’s not quite the same.
Onion powder. Onion powder helps to season your turkey meatballs and gives it delicious flavors.
Garlic salt. Garlic salt can be picked up from your local grocery store in the seasoning section. Garlic salt is a basic seasoning and it helps to add a delicious flavor to these meatballs.
Brown sugar. A little bit of brown sugar will help to sweeten these meatballs and give you a delicious overall flavor. You can use dark or light brown sugar for this recipe.
Parsley. Dried parsley is great for adding a hint of flavor and color to your turkey meatballs. Although we recommend using dried parsley you can use fresh if desired.
Gravy for Turkey Meatballs
Butter. A little bit of melted butter in a pan is a great base for your gravy. Although you can use whatever type of butter you prefer, we do enjoy using salted butter for this recipe.
Flour. All-purpose flour is a great ingredient to use to help thicken your gravy slightly. You can use cornstarch as a substitute for all-purpose flour if you would rather.
Chicken broth. Chicken broth is a great base for gravy. We recommend using regular chicken broth in a can that you can pick up at your local grocery store. If you prefer you could substitute with vegetable broth or beef broth if desired.
Milk or cream. Adding milk or cream to the gravy helps to make it more of a creamy beef gravy for the meatballs. You can use whatever kind of milk you prefer or even use half-and-half or heavy cream.
Seasoning salt. We like to season the gravy for these turkey meatballs with seasoning salt such as Lowrey’s seasoning salt. You can also pick up other brands of this seasoning salt at your local grocery store. We have an Aldi brand of this salt that we like to use.
Pepper. Freshly ground pepper added to the gravy will help to season your gravy. We recommend using black pepper, for an overall best taste.
How to make The BEST Turkey Meatballs:
To make the absolute best turkey meatballs and gravy, begin by making the meatballs. In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine: ground turkey, crumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, onion powder, garlic salt, brown sugar, and parsley. Mix until ingredients are combined.
Once combined, use a spoon, scooper, or meatball press, and roll meatballs into one-and-a-half-inch diameter balls. Form all this mixture into balls that are approximately the same size.
Although there are several different ways you can cook your turkey meatballs, including in the air fryer, in the oven, and on the stovetop, our favorite way is to cook them on the stove.
How to cook Turkey Meatballs on the Stove
Lightly drizzle a large skillet with oil, then place your prepared meatballs into the skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat and cover with a lid.
Keep an eye on the meatballs while they cook and turn them occasionally so that they brown on all sides.
Continue turning the meatballs as they cook and brown. Your meatballs are done when they reach the internal temperature of at least 165°F.
When the meatballs are close to done, it’s time to prepare the gravy. Although you can make the gravy in the same pan as the meatballs, we have found that it’s easiest to do it in a separate pan.
How to make Gravy
In a medium-sized saucepan, add your butter and place over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt.
When the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour into your saucepan. Stir continually over medium heat for one minute.
After the flour and butter have cooked, add the chicken broth and cream. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a light simmer stirring continually.
When the gravy begins to thicken, and seasoning salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine, then pour the gravy on top of your meatballs.
Allow the meatballs and gravy to simmer together for 5 to 10 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
Add more liquid if needed. It’s always a balancing act do you get the right amount of liquid for your ground turkey and bread crumbs. You don’t want meatballs to be too dry, but you want them to be solid enough that they stay shaped into meatballs as they cook.
We have found the best way to get a good balance is to add a little bit of your liquid, then mix it together and add more if needed.
Prepare Ahead. One of the great things about this meatball recipe is that it can be prepared in advance if you want. You can prepare these meatballs and store them in the fridge raw, or cooked, then pull them out when you’re ready to use.
You can also freeze them so that they are all prepared and all you have to do is pop them out of the freezer before using them.
Substitutions for Turkey Meatballs and Gravy
Breadcrumbs. If you prefer to make these meatballs without breadcrumbs, it can be done. You can simply leave the breadcrumbs out and increase the amount of Parmesan cheese and decrease the amount of milk.
You can also substitute the breadcrumbs by using quick oatmeal as a replacement. You could also substitute store-bought breadcrumbs by making your own homemade breadcrumbs if desired.
Substituting breadcrumbs is especially helpful if you have allergy needs or are simply trying to cut back on carbs. Never fear, if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, it can easily be done!
Chicken broth. We recommended that you use chicken broth to make the gravy, however, if you desire you can substitute chicken broth for beef broth, or vegetable broth if desired.
What goes well with turkey meatballs?
There are so many great sides you can enjoy along with your turkey meatballs in gravy. Below are a few of our favorite side dishes to enjoy with turkey meatballs:
Variations of Turkey Meatballs and Gravy
Turkey Swedish Meatballs
The main difference between our turkey meatballs in the gravy recipe above and Swedish meatballs and gravy is mainly found in the different kinds of gravy.
To enjoy Swedish meatballs use butter, flour, beef broth, thyme, pepper, Greek yogurt, and dried parsley. The process of making the gravy is very similar to the above.
To start, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in melted butter with flour, whisk, and simmer for one minute.
Next, slowly pour in beef broth, and simmer over medium-high heat until it begins to thicken. Add ¼ cup of Greek yogurt, thyme, pepper, and parsley to taste.
Pour the mixture over your meatballs and allow to simmer for a few minutes before serving. Then you can enjoy your Swedish turkey meatballs in gravy.
How to Store and Freeze
Room temperature. No matter if your turkey meatballs are cooked or raw they should remain at room temperature for no more than two hours before they go bad.
In the refrigerator. Raw and cooked turkey meatballs and gravy can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days as long as they are sealed in an airtight container or plastic storage bag.
In the freezer. You can also freeze your turkey meatballs for longer storage if desired. They can be frozen both raw and cooked, as long as they do not contain gravy.
To freeze, transfer them to an airtight container or seal the meatballs in a plastic freezer bag, label and date, then plays into the freezer for up to three months.
Reheating
Reheating on the stovetop. Our favorite way to reheat turkey meatballs and gravy is on the stovetop.
Simply transfer the prepared turkey meatballs and gravy into a saucepan and place it over medium heat covered with a lid. Heat stirring occasionally until the food is warmed through.
Reheating in the oven. Another way you can reheat turkey meatballs and gravy is to transfer them to a casserole dish or pan, and placed them into the oven.
Heat the oven to 350°F and warm for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until the food is warmed through.
Reheating in the microwave. You can also reheat turkey meatballs and gravy in the microwave by transferring them to a microwave-safe bowl.
Cover with a paper towel and then microwave for a minute or two just until the food is warmed through.
FAQs
How to make turkey meatballs moist?
A recipe includes eggs and Worcestershire sauce which will help to keep the turkey meatballs moist. If needed, you could always add a little bit of milk to the meatballs to keep them moist as well.
The key is to not overload them in breadcrumbs so that they are super dry, but only hold their shape.
How do you know when turkey meatballs are done?
Because turkey meatballs are poultry, they must reach the internal temperature of 165°F before they are fully cooked.
Use an instant-read thermometer to take the internal temperature of the turkey meatballs to determine when they are fully cooked.
Are turkey meatballs healthy?
In general, turkey meatballs are quite healthy for you. It all depends on your dietary restrictions and needs.
Can This Be Made Ahead? Can I Freeze?
Yes! Turkey meatballs and gravy are a perfect dish to make ahead of time or to even make the meatballs ahead and freeze them.
Turkey Meatballs in Gravy
Turkey meatballs in gravy are a delicious recipe that you can easily prepare and enjoy for your entire meal. Turkey meatballs and gravy can be prepared quickly, and they taste fabulous. If you’re looking to mix things up, you should definitely try this recipe!
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Turkey Meatballs in Gravy Recipe
Turkey Meatballs in Gravy
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey thawed
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs Italian
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp parsley dried or fresh
Gravy
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp seasoning salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
Making the Meatballs
- To make the absolute best turkey meatballs and gravy, begin by making the meatballs. In a medium-sized mixing bowl combined: ground turkey, crumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, onion powder, garlic salt, brown sugar, and parsley. Mix until ingredients are combined.
- Once combined, use a spoon, scooper, or meatball press, and roll meatballs into one-and-a-half-inch diameter balls. Form all this mixture into balls that are approximately the same size.
- Although there are several different ways you can cook your turkey meatballs, including in the air fryer, in the oven, and on the stovetop, our favorite way is to cook them on the stove.
Cook Turkey Meatballs on the Stove
- Lightly drizzle a large skillet with oil, then place your prepared meatballs into the skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat and cover with a lid.
- Keep an eye on the meatballs that they cook and turn them occasionally so that they brown on all sides.
- Continue turning the meatballs as they cook and brown. Your meatballs are done when they reach the internal temperature of at least 165°F.
- When the meatballs are close to done, it’s time to prepare the gravy. Although you can make the gravy in the same pan as the meatballs, we have found that it’s easiest to do it in a separate pan.
How to make Gravy
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add your butter and place over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt.
- When the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour into your saucepan. Stir continually over medium heat for one minute.
- After the flour and butter have cooked, add the chicken broth and cream. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a light simmer stirring continually.
- When the gravy begins to thicken, and seasoning salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine, then pour the gravy on top of your meatballs.
- Allowed to simmer with the meatballs and gravy together for 5 to 10 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!
