These healthy turkey Swedish meatballs feature the delicious sweet spices and creamy white gravy of traditional Swedish meatballs without all the guilt!
I was first introduced to Swedish meatballs when I visited my sister in Malmo, Sweden. She made us a dish of delicious beef meatballs smothered in the creamiest, thickest scratch gravy and topped with sweet lingon berry jam. It was a little funky, but also a lot delicious! And also, dare I say, life changing?
The problem was that they were not very good for you. The meatballs were made with a fattier cut of beef and the base of the gravy was heavy cream and a dose of butter. Indulgent, to say the least.
So, upon returning home, I dreamed of figuring out how to replicate this recipe in a healthier fashion. And I finally got it figured out.
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How to Make Turkey Swedish Meatballs
Step 1: Make Meatballs
Start by making the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, panko, red onion, fresh parsley, allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and egg.
Mix well to evenly distribute the ingredients. Form meatballs by taking a spoonful of meat and rolling it in your palm until you have a smooth 1” to 1-1/4” meatball. The recipe should result in 16 meatballs of this size.
Step 2: Cook the Meatballs
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add all 16 meatballs and space out evenly (if space allows). You may have to make the meatballs in two batches if you’re using a smaller skillet. If that is the case, use ½ tablespoon of oil per batch.
Cook the meatballs uncovered on one side until they begin to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Then turn the meatballs over and cook on the other side until they brown, another 4 to 5 minutes. They may still be slightly under-cooked at the center at this point, but we are going to rest them and also cook them again in the sauce, so don’t worry about having raw meatballs.
Remove the meatballs from the skillet and place them on a plate. Cover the plate tightly with tin foil and let rest while you make the gravy and noodles.
Step 3: Make the Gravy
In the same frying pan that you cooked the meatballs in, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Let it sit on the bottom of the pan for a minute or two until it just begins to brown. Make sure to scrape up any brown bits from the cooked meat. This adds a ton of flavor to our gravy.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour into the pan. The butter should bubble. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. As you whisk, a thick paste should form. Continue whisking for a minute or so until the flour darkens slightly to a blonde color.
Add the chicken broth, whole milk, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and whisk well to incorporate. Increase the heat to a medium high until the sauce begins to bubble, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 7 to 10 minutes, until the sauce begins to reduce and thicken. Make sure to stir regularly to prevent burning.
Step 4: Cook the Noodles
This step should actually occur simultaneously with Step 3. Just before starting the gravy, bring a large sauce pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles
Any noodle works for this dish. I often use egg noodles, gemelli, cavatappi, fusilli, or penne in this dish.
Test the noodles after about 8 minutes for doneness. The noodles should be soft and no longer white at the center when bitten in half, but not soggy or limp. That will give you the perfect al dente pasta. We want pasta with some snap to it, not something soggy and overcooked.
Drain the noodles and return them to the sauce pot. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Step 5: Combine Ingredients
Add the meatballs back to the gravy. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to finish cooking the meatballs.
I typically cut my largest meatball in half and check that the center is no longer pink to ensure the meatballs are cooked.
Add the noodles into the pan and toss to coat well with gravy. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley and mix to incorporate. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with additional parsley, if desired.
Let us know what you think about these Healthier Swedish Turkey Meatballs by dropping a comment and/or rating on the recipe card below. And please consider sharing on social media/Pinterest if you enjoyed this recipe. We really appreciate it! 🙂
Check out more of our noodle dishes
- Bruschetta Breaded Chicken
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Toasted Cauliflower Gnocchi
- Easy Pad Thai
- Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto
Healthy Turkey Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
Swedish Turkey Meatballs
- 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
- ¼ c whole wheat panko bread crumbs
- ¼ c red onion, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 16 oz egg noodles or gemelli
White Gravy
- 2 Tbsp olive oil butter
- 3 Tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
- 2 c low sodium chicken broth
- 1 c whole milk
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, panko, red onion, fresh parsley, allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and egg. Mix well. Form meatballs by taking a spoonful of meat and rolling it in your palm until you have a smooth 1” to 1-1/4” meatball. This recipe yields 16 meatballs.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add all 16 meatballs and space out evenly. You may have to make the meatballs in two batches if you’re using a smaller skillet. If so, use ½ tablespoon of oil per batch.
- Cook the meatballs uncovered on one side until they begin to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Then turn the meatballs over and cook on the other side until they brown, another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and place on a plate. Cover tightly with tin foil and let rest while you make the gravy and noodles.
- Just before starting the gravy, bring a large saucepot of water to a boil, add the noodles and cook about 8 minutes. Drain and return to the saucepot. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- As the pasta cooks, make the gravy. In the same frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it just begins to brown. Make sure to scrape up any brown bits from the cooked meat.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour into the pan. The butter should bubble. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. A thick paste should form. Continue whisking for a minute or so until the flour darkens slightly to a blonde color.
- Add the chicken broth, whole milk, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and whisk well to incorporate. Increase heat to medium high until the gravy begins to bubble, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 7 to 10 minutes, until the sauce begins to reduce and thicken. Make sure to stir regularly to prevent burning.
- Add the meatballs back to the gravy. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to finish cooking the meatballs. You can check that the meatballs are done by cutting one in half and checking that the center is no longer pink.
- Add the cooked noodles to the pan and toss to coat with gravy. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley and mix to incorporate. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with additional parsley, as desired.
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