Easy Turkey Swedish Meatballs - Healthy Recipe (2024)

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October 20, 2021 by dwardcooks

Turkey Swedish Meatballs is such an easy and delicious weeknight meal. Swedish meatballs are a super simple and satisfying meal that can be ready by the time you boil pasta to serve on the side. I was first introduced to these savory meatballs when I was outfitting my college dorm with cheap, cube-shaped furniture from everyone’s favorite affordable Swedish furniture store, and they have been a favorite dinner ever since.

Easy Turkey Swedish Meatballs - Healthy Recipe (1)

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it utilizes my Plain Jane Turkey meatballs that freeze really well. These can be batch cooked and frozen really easily. The meatball recipe is a lifesave during busy weeks. These turkey meatballs are also great for appetizers like my Sweet Chili Meatballs or they can be served with my weeknight marinara for a full hearty dinner.

Simple Turkey Meatballs

I keep my turkey meatballs simple so they can go with whatever sauce I serve them with. For football games, I like to toss them in hot sauce and serve them with my healthy Greek yogurt ranch or my homemade blue cheese dressing. They are quickly assembled and bake for 20 minutes at 400°F and make excellent meal prep.

These simple turkey meatballs are great for anyone looking for an easy way to use up ground turkey with common pantry ingredients. Sometimes I'll find myself buying ground turkey when shopping thinking I'll cook something healthy. Suddenly, it's Friday and I have to use it or freeze it. My freezer is filled with these meatballs because how well they freeze and how delicious they are.

Easy Turkey Swedish Meatballs - Healthy Recipe (2)

For meal prep purposes, I typically double or triple my turkey meatball recipe whenever I make them. To freeze, I freeze them on a baking sheet for 1-2 hours before transferring into a freezer bag. For this recipe, I thaw my meatballs the night before. If I am making marinara sauce, I plop them in frozen and heat them that way.

Healthy Turkey Swedish Meatballs

This recipe, as written, serves four people and each serving is 248 calories and 35 g of Protein (full nutritional info below). For those that follow Weight Watchers, each serving is 3 points on Blue and Purple and 4 points on Green.

Easy Turkey Swedish Meatballs - Healthy Recipe (3)

What do I serve with Swedish Meatballs?

Swedish meatballs are commonly served over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. While my girls love these with buttered egg noodles, I will always prefer them with creamy mashed potatoes. These are exceptionally good with baked potatoes or roasted potatoes, although that is not as common. I typically serve these with potatoes and simple roasted green beans because they cook at the same temperature, and they are done around the same time. IKEA always serves them with a side of Lingonberry jam and I love the tart and savory combo.

Yield: 4

Turkey Swedish Meatballs Healthy Recipe

Swedish meatballs are a super simple and satisfying meal that can be ready by the time you boil pasta to serve on the side. I was first introduced to these savory meatballs when I was outfitting my college dorm with cheap, cube-shaped furniture from everyone’s favorite affordable Swedish furniture store, and they have been a favorite dinner ever since.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Turkey Meatballs

1 lb lean ground turkey
6 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 egg
½ tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Swedish Meatball Gravy

½ cup flour
4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup Greek yogurt
OPTIONAL GARNISH: fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Mix all the turkey meatball ingredients together in a bowl until combined.
Portion out 20 meatballs using a mini ice cream scoop, food scale, or spoon.
Spray a baking sheet with preferred cooking spray and place meatballs on baking sheet. Cook meatballs for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
While the meatballs cook, start the sauce. Mix ½ cup of flour into beef broth really well (I shake in a mason jar) to ensure there are no lumps.
In a frying pan on medium heat, add broth to a large pan and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Add nutmeg, pepper, fresh thyme, and meatballs. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in Greek yogurt.
Taste, and adjust salt and pepper (this depends on preference and beef broth you use).
Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes. Top with fresh parsley, if you’re feeling fancy.

Notes

Meal prep tip: If you have meatballs already cooked from a previous day, add them to the sauce and allow them to simmer until they are heated through before you add the Greek yogurt. It’s best to add the Greek yogurt at the very end.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

5 meatballs + sauce
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 248Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 564mgCarbohydrates: 20gNet Carbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 35g