There is nothing better than these turkey meatballs! These will quickly become your go-to midweek supper choice since they are herby, garlicky, and cooked in a delicious maple mustard sauce.
Meatballs—what’s not to love about them? They are really simple to prepare, have a ton of flavor in every mouthful, and work well for meal prep. My go-to dish for spring and summer is baked tuna meatballs or fennel pork meatballs. But when autumn/winter arrives, these turkey meatballs become the main focus.
Fresh rosemary and thyme flavor them, and they are really addicting after dipping a tiny bit into that sweet, mustardy sauce. Bonus: Because they include less meat than other burgers, they will satisfy your hunger without making you feel heavy.
WHAT’S IN THIS TURKEY MEATBALL RECIPE?
This meatball dish is quite simple, however it tastes amazing thanks to the delectable sauce. This is what you’ll require.
- Ground Turkey: As a leaner option, I’m using ground turkey. However, you may also use ground pork, chicken, beef, or a combination of two meats!
- Egg & Almond Flour: Almond flour and eggs serve as a binder to keep the meatballs together.
- Onion: A small amount of finely chopped onion melts into the meatballs to give them the ideal flavor boost.
- Garlic: While most meatball recipes call for two cloves of garlic, I use four. In my view, the more garlic, the better!
- Herbs: The taste of these lighter meatballs is wonderful and fragrant, thanks to the use of fresh thyme and rosemary.
Here’s the best part: the meatball sauce with a maple-dijon blend. It flawlessly covers the balls with a smooth, silky texture that combines savory and sweet flavors.
- Chicken Broth: Turkey or chicken broth can be used in place of the other.
- Dijon Mustard: This mustard gives the sauce a noticeable spicy taste and thickens it.
- Maple Syrup: I prefer to use maple syrup in the fall, but honey would work just as well for a honey mustard twist.
- Mayonnaise: A small amount of mayo gives the sauce a wonderful aioli-like taste!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE MEATBALLS
Are you wondering why I adore this recipe? There isn’t much chopping and slicing done. All you need to do is cut a few herbs and dice half an onion.
- Prepare the combination of turkey. Avoid over-mixing the meatballs for a delicate texture. which is why I always prefer to mix by hand rather than using any other kitchen tool. Simply combine the meatball ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and use your hands to dig in!
- Shape your meatballs. Use a medium cookie scoop to ensure evenly sized meatballs every time. Next, use your hands to roll a ball and set them on a plate.
- Marinate the meatballs. To avoid overcrowding the pan, heat up some oil in it and fry half of the meatballs. Once the first half is cooked, move those to a dish and repeat with the other half.
- Construct the sauce. After using the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, mix in the mayonnaise, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard. The sauce should be creamy after whisking.
- Mix everything together. Toss in the sauce, return the meatballs to the pan, and garnish with fresh herbs to complete the dish!
STORAGE TIPS
These turkey meatballs are delicious right out of the oven, but they get even better the next day. To avoid wasting more time in the kitchen on a hectic weekday, they may be prepared in advance and frozen.
- To store: Just place any remaining food—or the entire batch—in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for three to four days.
- To freeze: You may freeze them for up to three months if you want to keep them for a longer period of time.
- Make careful to defrost the frozen meatballs in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. When it’s time to reheat, place them in a skillet and cook it for one to two minutes, or until it’s well warmed.
MORE EASY DINNER IDEAS
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- 1½ pound ground turkey
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- extra fresh rosemary and thyme for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the turkey, egg, onion, garlic, almond flour, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Toss everything together with your hands until everything is well blended.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or a measuring cup, measure out 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of the mixture, then roll it between your hands to create about 30 meatballs. The meatballs should be put on a dish.
- In a big pan, heat up two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. After adding half of the meatballs to the pan, cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until browned all over. Take out half of the meatballs, place them on a platter, then add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and continue with the other half. Transfer the remaining meatballs to the platter when they have finished cooking.
- Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan and scrape up any pieces from the bottom with a spatula. Next, include the mayonnaise, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard. Combine all ingredients and allow sauce to boil until thick and creamy. Return the meatballs to the pan and reheat them thoroughly. Before serving, add more freshly chopped herbs as a garnish.