Meatballs are comfort food at its best. Have you ever gone to IKEA and had their swedish meatballs? Plus, with the creamy sauce?! Oh my gosh. Hard to beat. But watch out IKEA, these Turkey Swedish Meatballs are just as good, and bonus – they are gluten-free and dairy-free.
I’ve been wanting to make a healthier version of these for a while. Glad I finally did it, as the result came out amazing, and it will definitely be on a regular rotation. The meatballs taste fantastic, and I’m glad I went the extra step of sauteing the onions before adding them to the meatball mixture. I think this step really made the meatballs taste that much more fantastic. So I recommend you don’t skip that step.
I served the meatballs over gluten-free pasta, but you they would also be great over rice, quinoa or with sauteed greens (if you want to keep it lower carb), or heck, just have them all by themselves.
NOTE: When I made this recipe, I used FULL FAT coconut milk. Simply because I wanted a really rich tasting sauce. It did not disappoint. It was very rich and creamy. So I do warn you, the fat content is high if you use the full fat canned coconut milk as listed in the ingredients. However, in the notes below, I also added the nutrition for if you use LIGHT can of coconut milk. Next time I make it, I’m going to try with LIGHT coconut milk to compare the taste. I’m sure it will be as delicious, just a bit lighter and not as rich.
So feel free to make it whichever way suits you best.
- 1 lb (454 grams) raw ground lean turkey
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ cup quick oats (or instant oats)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup egg whites (I used carton egg whites)
- 2 cloves (or 1 tsp) garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins brand is gluten-free)
- ¼ tsp salt & pepper
- ⅛ tsp allspice
- 1 Tbsp gluten-free flour (or all-purpose)
- 1 Tbsp vegan margarine or butter
- 1 400mL (or 13.5 oz) can regular coconut milk
- ½ cup beef broth (check label for gluten-free)
- Pepper, to taste
- In a large skillet, mist it with oil or cooking spray. Saute the finely chopped onions until they are translucent and start to brown. Set aside.
- Prepare the meatball mixture. In a medium bowl, add the raw turkey, egg, egg white, oats, salt/pepper, allspice, worcestershire and garlic. Lastly, add in the cooled cooked onions.
- Heat up the same large skillet to medium/high and spray again with oil. I found my meatball mixture quite wet, so they didn't roll into balls. Drop spoonfuls of meatball mixture into the pan. Brown on one side (about 3 min) then flip and cook on the other side. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to do this in batches. The meatballs won't be fully cooked, as they can finish cooking in the sauce.
- Now to prepare the sauce. Once the meatballs are browned and removed from the pan, prepare the sauce in the same skillet.
- Using 1 Tbsp vegan margarine (or butter), 1 Tbsp gluten-free flour (or all-purpose), whisk together until it makes a paste. Pour in the can of coconut milk, and beef broth. Season with pepper.
- Allow to simmer for a few minutes until it starts to thicken up (it will thicken more later). Add back in the meatballs and simmer together for about 10 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally. During this time the sauce should thicken, and the meatballs will be fully cooked through.
- Serve meatballs on their own, over pasta or rice. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Cals: 331 Fat: 16.2 g Sodium: 460 mg Carbs: 17 g Fiber: 1.5 g Sugars: 8.6 g Protein: 29 g