These turkey meatballs are juicy, tender and cooked in a creamy sauce. We are all looking for protein intake in our daily meals and turkey is an excellent option to add to our daily protein rotation.
This is a sponsored post with Turkey Farmers of Canada. All ideas and opinions are my own.
TEFTELI:
I recently came to know about Tefteli. These are Russian style meatballs. The difference between these and classic l meatballs is that we mix boiled rice into the protein. I have made these with turkey I did this on a Monday evening which is the busiest day in a week for me. I had this with some mashed potatoes. Real comfort food. You can also have this withyour favourite veggies if you’d like!.
The meatballs are made and then boiled in the creamy sauce so every piece is coated with the cream sauce. You can always have the turkey meatballs by themselves. These are quick and easy to whip up.
I made this for the week because I wanted to enjoy it more than once!
THINK TURKEY:
Turkey is a versatile protein that can take on different flavors and be prepared in a lot of different ways – bake it, roast, grill, fry, slow cooker, pressure cook it, etc.
Also, when you eat Canadian turkey, you’re supporting Canadian turkey farmers. Having good food and supporting our communities makes all of us feel good.
So, I wanted to partner with Canadian Turkey to make some amazing dishes after the New Year.. And, Turkey is a lean option that’s great for meal planning and healthy eating. Turkey is too delicious to miss, whether it is every day or special occasions.
COOKING TURKEY:
I have had questions on cooking turkey and when it is done. The best way is to use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey, without touching the bone:
The whole turkey is cooked at 170F (77C)
Ground turkey (Burgers, cutlets, meatballs, sausages) at 165F
Cuts (thigh, wings, and breast legs) at 165F again.
Okay 🙂 It’s time to hit the recipe now:
- Turkey Meatballs: (around 13 if 1 inch)
- • Ground Turkey – 400 grams
- • Cooked white rice – 120 grams (cool it to room temperature)
- • Large egg – 1
- • Onion (red/white) – ½ cup (finely chopped)
- • Garlic – 2 cloves (finely chopped)
- • Salt – ½ tsp
- • Black Pepper powder – ¼ tsp
- • Paprika – ¼ tsp
- • Flour – ½ cup (to pat)
- • Extra light Olive Oil – 2.5 tbsp
- Sauce:
- • Butter – 1 tbsp
- • Flour – 1.5 tbsp
- • Water – 2 cups (veg or poultry broth can be used too)
- • Sour cream – ¼ cup (or plain greek yogurt)
- • Paprika – ½ tsp
- • Salt – ½ tsp
- • Black Pepper powder – ½ tsp
- • Basil – 1 tbsp (freshly chopped to garnish)
- Turkey meatballs:
- In a bowl, combine ground turkey, rice, egg, finely chopped onion, finely chopped garlic, salt, pepper powder and paprika. Mix well. Roll the combined meat into 1 to 1 ½ inch balls (even-sized balls), pat/roll in the flour and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add 2.5 tbsp of oil. Add the meatballs and cook each side for 7 mins until browned and cooked through. You can check using a thermometer (165F) as mentioned above in my notes. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.
- Sauce:
- In the same skillet, add 1.5 tbsp of butter, then whisk in 2 tbsp of flour and continue whisking until golden in color. Whisk in 2 cups of water or broth and stir until it starts to thicken. Add sour cream with paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Add the turkey meatballs.
- Bring sauce to a simmer and stir until it thickens to coat the meatballs. Once the meatballs are warmed up, remove them from heat and garnish with chopped basil. (Remember that the sauce thickens more when it cools.)
