Salisbury steak meatballs (or patties if you prefer!) are a delicious protein option to complement any meal. Accompanied by a beefy stock gravy, mushrooms and tons of flavor this fish comes together in just about 20 minutes! Best of all, we’re going to be using turkey (you will hardly be able to tell it’s not beef, I promise) for a healthier option and this recipe is not just clean eating, it’s also keto-friendly with just about 3 grams of carbs per serving! Paired with a deliciously cheesy Cauliflower Mash and some buttered sweet peas or some Creamed Spinach, I’m sure it will become a weeknight staple!
To make this dish we’re going to need the following: For the meatballs we’ll be using ground turkey, an egg, some Parmesan cheese and spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder -feel free to use fresh!-, smoked paprika, dried basil and dried oregano). And for the gravy: Mushrooms, beef bone broth (or stock), whole wheat pastry flour, butter, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.
Add the egg, Parmesan cheese and the spices to the ground turkey. You can take it a step further by using fresh garlic and adding in some chopped onions. I also added a pinch of fennel seeds to mine. Mix it all together until the ingredients are fully distributed and well incorporated.
Shape the meat mixture into balls (12-16 depending on how big you like them) and we’ll pop them into a pre-heated oven to bake. We’ll see them in about 15 minutes! Note that you can also cook them in an oiled saucepan and brown the outsides which does develop an amazing flavor however be careful not to over cook them as turkey does tend to dry out and be sure to use the same pan to make your gravy in since you will have a rich development of flavors! I personally prefer to bake them as it’s faster and less hands on but the option is yours!
While the meatballs are baking we’ll make our gravy. Start by adding the butter to a saucepan along with the onions and garlic. We’re going to cook it until the garlic is just fragrant.
Then we’ll add in our mushrooms and stir them around. You can use fresh or frozen mushrooms. Mine were bought fresh but I stuck the carton in the freezer, a great way to keep fresh mushrooms good until you need them!
Be sure to cook the mushroom on a med-low heat for longer than you might think you need to. You want all the extra liquid to cook off and for the mushrooms to almost caramelize. This is where we develop the flavor for our gravy so don’t skip this step!
When the mushrooms are done remove them from the pan but don’t wash the pan just yet! We’re going to use all that cooked on goodness to flavor our gravy. Add the butter and melt it.
Once the butter is melted you’re going to want to reduce your heat to LOW before you add the flour. This is essentially a roux we’re making and you want the flour to absorb all the fat of the butter but not burn. This is necessary because the butter helps the flour to expand, separate, cook evenly and thoroughly which leads to a smooth gravy with a fuller flavor.
After a few minutes add the broth, and whisk well to ensure the gravy is smooth and lump free. Now you can raise the heat to allow the sauce to simmer and thicken, adding more broth if needed until the desired thickness is achieved.
Finally we’re going to add back our mushrooms and mix them in to disperse their flavor.
By now our meatballs should be done…
Add them to the gravy and allow them to simmer on low for a few minutes.
Be sure to turn them so that your smooth mushroom gravy covers them fully. MMMMM….
These turkey Salisbury meatballs are simple, delicious, and healthy. Made with wholesome ingredients, it comes together in no time and pairs well with veggies or mashes!
Clean and Simple Salisbury Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
For Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp Parmesean cheese (optional)
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic (fresh or powder)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
For Gravy:
- 3 tbsp salted butter (divided)
- 1/2 medium onion (minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 6 oz mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 tbsp stone ground whole wheat pastry flour (or 100% white whole wheat flour)
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups beef bone broth (or beef stock)
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt (to taste)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper (to taste)
- chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
For Meatballs
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs into a bowl until everything is well dispersed and integrated.
- Portion the meat mixture into 12-16 evenly sized portions and roll each portion into a ball.
- Place each ball on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
For Gravy:
- Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a medium-sized saucepan. When the butter is melted and just begins to bubble and froth add in the onions and garlic and fry until the garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds)
- Add in the mushrooms and cook on medium-heat until half of the liquid in the pan (released by the mushrooms and onions and butter) has evaporated and cooked off and the mushrooms are browned. Lower the heat and continue cooking until all the liquid is gone and the mushrooms are just beginning to fry. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter to the pan that the mushrooms were cooked in. When the butter has melted and is bubbling add the flour. Ensure that the heat is low. Stir incorporate the butter and flour until the flour is no longer white and has absorbed all the butter.
- After 1-2 minutes, when the flour and butter is cooked through, add half of the broth in and begin to whisk continuously to ensure that no lumps form.
- Increase the heat to med-high and allow the smooth, lump-free gravy to come to a simmer while continuing to whisk and adding more broth as needed.
- When the gravy has thickened to your liking, remove it from the heat and add the cooked mushrooms back to the pan.
- Add the meatballs to the pan and smother them in the gravy. Top with fresh parsley (or cilantro) and serve.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
- Feel free to use a half beef, half turkey combination or even full beef if you prefer.
- You can make this recipe by cooking the meatballs first in the pan you intend to make the gravy in. This works especially great with beef which contains more fat than turkey does so the drippings will aid in developing an even richer depth of flavor for your gravy!
- If your ground turkey is too wet or loose, add in 1/3 cup of gluten-free or 100% whole wheat breadcrumbs to help it bind together
