Here we are with a recipe taken from my meal plan, the Turkey and Sage Meatballs are perfect for a complete and balanced main course. Golden meatballs on the outside with a soft heart, the scent of sage in the kitchen is pure magic. A simple recipe to prepare, you can also follow the video recipe below the first photo. In short, I will explain step-by-step how to prepare this dish that adults love and that is so adored by children. I decided to serve these ground meatballs with a potato salad and peas as a side dish, of course, you will find the recipe on my blog.
Note to highlight: this is a perfect recipe for those intolerant to lactose or for those like me who can no longer eat large quantities of cheese as they used to. Indeed, it is a cheese-free recipe. Second note: there is no stale or old bread to soak in milk, same story, I can’t use lactose, I could have done it with skimmed milk, but I decided to offer you directly a milk-free recipe in all its forms.
Don’t worry, the Turkey and Sage Meatballs will be nice and soft inside as if there were cheese or milk. In this case, if you are intolerant and want to try other recipes, I’ll leave you with one of my favorites: the Cheese and Milk-Free Meatballs with ground meat.
Over the years I’ve presented many Meatball Recipes from the classic meat ones to those with vegetables and greens. A universal dish, any ingredient can be transformed into a meatball. Below you will find the links to the latest published recipes. In the Collection Meatball Recipes you will find them all divided by main ingredient.
I also remind you that I wait for you every morning in the group and on the Facebook fan page of Le Ricette di Bea with the Recipe of the Day and on all social profiles with lots of other food and non-food content live from my kitchen. To sign up, find the box below the recipe with the links.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 656.06 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 18.51 (g) of which sugars 1.87 (g)
- Proteins 48.00 (g)
- Fat 44.29 (g) of which saturated 6.87 (g)of which unsaturated 5.77 (g)
- Fibers 1.96 (g)
- Sodium 495.17 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for about 16 Turkey and Sage Meatballs
The quantities indicated below are to prepare two servings of turkey and sage meatballs; you should get about 16 medium-small meatballs. They will be easier to cook and will only require 20 minutes of cooking. This is a very simple recipe, with few ingredients and especially perfect for those on a diet like me. The children will love these meatballs, crunchy outside and soft inside. Turkey meat is perfect for burgers and meatballs to serve to our children or grandchildren.
- 14 oz ground turkey meat
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 10 leaves sage (nice and large, otherwise you will need more small leaves)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Tools for Turkey and Sage Meatballs
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Pan
- 1 Lid
- 1 Plate
- 1 Small Bowl
Steps for Turkey and Sage Meatballs Recipe
How to prepare ground turkey meatballs? If you’ve already seen the video recipe, you already know, if you haven’t seen it yet, you can read the step-by-step here and prepare them with me.
Take a high-sided bowl and pour in about 14 ounces of ground turkey meat, obviously if making meatballs for two people otherwise you will need more. Add one egg yolk, set the white aside and make pancakes with my recipe!
Once the egg is added, it’s time for the breadcrumbs; in my case, Nonna Sandra takes care of distributing old bread to the whole family. Two generous tablespoons initially and then keep it aside, as you may need more if the meat is very moist. Then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and if you like, nutmeg. Use the spoon to begin mixing.
As you can see, few ingredients; being on a diet, I cannot add cheese to the mix, nor can I soak old bread in milk. Of course, if you don’t have restrictions, you can replace the two tablespoons of breadcrumbs with two nice slices of stale bread soaked in two tablespoons of milk. You can also add a tablespoon of cheese or pecorino romano. If you choose the latter, be cautious with the salt amount, as pecorino romano is already salty.
We are ready to shape our meatballs. Place a plate nearby and use your hands to take small amounts of the mixture, considering that with 14 ounces of ground meat I made 16 medium-small meatballs all the same size. This will also help during cooking, as having similar-sized meatballs will prevent some from being overcooked and others undercooked.
Once all the turkey meatballs are ready, proceed with cooking. Pour a little extra virgin olive oil into a nice wide non-stick pan and lay down the sage leaves as if creating a green bed where we’ll place our meatballs. As you may have noticed from the ingredient list, this recipe does not include a sauté. Since I’m dieting, I can’t make it, but if you have no issues, you can prepare the classic onion, celery, and carrot sauté, which will add more flavor and taste to our meat main course.
Then place the meatballs in the pan and keep the heat medium-high for a few minutes, so a nice white crust forms on the meatballs. The heat will help prevent the meatballs from falling apart during cooking. After this time, without ever using a spoon or spatula but rather using decisive movements of the handle to toss the meatballs in the pan, you can cover with the lid and let them cook on medium-low heat for about ten minutes.
Then turn the meatballs to the other side; now you can use a spoon or spatula, and let them cook for another 10 minutes. I never added water, wine, or extra oil during cooking. Once the cooking of the turkey and sage meatballs is finished, we are ready to serve them. I served them with a potato and pea salad; I will write the recipe in the coming days if you’re curious.
I just have to remind you that I wait for you every day here in my kitchen with many easy, quick, and delicious recipes like this one! Enjoy your meal!!!
Storage
You can store the Turkey and Sage Meatballs in a container with a lid in the refrigerator for a couple of days and then reheat them before serving with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or water.
You can also decide to cook the meatballs, let them cool at room temperature, and then store them in the freezer in a container with a lid, keeping them for up to twenty days. Remember to transfer them from the freezer to the fridge the night before if you want to eat the meatballs for lunch. If you need them for dinner, take them out of the freezer in the morning. In both cases, before serving, heat the meatballs in a pan with a little oil.
