Oven-Baked Turkey and Mushroom Meatballs

Turkey and mushroom meatballs are a different and delicious option that we can even eat at dinner, as long as we don't accompany them with a side dish that's high in calories.

Reviewed and approved by the nutritionist Maria Patricia Pinero Corredor.

Written by Maite Córdova Vena

Last update: 15 December, 2022

Meatballs are one of the most popular meals at home. They’re usually made with minced beef, or with a mix of veal, pork, turkey, chicken, and beef. There are also meatballs made with fish meat. And, even though all of them are delicious, turkey meatballs have a great advantage, and that is that, since they are made with the bird’s thigh, they have practically no fat. Check out our turkey and mushroom meatballs!

Regarding the nutritional content of turkey meat, it is as follows: each 100 grams (3.5 oz) provides approximately 20 grams (nearly 1 oz) of protein. In addition, it contains essential nutrients for the body, such as iron, calcium, iodine, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and B vitamins (B12, B2, B3, and B6).

Here’s a delicious recipe for turkey meatballs to delight you. And, even though we’re suggesting a breading based on bread, egg, and milk, you can use others too. The important thing is that the meatballs are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Let’s get to it!

Turkey and mushroom meatballs

Ingredients for the meatballs

• 1 large onion
• ¼ cup white wine (50 ml)
• ⅓ cup shitake mushrooms (50 g)
• 1 tray of mushrooms (150 g)
• 2 tablespoons mushroom flour (30 g)
• Chopped turkey breast (300 g)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
• ½ glass of vegetable or poultry stock (100 ml)
• Seasonings: salt, garlic powder, dried thyme.
• Optional: fresh parsley.

Ingredients for the sauce

• 1 small onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 can of whole peeled tomatoes (500 g)
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (50 g)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (15 ml)
• Seasonings: salt, bay leaf, thyme, basil, oregano, white pepper.

Ingredients for the batter

• 1 medium egg
• 2 cups of stale bread crumbs (100 g)
• Optional: whole milk

Preparation

1. Clean the mushrooms well and cut them in slices. Set them to one side.
2. Pour the milk into a bowl and place the soaked breadcrumbs in it to soften them.
3. Break the egg and beat until the yolk and white are completely integrated. Add the egg to the milk and the breadcrumbs.
4. Wash and drain the minced meat well to eliminate the blood.
5. In another bowl, mix the salt, pepper, parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, mushroom flour, mushrooms, and minced meat. Finally, add the vegetable stock to the mixture of ingredients.
6. Let it stand for a minute and mix well to integrate everything that will make up the meatballs.
7. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (356 F)
8. Next, knead the meat with our hands to form a uniform and flexible dough.
9. Begin to form the meatballs, one by one.
10. Grease a baking tray with a little olive oil on a napkin. This procedure will help the meatballs not to stick while baking.
11. Before placing them on the baking sheet, soak each meatball in the egg-milk-bread mixture.
12. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
13. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce for the turkey meatballs as follows: sauté the onion and garlic in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil; process the tomato and add it when the onion is golden brown. Season and set aside until the meatballs are ready.
14. Once the meatballs have finished cooking, add them to the casserole dish with the sauce and let them cook there, over a low heat, for 15 minutes. During this time, the sauce should have reduced and thickened considerably.
15. Add the white wine and let it evaporate.
16. Turn off the heat and serve.

Last considerations

Turkey meatballs can be served with a beet salad or any other type of green side dish. Of course, if you’re wanting a higher-carb side dish, you can prepare some baked potatoes with coarse salt, a sweet potato, or carrot puree, or a serving of brown rice.

The great advantage of the baked turkey and mushroom meatballs is that they can be enjoyed for dinner, as it’s a low-fat dish that won’t be too heavy for the stomach at night and isn’t fattening. Of course, even if the meatballs are “light”, if we add an unhealthy side dish, they’re no longer the best choice for dinner.

If you’re looking for a vegetarian or vegan meatball dish then check out the one we’ve selected for you below.