Baked Turkey Meatballs in Beer Sauce

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

Turkey meatballs always make a fantastic weeknight main dish. While turkey is on the leaner side, when you combine it with a generous amount of sauteed onions, herbs, and breadcrumbs, these meatballs turn out super flavorful and tender. This recipe calls for baking them in the oven, which eliminates the mess of frying and takes only about 15 minutes! 

The real star of the show in this recipe is the beer and onion sauce. Onions, sauteed until golden, make up the base and add a touch of sweetness. A roux, a blend of flour and fat, thickens the sauce and gives it a velvety, smooth texture. The addition of beer introduces a robust, earthy richness and brings complexity to the dish.

Ladle it generously over creamy mashed potatoes, fluffy rice, or tender egg noodles for a hearty and satisfying dish perfect for chilly weather!

This Ground Turkey Meatball recipe is:

• Tasty! The beer onion sauce is decadent with rich flavor!
• Easy! The list of ingredients looks long, but many are pantry ingredients or are used in both the meatballs and the sauce. The technique is easy, and the meatballs are baked in the oven for only about 15 minutes.
• Cozy and hearty! This recipe is perfect for colder weather and offers a satisfying, elevated version of comfort food.
• Make ahead! The meatballs and/or the sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated. To reheat, add extra broth to the sauce and simmer on the stovetop until heated. The sauce thickens in the refrigerator.

How to Make Baked Turkey Meatballs in Beer Sauce:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this baked turkey meatball recipe. The recipe card below has the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Ground Turkey: I used 93% lean, 7% fat ground turkey. If you have a source for fresh ground turkey, such as The Fresh Market, you can get all-white ground turkey if you prefer something leaner. Other types of meat will also work, such as ground chicken, pork, or beef.
• Beer: Lager beer, a type of beer brewed at low temperatures, is recommended for this recipe. It has a clean, crisp taste with a hint of sweetness. Any variety of lager-style beer will work for this dish. NON-ALCOHOLIC SUBSTITUTION: Most alcohol will get cooked out as it simmers, but not all. If you do not consume alcohol, use a non-alcoholic beer.
• Onions: I used regular (not sweet) yellow onions for this baked turkey meatball recipe; they work best for general cooking.
• Dried Thyme: Dried thyme is used in the meatballs and the sauce. Its minty and slightly woodsy flavor highlights the earthy elements in the sauce. Dried thyme has a more concentrated flavor than fresh, so if you’d like to use fresh instead, use a third more of the amount that is called for. The standard ratio is one part dried to three parts fresh.
• Panko: Also known as Japanese bread crumbs, panko’s coarse texture is good for meatballs and meatloaf. It can be found in the baking aisle near the other breadcrumbs.
• All-Purpose Flour: I always use unbleached all-purpose flour.
• Worcestershire Sauce: This fermented liquid condiment brings the umami element to this sauce. Worcestershire sauce balances out the sweetness from the brown sugar and adds a tangy, savory element to this dish.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard has a sharper and more complex flavor than yellow. You can’t go wrong with Grey Poupon and it’s always a good idea to keep this condiment on hand. The best substitute for Dijon mustard is stone-ground mustard, but you can also use yellow in a pinch.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness and caramel-like flavor to this dish.

• Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool slightly.
• Add the panko, 1/2 cup chicken broth, egg, salt, black pepper, and parsley and mix well.
• Add the ground turkey and mix well.

• Form into 1-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 165 degrees.

• SAUCE: Heat butter and oil over medium-high heat in the same skillet you used to cook the onions for the meatballs.
• Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 18 to 20 minutes or until soft and beginning to turn golden.
• Add the garlic, dried thyme, tomato paste, and all-purpose flour. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

• Add the beer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in parsley.
• Add the meatballs back in and heat through.

Chef Tips and Tricks:

• You can free-form the meatballs, but I use a 1 or 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop to make the meatballs.
  • Grab a handful of the meat mixture in one hand and the cookie dough scoop in the other.
  • Use the heel of the hand holding the meat mixture to level off the scoop. Then, empty the scoop onto a baking sheet.
  • Then, wet your hands and fine-tune them, rolling them into neat little balls in the palms of your hands.
• Don’t rush sauteeing the onions! Taking the necessary time to saute the onions ensures that the flavor and texture are just right. Cooking on medium-low brings out the onions’ natural sweetness and adds an umami element. You don’t need to caramelize the onions; you just want a nice golden color. Cooking at too high a temperature risks burning the onions.
• When reheating, you might want to stir in a splash of broth or two to maintain the sauce’s perfect consistency, as it tends to thicken when refrigerated.
• These easy, simply-flavored meatballs can go with numerous other sauces.

Storage:

• Refrigerate any leftovers from this baked turkey meatball recipe and enjoy within five days.
• Freeze in the desired portions for two to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator or in the microwave. Reheat on the stovetop in a saucepan or in the oven.

Serve with:

• Riced Cauliflower
• Celery Root Puree
• Creamy Mashed Turnips
• A green vegetable and salad!

More great meatball recipes you’ll love!

• Meatballs in Spicy Curry
• Middle Eastern Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
• Asian Turkey Meatballs
• Asian Chicken Meatballs Recipe

Get all my turkey recipes at Turkey Meatballs – From A Chef’s Kitchen.