Turkey meatballs in a Madeira sauce

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4.75 from 4 votes

Turkey meatballs in a Madeira sauce

A leaner version of the traditional meatball recipe.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Turkey main course
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Easy, Madeira, Turkey
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 300kcal
Author: CookNFreeze

Ingredients

Ingredients for the turkey meatballs

  • 15 g butter
  • 1 small onion very finely sliced and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves sliced and chopped
  • 500 g turkey mince
  • 40 g breadcrumbs
  • 20 g Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 egg beaten
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ¼ tsp dried sage
  • salt and ground black pepper so season
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Ingredients for the Madeira sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion finely sliced and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves sliced and chopped
  • 250 g mushrooms sliced
  • 40 g flour
  • 500 ml chicken stock
  • 90 ml Madeira
  • ½ tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 2 tsps crème fraîche
  • salt and ground black pepper to season

Instructions

Method for the turkey meatballs

  • Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the onions on a medium heat until soft.
  • Add the garlic and fry for another minute; allow to cool before using.
  • In a large bowl mix the onions, garlic, turkey mince, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, beaten egg, herbs and seasoning; ensure that the ingredients are combined thoroughly.
  • Lightly grease a tray for the meatballs.
  • With damp hands, form the meatball mixture into small balls of about 3 cm in size; you can use a dessert spoon to measure out the correct quantity.
  • Place the meatballs on the lightly greased tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Pre heat the oven to 200°C (fan) and cook the meatballs for 15 minutes; the inside temperature of the meatballs should reach 75°C. We've found that this is a much easier way of cooking them.

Method for the Madeira sauce

  • Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions on a medium to low heat until soft.
  • Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the flour, ensuring that everything is coated in flour before slowly stirring in the stock.
  • Stir in the Madeira wine, black peppercorns, bay leaf and sprig of thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to stop the sauce 'catching'.
  • Stir in the crème fraîche before adding the cooked meat balls to the sauce; bring to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, being careful not to break the meatballs.

Notes

Freezing tip: The meatballs and sauce can be frozen in individual portion sizes, defrosted and reheated for an easy mid week meal.
Calories are per portion and for the ingredients listed; not for any accompaniments. The calories are an approximation and will depend in some instances on the size of the ingredients.

7 thoughts on “Turkey meatballs in a Madeira sauce

  1. 5 stars
    I am giving this a five star rating for the Madeira Sauce it is brilliant and shall use for chicken and pork meats.
    The meatballs are good however I felt a little bland.

    1. We were delighted to read that you gave the Madeira Sauce a five star rating and will be using it for other dishes! We were sad to hear that you found the meatballs a little bland, perhaps you could try adding some more seasoning or herbs? Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback.

  2. 5 stars
    I did add more herbs than suggested in the recipe for the meatballs, probably at least double the quantity. However, will not add as much flour to the Madeira sauce next time, it was a little too glutenous for me. Having said that, all in all a nice light recipe which made a change from beef meatballs which we often cook.

  3. 4 stars
    I agree with MD. The sauce was amazing. Having read the comments above I added more herbs to the meatballs and thought they were OK. I think I would use the sauce with pork chops.

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