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This Meatball Stroganoff uses juicy turkey meatballs in a creamy mushroom-sour-cream sauce—lighter, high-protein comfort food with Instant Pot, slow cooker, and stovetop options.
Turkey Meatball Stroganoff
I love taking classic comfort foods and making them lighter and higher in protein so you can enjoy them more often without feeling weighed down. That’s exactly what I did with this Meatball Stroganoff—tender turkey meatballs simmered in a creamy, tangy mushroom sauce that feels just as cozy as the original. It’s family-friendly, protein-packed, and perfect over egg noodles (or veggie noodles if you want to keep it lighter). You can make it on the stove, in the Instant Pot, or let the slow cooker do the work. I even cooked this dish for fifty people at the Ronald McDonald House, and the families gave it rave reviews! If you love these meatballs and want to try some other favorites, you will love these Italian Turkey Meatballs or Salisbury Steak Meatballs! And for a chicken variation, we also love this easy chicken stroganoff.
Why This Works
My family loves meatballs (hello giant meatball parmesan!), and stroganoff, so this dish is always a winner in my home! I love coming up with new unique meatball ideas and this one did not disappoint.
- Family Friendly: great for school aged kids
- Any cooking method: I’ve included directions for the pressure cooker, slow cooker or stove top
- Great for Meal Prep: Leftovers reheat lovely!
- High-protein comfort food that still feels classic
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these juicy meatballs. See exact measurements in the recipe card below.
For the Meatballs
- Lean ground turkey – the lighter, high-protein base for juicy meatballs
- Seasoned breadcrumbs and egg – bind the mixture and keep the meatballs tender
- Milk – adds moisture so the turkey doesn’t dry out
- Onion, garlic, and fresh parsley – classic aromatics that build flavor right into the meatballs
- Salt and black pepper – simple seasonings that enhance every bite
For the Stroganoff Sauce
- Olive oil – for sautéing the vegetables and starting the sauce
- Cremini mushrooms and onion – the savory, earthy foundation of stroganoff flavor
- Tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika – add depth, tang, and warmth to the creamy sauce
- Beef bouillon or Better Than Bouillon – creates that rich, beefy stroganoff taste without using beef
- Water or broth – the liquid base that simmers into a flavorful gravy
- Flour – thickens the sauce to the perfect silky texture
- Light sour cream – stirred in at the end for the signature creamy finish
- Fresh thyme sprig – gently infuses the sauce with herby aroma
For Serving
- Egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes – hearty options to soak up the sauce
- Extra parsley – a fresh garnish to brighten the finished dish
How To Make Meatball Stroganoff
Here’s the step-by-step directions to make meatballs stroganoff. See recipe card for printable directions.
- Mix the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper, then roll into small meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet, Instant Pot, or slow cooker insert and brown the meatballs until golden, then set aside.
- Sauté onion and mushrooms, stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire, paprika, thyme, and bouillon, then sprinkle with flour and whisk in broth to form the sauce.
- Return the meatballs to the pot and cook until tender and the sauce thickens—pressure cook in the Instant Pot, simmer on the stove, or let the slow cooker do the work.
- Remove from heat, stir in sour cream, adjust seasoning, and serve the stroganoff over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes with a sprinkle of parsley.
Helpful Tips and Variations:
- Swap turkey for ground chicken or beef if you prefer.
- Make it gluten-free with GF breadcrumbs and noodles.
- Add extra veggies like peas or spinach for more nutrition.
- Freeze the cooked meatballs and sauce in portions for easy meal prep.
- Brown the meatballs in batches and avoid turning them until the bottoms release easily and have a nice crust.
- Instant Pot tip: Newer models are more sensitive to the “burn” warning. To prevent issues, always deglaze the pot after sautéing by adding a splash of water and scraping up any browned bits before layering in the rest of the ingredients.
More Meatball Recipes:
- Chicken Marsala Meatballs
- Moroccan Meatballs
- Asian Turkey Meatballs with Gochujang Glaze
- Cheesy Turkey Meatball Skillet
- Vegetarian Zucchini Meatballs
Meatball Stroganoff
A cozy, high-protein twist on the classic stroganoff—juicy turkey meatballs simmered in a creamy mushroom sauce. Easy to make in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 5 meatballs, 1/2 cup mushroom sauce
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 pound 93% ground turkey
- 1/3 cup whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley, divided
- 3 tbsp fat free milk
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons beef Bouillon, I like Better Than Bouillon
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 8 ounces sliced Cremini mushrooms
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
Instructions
- Heat a large nonstick skillet or set the Instant Pot to saute and spray with oil; saute the onions over medium heat until golden, stirring 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and divide in two.
- In a large bowl, combine half of the sautéed onions with the ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, 2 tbsp of the parsley, milk, 3/4 tsp salt and black pepper. Gently shape into 20 meatballs.
- In a blender combine the water, sour cream, flour, tomato paste, boullion, Worcestershire sauce and paprika, blend until smooth.
- Heat the skillet or Instant Pot back on saute, add half the oil and brown half of the meatballs without disturbing (in two batches) about 2 minutes until no longer sticks, turn and brown an additional 2 minutes, set aside on a dish and repeat with remaining oil and meatballs.
- Place all the meatballs and remaining onion into the Instant pot, Slow Cooker or a large saucepan and pour the sauce over the meatballs along with the thyme and mushrooms.
- For the Instant Pot:Cook on high pressure 10 minutes. Let the pressure release on it’s own. When done, discard thyme, add the chopped parsley and serve over your favorite noodles. *see note above about avoiding burn notice.
- For the stove top:Add 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil then cook covered on low 20 to 25 minutes. When done, discard thyme, add the chopped parsley and serve over your favorite noodles.
- For slow cooker:Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. When done, discard thyme, add the chopped parsley and serve over your favorite noodles.
Last Step:
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Notes
- Swap turkey for ground chicken or beef if you prefer.
- Make it gluten-free with GF breadcrumbs and noodles.
- Add extra veggies like peas or spinach for more nutrition.
- Freeze the cooked meatballs and sauce in portions for easy meal prep.
- Brown the meatballs in batches and avoid turning them until the bottoms release easily and have a nice crust.
- Instant Pot tip: Newer models are more sensitive to the “burn” warning. To prevent issues, always deglaze the pot after sautéing by adding a splash of water and scraping up any browned bits before layering in the rest of the ingredients.
Nutrition
Serving: 5 meatballs, 1/2 cup mushroom sauce, Calories: 310 kcal, Carbohydrates: 14.5 g, Protein: 27.5 g, Fat: 16 g, Cholesterol: 142 mg, Sodium: 372 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 2 g
