This turkey with sage cream sauce is deliciously fragrant and so easy to make in your skillet! The best comfort food dinner, it's equally perfect for a busy weeknight or when entertaining.
Turkey often feels a little overlooked in comparison to chicken, but it's so tasty and definitely not just for Thanksgiving and holiday recipes! This sage turkey joins my spicy turkey stew, ginger turkey lettuce wraps and turkey quinoa soup, amongst others, to enjoy year-round!
For other herb-based poultry dishes, you may like to see my herb cream cheese stuffed chicken and brown butter and sage chicken. Both so juicy and delicious!
The sage cream sauce in this turkey recipe is super simple, but perhaps a little different to others. To keep it dairy-free, we use coconut cream in place of heavy cream, and swap out butter for olive oil. It's just as decadent, with that fragrant herby hum from the sage!
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Why this recipe is so good
Creamy and fragrant. The flavourful sauce requires very few ingredients, but is so tasty!
One pan recipe. All you need is a skillet to make this turkey dish!
Dairy-free and gluten free. An easy weeknight meal that works for both dietary requirements (depending upon sides used), as well as being a low histamine recipe.
Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are in the recipe card below, along with the full recipe instructions.
Some pointers on a few of the ingredients:
- Turkey - this recipe uses turkey breast fillet. I tend to get the 'mini fillets' and use either one or two per person depending upon their size (and appetites of course!).
- Coconut milk - the type that comes in a can rather than pouring milk you would use for coffee.
- Sage - you want fresh sage leaves rather than dried if possible.
Swaps and variations
The turmeric is optional, but adds a nice little hint of spice (and is so healthy too!).
If you don't have chicken broth to hand, vegetable broth works well.
My low histamine readers may prefer to use white onion rather than brown onion.
If lemon juice is suitable for you, then you can swap and use in place of the vinegar.
Step by step instructions
A very simple skillet dinner, with just a few steps, making it perfect for a weeknight meal.
Step 1
Place the turkey fillets between plastic wrap and give them a bash with a meat mallet to thin to around half an inch thick. Alternatively, if the fillets are very large, you can slice lengthways (image 1).
Step 2
Season with salt and black pepper (if using), then fry the turkey fillets in olive oil, for 3-4 minutes each side or until nicely browned and cooked through (image 2). The time will vary depending upon the thickness of your turkey. Check for an internal temperature of 165F.
Recipe tip: use a spatter guard if required when frying the turkey.
Step 3
Reduce the heat to low-medium and set the turkey aside on a plate. If needed, add a touch more oil to the skillet, then fry the onion for 2 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and turmeric to the skillet. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, then add the sage and stir to combine (image 3).
Step 4
Pour in the chicken broth and apple cider vinegar and increase the heat so it is lightly bubbling, but not at a hard boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the sauce has reduced by around half.
Reduce the heat to low-medium, then add the coconut milk and the turkey fillets (image 4). Cook for a further 4-5 minutes, turning the turkey a couple of times in the sauce. Serve immediately with sides of your choice.
Recipe tips and notes
- Be sure to cook the turkey all the way through when it is first fried in the skillet. It needs to come to an internal temperature of 165F.
- If you like lots of sauce (my mum is definitely a fan of this), then you can increase the quantity of broth a touch.
- Love all the herby flavour? Add another tablespoon of sage!
- Use a spatter guard if needed when frying the turkey.
How to serve this sage turkey recipe
- Couscous or rice are both great choices as they 'mop up', as my mum likes to say, the creamy sauce.
- Equally perfect would be my creamy potato cauliflower mash or a simple sweet potato mash.
- Pasta is another option for a hearty meal.
- Steamed vegetables such as asparagus or broccolini adds some greens to your dish! Or my honey roasted vegetables are so tasty.
Equipment needed
Skillet - this is a one pan meal so we just need a skillet and no oven time!
Meat thermometer - to check for an internal temperature of 165F.
Spatter guard - if needed, this is helpful as the oil can spatter when frying the turkey.
More turkey recipes to enjoy
Turkey isn't just for the holidays! Enjoy year-round with these fun and tasty ideas and check out my turkey recipes page for even more, including the very popular turkey stew and my turmeric turkey breast fillets!
I'm always in the kitchen so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to heat of new recipes! And please do leave a star review if you've tried the recipe!
Recipe
Turkey with sage cream sauce
Equipment
- Skillet
- Spatter guard (if needed)
Ingredients
- 2 turkey breast fillets
- 3 tablespoon sage leaves diced
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves mined or finely diced
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Place the turkey fillets within plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet to thin to around half an inch thick. Season with salt and black pepper (if using) each side.
- Fry the turkey fillets in olive oil on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes each side, or until nicely browned and with an internal temperature of 165F at their deepest point. Cook time will vary depending upon the size of the turkey fillets. Remove with tongs and set aside on a plate.
- Reduce the heat to low-medium. If needed, add a touch more oil to the skillet, then fry the onion for 2 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and turmeric to the skillet. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, then add the sage and stir to combine.
- Pour in the chicken broth and apple cider vinegar and increase the heat so it is bubbling, but not at a hard boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until reduced by around half. Reduce the heat to low-medium, then add the coconut milk and the turkey fillets. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes, turning the turkey a couple of times in the sauce. Serve immediately with sides of your choice.
Notes
- Cook time for the turkey fillets will vary depending upon their size. Be sure to cook the turkey through when first fried in the skillet to an internal temperature of 165F.
- Don't let the sauce come to a hard boil. You want a light simmer, with some light bubbling, but not a hard boil.
- Like a lot of sauce? Add a touch more chicken broth to the sauce.
- Increase herbs and garlic to taste preference.
- garlic, which scores 1. There is a note 'in small amounts, usually well tolerated after cooking'.
- apple cider vinegar, which scores 1.
- chicken broth will depend upon ingredients.
- black pepper, which scores 2. There is a note 'small amounts are tolerated'.
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