These Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs are Thanksgiving in one bite, packed with stuffing mix, aromatics, and dried cranberries. Serve with a generous helping of mashed potatoes and gravy, and you've got a festive meal!
This recipe was inspired by the day-after Thanksgiving sandwich. You know the one. The one with mashed potatoes and gravy slathered on two slices of bread, with leftover turkey, stuffing, and generous helping of cranberry sauce between. These Thanksgiving meatballs are similar. They're there for you when the Thanksgiving mood strikes you without having to bother roasting a whole turkey.
I can't be the only one who craves Thanksgiving foods during inappropriate times, right?
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The trick here is to sauté your vegetables and aromatics beforehand to create this burst of Thanksgiving flavors. The combo of onion and celery cooking along with fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage make for a meal that's unmistakably Turkey Day flavors. The meatballs bake on a sheet pan, making for a quick and easy cleanup.
If you love Thanksgiving like I do, you should definitely try the Stuffing Stuffed Chicken Breast.
What makes these meatballs delish
- Little fuss (especially compared to making a whole turkey!). Now I'm not saying these should only be made in lieu of a turkey, but if you're having a small Thanksgiving or just don't want to fuss with a whole bird, these meatballs will take no more than 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Thanksgiving all in one bite. Stuffing, dried cranberries, and turkey in one delicious bite? This is happiness if you ask me!
- Healthy, healthy. Ground turkey is one of the leanest meats you can buy. Also, these meatballs are baked, not fried.
You won't be disappointed in the best turkey meatball recipe there is!
What's not to love about baked meatballs? I mean, really. They're so juicy, comforting, and meatballs are perfect to freeze for later. Pop out as many as you need and you've got a ready-made meal.
I have all beef baked meatballs on the blog, and you'll notice these need considerably less moisture. They only require an egg to help bind. That's because beef is so much fattier than turkey. You need more moisture to not only soak up the bread crumbs but also to ensure your turkey meatballs don't turn out dry.
Don't forget to top with plenty of gravy and served with whipped mashed potatoes and fresh cranberry sauce with Grand Marnier (the secret ingredient to elevated cranberry sauce).
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Ingredients You'll Need
The ingredients you'll need for these meatballs are pretty simple, using fresh herbs to bring all the traditional Thanksgiving herbs to the meat.
- olive oil
- onion
- celery
- garlic
- fresh sage
- fresh thyme
- fresh rosemary - Everything above (with the exception of olive oil) are aromatics, making the meatballs flavorful.
- ground turkey - You could also use ground pork if you prefer.
- dried stuffing mix - I love Pepperidge Farm's herb-based stuffing
- chicken broth - This helps keeps the moisture
- dried cranberries - Cranberries add a touch of sweetness to the meatballs. Feel free to add more in if you want more sweetness.
- eggs - Eggs help bind the meat mixture together.
- salt
- pepper
WORN slap out?
Use dried sage, dried thyme, and dried rosemary instead. Don't forget to halve the recipe though if you're going this route.
How to Make 'Em
Here are three simple steps for tender, juicy, and just a touch sweet Thanksgiving turkey meatballs.
- Step 1: Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until tender. Add garlic and fresh herbs. Cook for another minute.
- Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, onion/celery mixture, dried stuffing mix, chicken broth, eggs, dried cranberries, and salt & pepper. Mix with hands until just combined.
- Step 3: Scoop 1-1.5" sized balls of meat onto the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatball reaches 165˚F
Pro Tips
Be careful to not over mix the turkey mixture. If you mix too much, the meatballs will be dense rather than tender.
Do not over bake! Ground turkey is so lean that it's not as forgiving in the oven as beef. Check on them after about 10 minutes and see if the internal temperature has reached 165˚F.
Substitutions & Variations
- Make gluten-free. Use a gluten-free stuffing mix. My absolutely favorite is Aleia's brand.
- Substitute a different meat. Try using pork, sausage, or a combination of both.
- Pan-fry the meatballs. If you like a nice sear on the meatballs, feel free to fry them in a non-stick pan instead of baking them.
leftovers & storage
These meatballs are perfect to make ahead. They can be made up to 2 days in advance unbaked. Cover them with plastic wrap to prevent the meatballs from drying out before putting in the refrigerator.
To freeze: Once the meatballs are entirely cooled, place in a freezer-safe bag. When ready to reheat, take out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes or so.
ways to enjoy your thanksgiving turkey meatballs
These Thanksgiving meatballs are incredibly versatile. Eat turkey meatballs in gravy as an appetizer. You could even make them mini if you wanted people to eat them with a toothpick!
You can eat them over a bed of whipped mashed potatoes with gravy. Eat the Thanksgiving turkey meatballs on a sandwich with some melted provolone. You could also reduce the carbs and eat the meatballs on a bed of green salad.
FAQ's
Yes, these turkey meatballs freeze well. Place them in a freezer-safe bag. Take them out of the freezer and into the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the oven at 350˚F for 20 or so minutes.
These meatballs will need about 12-15 minutes in the oven, depending on how large you make them. Always check the internal temperature just to be sure. Turkey and any other poultry should reach 165˚F.
First, don't over bake. Second, the eggs, chicken broth, and even the stuffing mix helps the meatballs retain the moisture.
Thanksgiving side dishes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
other poultry recipes you'll love
If you're a fan of poultry, try these other recipes!
Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onion chopped
- ½ cup celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh sage finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 cups dried stuffing mix you could also use panko breadcrumbs if you prefer
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 2 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until tender (about 4-5 minutes). Add garlic and fresh herbs (sage, thyme, and rosemary). Cook for another minute. Remove from heat and let cool for just a few minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, onion/celery mixture, dried stuffing mix, chicken broth, eggs, dried cranberries, and salt & pepper. Avoid over-mixing so you don't end up with dense meatballs.
- Scoop 1-1.5" sized balls of meat onto the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatball reaches 165˚F.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce.
Jennifer says
These turned out so well! We had a last minute get together for Thanksgiving, so I prepped these the day before. Then shaped and baked, put them in a buffet warmer smothered in turkey gravy for a few hours before serving. Such a hit with the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. The dried cranberries were such a nice texture and sweetness, thank you so much!
Kathryn says
LOVE hearing this, Jennifer! Thanks so much for coming back to leave feedback to let me know you love them, too. Happy holidays!
<3,
Kathryn