These juicy Cranberry Turkey Meatballs are packed with sage, dried cranberries and a hint of orange. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas and holiday gatherings!
Say goodbye to bland, dry turkey meatballs. Here I’ve developed a recipe with a few tips and tricks for getting meatballs that come out soft, juicy and loaded with flavour. Follow me…
Ingredient notes
I’ve put the full measurements down in the recipe card, but I just wanted to quickly touch on some of the key ingredients:
- Turkey thigh mince makes for juicier meatballs – I highly recommend using thigh over breast; the extra fat keeps the meatballs juicy and adds extra flavour. I don’t recommend using lean/extra lean turkey as they tend to dry out more easily.
- Finely chopped dried cranberries give little bursts of sweetness – You’ll want to dice the cranberries nice and finely, just so you get little pops of sweetness evenly distributed through the meatballs. Make sure you’re using dried cranberries, not fresh.
- Fresh sage brings that classic festive flavour – this pairs beautifully with both the turkey and cranberries and really highlights that festive feeling! I recommend using fresh sage over dried for this recipe.
- A little orange zest adds a lovely citrus lift – but I particularly love using clementines around the holidays. They’re slightly sweeter and more delicate in flavour.
How to prepare the meatballs
There is a key step here which really solidifies this as the perfect turkey meatballs recipe, and that’s soaking the breadcrumbs.
Instead of finely dicing the onion, we’re going to grate it on a box grater. Not only does this mean the flavour will be more evenly distributed across the meatballs, but the onion will release moisture. When you combine the breadcrumbs with the grated onion and some oil, the breadcrumbs absorb all the moisture and cling to it. This means that as the meatballs cook, the moisture and oil are locked in to keep them nice and juicy.
Process shots: add Panko, grated onion and oil to a bowl (photo 1), allow breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture/oil (photo 2), add all remaining ingredients (photo 3), use your hands to combine (photo 4).
Recipe Tip
Whilst you’ll need to make sure everything is well-mixed, ensure you don’t squeeze the meat into oblivion; otherwise the meatballs can come out dense, tough and dry.
How to cook the meatballs
The most efficient way to cook the meatballs is to bake them. Because they’re so small, they can cook in around 12 minutes. They’ll cook more evenly than if you pan-fried them; you can also cook them all at once and won’t have to work in batches.
The easiest way to roll the meatballs is to scoop out all the chunks of meat onto the baking tray first, then roll them one by one. If you find the meat is sticking to your hands, just coat your hands in a little water.
Make ahead and storage FAQ
Yes, just roll them all out, then tightly store them in the fridge overnight.
They’re best enjoyed fresh, but you can bake them, then let them cool and store them tightly in the fridge. To reheat, I recommend tightly covering them and baking at a lower temp until piping hot again, just to make sure they don’t dry out too much.
Yes, you can freeze before or after baking them. I recommend freezing them on a tray, then transferring to zip-lock bags and freezing for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then bake as instructed.
Serving suggestions
I love serving these in two different scenarios:
- As an appetizer or part of a spread around Thanksgiving/Christmas.
- As a dinner with Creamy Mash and Gravy. Sometimes Cranberry Sauce.
I have also been known to just dunk them straight into the gravy (see below).
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these cranberry turkey meatballs shall we?!
How to make Cranberry Turkey Meatballs (Full Recipe & Video)
Cranberry Turkey Meatballs
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Box Grater
- Zester / Microplane
- Large Baking Tray and Baking Paper
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup / 45g Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 small White Onion, grated on a box grater
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1lb / 500g Ground/Minced Turkey Thigh (see notes)
- tightly packed 1/3 cup Dried Cranberries, finely diced
- 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Sage
- 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Orange or Clementine Zest
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- Oil Spray, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to combine the grated onion, Panko and olive oil until the breadcrumbs soak in all the moisture.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and use your hands to combine. Whilst it's important that everything is evenly distributed, try to not squeeze the meat into oblivion, otherwise it'll come out tough and dry.
- Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Scoop out 24 chunks of meat and space the pieces out on the baking tray. I find this easiest with a 1 tbsp measuring spoon, but an ice cream scoop works great too.
- One by one, roll the chunks into meatballs (wet your hands if they're too sticky). Give them a good spray with oil, then bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden and piping hot right through the centre (safe internal temp for turkey is 165F/74C).
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
Made these today with a couple of modifications. I used craisins and skipped the orange zest. I used dried sage and parsley but just used half the amount specified. I used garlic salt. Baked mine. Delicious!
So pleased they went down well, Karen! 🙂 C.
Can these be made ahead ?
Yes! I’ve replied to the same comment just below yours 🙂 C.
Can you make these ahead? What the recommendation for storing and then reheating? Thanks!!
They’re best made fresh as they tend to dry out a little as they rest. You could prep them to the point of cooking, tightly cover in the fridge, then cook as stated. You could also freeze, thaw in the fridge then cook as stated. If you want to completely cook them and reheat they’ll last 2-3days tightly covered in the fridge. Just reheat at 180C/356F until piping hot through the centre again. Hope this helps!
Mmm, these meatballs look delicious and so pretty! Just wish they were on my table right now 🙂
Thanks, Julia! They are SO moreish!!
Well if those aren’t the prettiest meatballs I have ever seen! Love the styling too. Great photos!
Thanks so much for your kind words, Linda!
Oh how beautiful! Such an elegant appetizer for the holidays with wonderful flavors. I would love to have these on my table.
Thanks, Tara! Superb for the holidays, so glad you agree 🙂
OMG my fella would KILL for these! I’m gonna leave this page open when he gets home tonight & then count how long it takes him to ask me to make them for him 😀
Haha amazing! Do let me know how he enjoys them 🙂
This looks so FAB!! I love cranberries!
Thanks, Deanna! 🙂