Sage and Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

Deliciously golden on the outside and mouthwateringly juicy on the inside, these Sage and Cranberry Turkey Meatballs are the perfect appetizers which are absolutely bursting with flavour!

It’s always around this time of year you see turkey here there and e v e r y w h e r e. I mean what with Christmas just around the corner, it does makes sense. And don’t get me wrong, I love me some turkey, but I also love putting a spin on traditional food. Oh, hello Sage and Cranberry Turkey Meatballs!

I was thinking the other day ‘dang it’s been a hot minute since I’ve whipped up some meatballs’ and with turkey on the mind, it got my brain ticking.

The product of such ticking was indeed these delicious turkey meatballs. Ya’ll, I’m telling you these are so freaking tasty. Turkey and cranberry is a combo we all know and love and when we add our good friend sage to the mix, things just get real intense.

They pretty much just taste like Christmas. It’s fab.

Before we take a look into what’s in these delicious bad boys, let’s see how easy they are to make.

How to make Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

1. Mix together the filling, making sure you don’t overwork the meat.
2. Grab a measuring tbsp and scoop out even amounts of the filling.
3. Gently roll into a bitesized meatball.
4. Bake or fry.

My personal preference is to bake, not only because it’s less hassle, but also because you tend to get a more even golden crust on the meatballs.

Turkey has a bad rep for being dry and/or bland and that’s something I was conscious of when creating this recipe.

To tackle the ‘bland’ aspect I’ve truly packed these meatballs with so many gorgeous flavours. From nutmeg, to sage and clementine and parsley, like I said earlier, these are essentially balls of delicious festivity.

How to stop turkey meatballs drying out

1. Use breadcrumbs – Contrary to popular belief, using breadcrumbs in your meatballs actually locks in moisture and keeps them from drying out.
2. Don’t over work the meat – When you’re rolling the meatballs, make sure you don’t over work it. Mix it just enough until the fillings are evenly distributed.
3. Oil – I put a tbsp of olive in the meatballs to keep them lubricated, as turkey is quite a lean meat. I also give them a good spray before the go in the oven, just to ensure they come out golden brown, but not completely dried out.

And those are my 3 top tips for juicy meatballs!

Just look at those beauties 😍

These cranberry turkey meatballs are PERFECT for parties. 

When I usually think of meatballs I just imagine spaghetti and meatballs, but we often forget how they make awesome finger food. Yup, these are delicious hot or cold!

How to serve turkey cranberry meatballs

I usually use toothpicks with a bit of fancy string or something. Yes, that’s a technical term 😂 … I was never very good at art..

Either way make sure you’ve got some cranberry sauce to go alongside!

And there we have it! Soft, juicy, golden and bursting with flavour, make sure you give these cranberry turkey meatballs a go at your next get together!

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How to make Cranberry Turkey Meatballs (Full Recipe & Video)

Sage and Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

Deliciously golden on the outside and mouthwateringly juicy on the inside, these Sage and Cranberry Turkey Meatballs are the perfect appetizers which are absolutely bursting with flavour!!

5 from 4 votes

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Servings (click & slide): 16

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Original

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Calories per serving: 66kcal

Author: Chris Collins

Ingredients (check list):

• ▢ 1lb / 500g Ground Turkey (I use thigh because it tends to be more fatty and flavoursome, but could use breast)
• ▢ 2 tbsp Dried Cranberries, finely diced
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 35g Dried Breadcrumbs
• ▢ 1 tbsp Fresh Sage, finely diced
• ▢ 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, finely diced
• ▢ 1 medium Spring Onion, finely diced
• ▢ 1 Egg
• ▢ 1 clove of Garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 tbsp Olive Oil, plus extra for cooking
• ▢ 1 tsp Salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• ▢ 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• ▢ zest of 1/2 a small Clementine (or Orange)

Instructions:

• Combine all of your ingredients in a suitably sized bowl, ensuring you don't overwork the meat.
• Evenly split and roll into bitesized meatballs.

To Bake

• Place on a lightly oiled tray and bake at 200c/390f for 15-20mins or until golden brown and piping hot in the centre. Give them a shake half way through to ensure they cook evenly.

To Fry

• Drizzle a little oil in a suitably sized pan over medium heat. Add meatballs and fry for 12-15mins or until golden brown and piping hot through the centre. Give them a good shake every now and then to ensure they cook evenly.
• Serve with toothpicks and cranberry sauce! Enjoy hot or cold.

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

Top tips for rolling the best meatballs

 

1. Ensure they're evenly sized - I do this by scooping out 1 measuring tbsp worth of mixture and rolling after that. It's much more difficult to roll them even sized free-hand.

 

2. Make sure you don't end up with half the mixture on your hands - A nifty trick to stop the meat sticking to your hands is to run them under a tap just before you start rolling. Wash your hands that is, not the meatballs. Please don't wash them...

 

3. Don't overwork the meat! - Number 1 rule of rolling meatballs is to not overwork the meat. Mix it just enough so all the fillings are evenly distributed, otherwise they'll come out gritty and dry.

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Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

Sage and Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

Amount Per Serving (1 meatball)

Calories 66 Calories from Fat 31

% Daily Value*

Fat 3.41g5%

Saturated Fat 0.813g4%

Trans Fat 0.031g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.813g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.484g

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 177mg7%

Potassium 92mg3%

Carbohydrates 2.86g1%

Fiber 0.4g2%

Sugar 1.34g1%

Protein 6.23g12%

Vitamin A 200IU4%

Vitamin C 4.1mg5%

Calcium 20mg2%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

For another party appetizer/crowd pleaser be sure to check out my Cream Cheese and Onion Ball!

If you loved the Cranberry Turkey Meatballs then be sure to Pin the recipe for later! Already made them or got a burning question? Give me a shout in the comments below and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!