Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

5 from 4 votes

These juicy Cranberry Turkey Meatballs are packed with sage, dried cranberries and a hint of orange. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas and holiday gatherings!

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time35

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: meatballs

Author: Chris Collins

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

a) Ground/Minced Turkey - You'll find this in most stores these days. If you get the choice, I highly recommend using turkey thigh, as it's much fattier and more flavoursome.

b) Orange/Clementine Zest - Both work beautifully here. I like to use clementines around the holiday season, but if you just have oranges then they'll work just as well. In both cases, although 1/2 tsp doesn't seem like much, it really shines through, so don't go overboard.

c) Prep ahead - Roll into meatballs and tightly store in the fridge overnight. You can also freeze on a tray then transfer to zip lock bags. Thaw in the fridge if frozen, then bake as instructed, adding a few more minutes if needed to reach the internal temp if baking straight from the fridge.

d) Make ahead - They are juicier made fresh, but you could bake them then allow to fully cool. Transfer to the fridge for 2-3 days or freezer for 3 months. Thaw if frozen, then tightly cover with foil and bake at 350F/180C until piping hot again.

e) Calories - Per meatball.

Nutrition