Cranberry Turkey Meatballs
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Super moist, tender and packed with flavor, these delicious Cranberry Turkey Meatballs are great any time of year. I mean it, just because they sound festively Thanksgiving and all, why hinder yourself to a season? These can be served as an appetizer or with a side for a complete meal.
A quick pan sauce is made to coat them and the sauce is amazing! Â Not dried out lumps like some meatballs can be, no. These meatballs are one of my favorites for flavor and super tender texture.
I am a meatball fanatic. Love them and the possibilities are endless like my Persian Meatballs with Dried Cherries and Pistachios, Chinese Lemon Chicken Meatballs or my Stuffed Green Chili Meatballs in Tomatillo Sauce. Today I’m bringing you my new favorite. Shredded apples, sourdough bread soaked in milk and dried cranberries are what await you with this one.
The quick to make pan sauce is a basic one using aromatics like onion, garlic and a spritz of white wine to deglaze and pick up all those browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Funny, as I rarely do this, but after I made the pan sauce I ended up straining it through a sieve for a lump free version. Not that there’s anything wrong with the bits of onion and garlic, but I didn’t want to wash my Vitamix either after a quick pulse. Call me lazy, but it was a long day. Period. Trust a meatball lover, I needed to dig into these ASAP.
I served these alongside some carrots and called it a day. These carrots are wicked tasty, but you’ll have to come back for the next post for the low down on them. Enjoy!
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Cranberry Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 slices of sourdough bread edges trimmed
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup lightly packed chopped parsley
- 3 leaves sage chopped
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 Honey Crisp apple shredded or apple of choice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Shred apple using cheese grater or mandolin. Gently squeeze excess juice and reserve for other use or drink. Set aside. Trim the edges from the sourdough bread and cut into small 1/2 inch cubes. Add to a bowl and pour milk over. Toss to coat and allow to soak for a minutes or two.
- Gently squeeze excess milk from bread and add to a bowl with the ground turkey, herbs, spices, apple, dried cranberries and egg. Gently mix together by hand until incorporated completely. Mixture will be slightly loose and wet. Use a small 1 1/2 inch scoop or roll into 16 small balls, about the size of a golf ball. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat add the olive oil and brown the meatballs on all sides. Remove from pan and keep warm.
- Pour wine into pan to deglaze pan, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan. Over medium heat in the same pan sauté the onion and until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring to cook the flour. Gradually add the chicken stock a little at a time, stirring to incorporate completely.
- Add the cooked meatballs back to the pan and turn to coat all over with pan sauce. Cover with lid and cook on low to heat through, a minute or two. Season with salt if needed.
Video
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi! Can these be made ahead of time? If so, should I freeze them or refrigerator?
Yes, I make these often and freeze. Thanks Elana.
What an unusual combination. I love meatballs, and I love cranberry, so this is for me.
Oh these little lovelies are so tender and delish. Great sweet and savory combo. Definitely one of my favorites. #MeatballFanatic