These Turkey Meatballs pack in all the delicious flavors of a Thanksgiving dinner, in meatball form! A mix of roasting and braising keeps these meatballs ultra tender and juicy, never dry. This is a great main dish option for a low-key Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving. Nostalgic flavors with minimal effort is my kind of recipe!
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Thanksgiving Dinner, in Meatball Form!
We are BIG on meatball recipes in this house. What’s not to love? You can pack tons of flavor into them with minimal effort and scale the recipes up to feed a crowd.
These baked turkey meatballs are the perfect recipe when you really want all those classic Thanksgiving flavors with much less work. A mix of ground turkey, pork, fresh herbs, and tons of aromatics make these meatballs so incredible —essentially all the ingredients that would go into a roast turkey!
Since we usually keep our Thanksgiving gatherings very small, I love turning to small-batch dinner recipes that still feel special but won’t drown us in leftovers. Instead of making a huge turkey, I usually go for my slow-roasted turkey thighs or these meatballs for a special dinner that won’t have me slaving over the stove all day.
Serve these Thanksgiving turkey meatballs up over some creamy mashed potatoes with cranberry sauce on the side, maybe a some sautéed green beans and you’ve truly got yourself a spectacular dinner.
Required Equipment
Ingredients You’ll Need
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Ground turkey. Opt for dark meat ground turkey, if you can find it. The higher fat content helps keep the meatballs moist. Otherwise, opt for at least 93/7.
- Ground pork. The ground pork adds some extra fat, flavor, and texture that is much needed! If you’re averse to pork, omit it and swap in more turkey.
- Butter. I think butter gives much better flavor, but you could swap in olive oil.
- Aromatics. Onion, celery, carrots, and garlic add the classic turkey dinner flavors. You could use shallots, leeks, fennel, etc. if you want to add more veggies.
- Herbs. A mix of fresh (sage and thyme) and dried herbs (marjoram) adds the perfect blend of poultry herbs.
- Turkey or chicken stock. I always make homemade stock so that its richer. If you use store bought, go for something quality.
- White wine. Optional, but I love the flavor it adds to the gravy. Select something bright, like a sauvignon blanc. If you’d rather omit the wine, add some freshly squeezed lemon juice to the gravy to brighten it up.
- Breadcrumbs. Plain store bought is the way to go here.
How to Make Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs
- Sauté the aromatics. We want to really wake up the flavors of the diced veggies and herbs, so they need to be sautéed in a little melted butter until softened. I suggest using the same braiser you plan on baking the meatballs in so that you can reduce the amount of dirty dishes.
- Soak your breadcrumbs! Before you even mix in the ground turkey and pork, let the breadcrumbs sit with the liquid ingredients (in this case cream and egg). The breadcrumbs absorb the liquid and become soft so you don’t end up with dry, sandy-textured meatballs.
- Mix the meatballs. Combine everything in a large bowl and mix until well combined. I always mix the meatballs by hand and add the meat in last. You can mix everything together easier and more quickly so that you don’t end up with tough, over-mixed meatballs.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the meatballs. This ensures your meatballs are all the same size and that they cook at the same rate. Nothing is worse than overcooked, dry meatballs!
Jenny’s Tip: Dampening your hands keeps the meat from sticking to them and keeps the meatballs nice and smooth.
- Bake and broil the meatballs. This might be a hot take, but I prefer baking and broiling my meatballs for several reasons. It’s hands off, cleanup is easier, and pan-fried meatballs usually have a drier texture than baked meatballs.
- Braise the meatballs. Finishing the meatballs low and slow really locks in all that flavor and makes for a super moist and tender turkey meatballs.
- Make the gravy. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and add the white wine and Dijon to the stock left in the braiser. Simmer the gravy for about 5 minutes to reduce it slightly, then add a butter-flour paste to thicken it. If you add the flour paste while the gravy is actively simmering, it shouldn’t clump up at all!
- Return the meatballs to the gravy. Serving the turkey meatballs right in the sauce is the move here, trust me!
What to Serve on the Side
I love to treat these Thanksgiving meatballs just like I would a turkey dinner! Truth be told, I’m all about the sides on Thanksgiving.
I love serving these meatballs over garlic mashed potatoes or with a potato gratin or a baked mac and cheese on the side. Some homemade cranberry sauce never goes amiss. I also love having homemade dinner rolls or cornbread muffins on hand. Then, it really feels like a full Thanksgiving dinner!
For dessert, I love my apple-pear crisp, pecan pie bars (no corn syrup!) , or my puff pastry apple strudel.
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Thanksgiving Main Dishes That Aren’t a Whole Turkey
- Apple Cider Braised Pork
- White Wine Braised Lamb Shanks
- Glazed Cornish Game Hens
- Crispy Dutch Oven Roast Chicken
- Herb Roasted Beef Tenderloin
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Thanksgiving Turkey Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 3 celery ribs, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 lbs ground turkey (dark meat is best)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups turkey or chicken stock
Gravy
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, optional
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400ºF. Set your oven rack to be in the top 1/3 of the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Saute the veggies and herbs. In a large braiser or oven-safe skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and foamy, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, then add the minced garlic, sage, thyme, and marjoram. Continue to cook until the veggies are soft and starting to brown. Let the vegetables cool for 10 minutes.
- Soak the breadcrumbs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, beaten eggs, and heavy cream and stir well to combine. Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Mix the meatballs. Add the slightly cooled vegetables to the breadcrumb mixture and mix in the dijon, paprika, salt, and pepper until everything is well mixed. Add the ground turkey and pork and mix everything together by hand until the meatball mixture is homogenous and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Portion and roast the meatballs. Use a 1/3 cup to portion the meatball mixture out and roll them into smooth balls. Set the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven for 10 minutes, then broil on high for 2 minutes, just until the meatballs are slightly browned.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF.
- Braise the meatballs. Transfer the meatballs to the braiser that you sautéed the veggies in and pour the turkey stock over the top. Cover with a lid, but leave the lid cracked an inch. Transfer the meatballs to the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a plate or tray. For a smoother gravy, use a spoon to skim out any pieces of meat or veggies left in the broth.
- Make the gravy. Add the white wine and dijon mustard to the stock left in the braiser and bring to a simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. While the stock reduces, mix the softened butter and flour together into a paste. Whisk the butter/flour paste into the stock as it's simmering and whisk well so that there are no lumps. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the gravy thickens and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the meatballs to the gravy and toss to coat. Serve warm.
Slow Cooker & Make Ahead Options
- Slow cooker option: I recommend still roasting and broiling the meatballs, then add them to the slow cooker with the broth and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Remove the meatballs and make the gravy with the broth from the slow cooker. Then you can put the meatballs back in the gravy on the 'keep warm' function.
- Make-ahead: You can make the turkey mixture and scoop it into balls 2 days before serving. Lay them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and wrap the whole tray really well with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Then, roast/broil them before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
Storage Instructions
- Storing: You can store these meatballs in their gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat them on the stovetop, microwave or oven until warmed through.Freezing: You can freeze uncooked meatballs, roasted ones or once they are braised as well. I recommend at least roasting/broiling them before freezing since they will hold their shape better. Line the meatballs in a single layer in a baking sheet in the freezer, and once they are firm, transfer them to a freezer bag. Store up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Rate & Review This Recipe
This looks great, but at 1/3 cup per meatball, how many does this make? 8-10 servings is indicated but not how many balls are per serving? Thanks
Hi! Total, this makes about 21-23 quite large meatballs, so the serving size is 2-3 meatballs per person.
We were skeptical but had some ground turkey that needed to be used. Replaced the bread crumbs with sourdough stuffing.Total hit for Thanksgiving! Everyone loved it!