Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs
Savory, herby baked turkey meatballs filled with the flavors of Thanksgiving! Ideal for small holiday gatherings or when craving Thanksgiving’s classic, comforting flavors. Just 10 ingredients required!
Servings 6 (3-meatball servings)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 large white or yellow onion, finely diced (1/2 large onion yields ~2 cups or 200 g)
- 2 large stalks celery, ends trimmed and finely diced (2 stalks yield ~1 cup or 105 g)
- 1 tsp sea salt (DIVIDED)
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free as needed // we like Ian’s for GF)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley*, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary*, minced
- 1 tsp fresh sage*, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
FOR SERVING optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and arrange your oven racks so there is one rack in the center and one near the top for broiling.
- In a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet), heat the oil over medium heat. Once warm, add the onion, celery, and half of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Transfer the veggies to a large mixing bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
- Once the veggies have cooled slightly, add the breadcrumbs, parsley, rosemary, sage, and remaining salt. Stir to combine.
- Add the ground turkey and gently mix with clean hands until evenly combined. Avoid overworking the meat; doing so will make the meatballs tough.
- Scoop the mixture into 1 ½ Tbsp amounts (we used this scoop), shape into balls, and arrange in the same skillet you used for sautéing. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can also use a lightly oiled baking sheet or broil-safe dish.
- Bake on the center rack for 18-20 minutes, then turn the oven to broil and move the baking dish to the top rack. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until nicely browned. For food safety, use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is ~165 degrees F before serving.
- Enjoy! These meatballs are delicious with other Thanksgiving classics like mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce.
- Leftover cooked and cooled meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 1 month or longer. Reheat in a 375 degree F (190 C) oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through.
- If you want to freeze individual "meatballs" before cooking, shape them into patties (which cook more evenly from frozen than meatballs), then cook directly from frozen in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat until browned on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (74 C) — about 5-6 minutes per side.
Notes
*We prefer the flavor of fresh herbs over dried in this recipe, but you can replace fresh with dried herbs (using half the amounts), if desired.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition (1 of 6 servings)
Serving: 1 (three-meatball) serving Calories: 305 Carbohydrates: 14.5 g Protein: 21.3 g Fat: 18.3 g Saturated Fat: 4.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.2 g Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g Trans Fat: 0.19 g Cholesterol: 80 mg Sodium: 546 mg Potassium: 397 mg Fiber: 1.8 g Sugar: 3.9 g Vitamin A: 140 IU Vitamin C: 9.3 mg Calcium: 89 mg Iron: 2.4 mg