Cranberry Turkey Meatballs
Cranberry Turkey Meatballs will be your new favorite holiday appetizer. Cranberry meatballs are tender, juicy coated in sweet and tangy sauce!
Servings: 4
Calories: 339kcal
Ingredients
For cranberry meatball sauce:
- 1 batch cranberry sauce 1 1/4 cups
- 1 cup bbq sauce I used Stubbs
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For meatballs:
- 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
- 1 large egg
- 1 medium apple shredded and squeezed (1 cup before squeezing)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add ground turkey, egg, apple, garlic powder, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix with spatula well.
- Get medium bowl with cold water and large plate ready. Dip your hands in water, then using small trigger scoop, form a meatball, roll in your hands and place on a large plate. Repeat with remaining meat mixture, dipping your hands in water in between.
- Preheat large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat and swirl half of the oil to coat. Add half of the meatballs and pan fry for 2-3 minutes per side, turning 2-3 times. You want meatballs browned on all sides and evenly round. Transfer onto a plate and repeat with remaining meatballs. Set aside.
- While meatballs are cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk cranberry sauce, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Pour into the skillet and bring to a boil.
- Add meatballs and gently scoop some sauce on top. Simmer covered for 10 minutes on low-medium heat, then uncovered for another 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened a bit.
- Let meatballs sit for another 10 minutes, stir gently to coat meatballs in sauce, transfer onto a platter, insert a toothpick into each and serve.
Notes
- Store meatballs with sauce in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- This recipe freezes well for 3 months, store in an airtight container.
- To reheat, simply thaw your frozen meatballs in the fridge overnight and then warm up in the microwave.
Nutrition
Serving: 4meatballs | Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 1253mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g