Quick Look at this Recipe
- Recipe Name: Wild Rice + Cranberry Thanksgiving Meatballs
- Ready In: 45 minutes
- Serves: 6
- Calories: 307 per serving
- Main Ingredients: Ground turkey, ground pork, wild rice, cranberries, seasonings, and homemade gravy.
- Dietary Info: Dairy-Free
- Why You’ll Love It: Meatballs for Thanksgiving is unconventional, but too delicious to pass up. They’re great for a smaller crowd or when you want all of those Thanksgiving flavors wrapped up in one bite. Serve Thanksgiving turkey meatballs with mashed potatoes and enjoy!
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Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Ground Turkey: This could easily be swapped for ground chicken. Ground beef can be used as well, but will slightly change the texture and flavor.
- Wild Rice: A naturally gluten-free rice that melds wonderfully with the other Thanksgiving flavors.
- Bread: We used plain white sandwich bread, but gluten-free bread will work too.
- Flour: Feel free to swap all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour to make the gravy.
- Dried Cranberries: Add a pop of color and sweetness, but can be omitted.
How To Make Thanksgiving Meatballs
Step 1: Pour half & half over bread and use a fork to break apart.
Step 2: Add meatball ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine.
Step 3: Scoop out 1.5 Tbs of the meat mixture and form into meatballs.
Step 4: Bake Thanksgiving meatballs in oven for 22-24 minutes. See option to sear meatballs below.
Step 5: Remove meatballs and melt butter in skillet. Whisk in flour to make a roux for the gravy.
Step 6: Slowly add in the turkey broth, a quarter cup at a time, whisking continuously. We’ve got a great gluten-free gravy too!
Why Meatballs Are Great On Thanksgiving
- Make Ahead: Make these ground turkey thanksgiving meatballs in advance and store them in the fridge until it’s time to feast! Make gravy can be made in advanced as well. Reheat meatballs by placing them on baking sheet and cover them with foil. Let them warm in an oven that’s set at 300 degrees until warm. Reheat gravy in a sauce pan on the stovetop.
- Saves Time: Don’t want to worry about the thawing, cooking, and carving a turkey? Meatballs are the answer.
- Shareable: With Friendsgiving celebrations on the rise, these are the perfect portable appetizer or main course that can easily be divided among a crowd.
- Flavor: We infused these with the best Thanksgiving flavors that will meld perfectly with all of your other classics like mashed potatoes and stuffing.
Option to Sear Meatballs
Skip the oven option and cook them on the stove top instead. Take a large cast iron skillet and add just enough olive oil to thinly coat the pan. In batches, sear the meatballs on medium-high heat and then let cook on medium heat until cooked through (approx. 10-15 minutes). Internal temp should reach 165 degrees F. Then remove the meatballs from the skillet and take a little extra broth to deglaze the pan and then continue making the gravy. The color of the gravy with the stove-top version might be a little darker than if you bake the meatballs.
Recipe FAQs
What is the secret ingredient to moist meatballs?
Two slices of bread! We use this method in our Swedish meatball recipe and it makes for the most moist meatballs.
Whatโs a good binder for turkey meatballs?
One egg is all you need. Out of eggs? Mix together 3 Tbs of water and 1 t of flax meal, let it sit for a couple of minutes and use it in place of the egg.
What to put in turkey meatballs?
Turkey meatballs are usually made up of a combination of ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, and seasonings. Try out these great turkey meatballs.
Other Unique Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
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Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 slices of bread, any type of bread, we used white bread
- 1/4 cup dairy-free unsweetened unflavored creamer or half-&-half
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/3 cup wild rice, cooked
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries, craisins, chopped
- 2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Gravy:
- 4 tablespoons butter, sub plant-based butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 – 2 1/2 cups turkey broth, sub chicken broth
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Serving (optional):
- cooked stuffing
- mashed potatoes
- cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. (See: Notes for stove top/sear option)
- Meatball Mixture: Put the bread slices and creamer in a large bowl. Let it soak for 5-10 minutes. Use a fork to break the bread apart and then add the rest of the meatball ingredients to the bowl. Mix everything to fully combine.
- Form Meatballs: Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to form 1 1/2 tablespoon meatballs and roll between your hands. Continue this process with the rest of the meatball mixture and place the meatballs in a single layer in a large cast iron skillet or braiser that can go in the oven.
- Bake: Move the large skillet to the preheated oven to bake for 22-24 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer).
- Optional Serving Suggestions: While the meatballs bake, it is the perfect time to make the stuffing, mashed potatoes, or any other items that you plan to serve with the meatballs and gravy. Or make these when you have lots of holiday leftovers to warm up.
- Make Gravy: Once the meatballs are fully cooked, carefully remove them from the oven and use a slotted spoon to remove meatballs from the hot skillet – set aside. Do NOT drain the grease. Bring the large skillet to a medium-high heat and add butter to melt. Whisk in the flour to create a paste or roux. Gradually pour in the turkey broth, a half cup at a time, whisking continuously to make a thick and creamy gravy. Whisk in the salt and pepper, taste and make any desired adjustments. If you prefer a thicker gravy, let it simmer for a little bit and if you prefer a thinner gravy, add a little more broth.
- Combine: Add the cooked meatballs back to the hot pan and toss in the gravy to fully coat.
- Serve: Highly recommend serving these meatballs in a bowl with stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce with plenty of gravy on top!
Notes
- Stove Top Variation: If you prefer a sear on your meatballs, feel free to skip the oven option and cook them on the stove top instead. Take a large cast iron skillet and add just enough olive oil to thinly coat the pan. In batches, sear the meatballs on medium-high heat and then let cook on medium heat until cooked through (approx. 10-15 minutes). Internal temp should reach 165 degrees F. Then remove the meatballs from the skillet and take a little extra broth to deglaze the pan and then continue making the gravy. The color of the gravy with the stove-top version might be a little darker than if you bake the meatballs.
- Holiday Leftovers: If you have a lot of leftovers from a Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner, like stuffing, mashed potatoes, & cranberry sauce, we highly recommend making these Thanksgiving Meatballs for dinner and serving in a bowl with all those delicious side dishes!
- Side Dishes: If you don’t have leftovers, you can make our Stove Top Stuffing, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, and Cranberry Sauce. Store-bought or instant versions of these work great too and are so easy!
- Creamer: We used NutPods Non-Dairy Creamer, but feel free to use half-&-half, heavy cream, or any other non-dairy alternative.
Liz says
Made these for my in laws a few weeks before thanksgiving as we won’t be able to celebrate with them and they were a hit!
Elizabeth Dermody says
Thisโฆ wasโฆ magnificent!!
Erin Jensen says
So glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth!