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A birds eye view of juicy cranberry turkey meatballs in a cream colored bowl on a white wooden table with a brown and white striped napkin next to the bowl.
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Juicy Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

These ground turkey meatballs are super juicy and make the absolute perfect appetizer for your Thanksgiving dinner. The cranberry sauce is tangy, sweet, and compliments these meatballs to perfection! Heck, even throw these meatballs on the dinner table and serve them as a side dish!
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American
Diet Low Fat
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 20 meatballs
Calories 34kcal

Equipment

  • baking pan
  • large mixing bowl
  • sauce pan

Ingredients

  • FOR THE MEATBALLS:
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 egg whisked
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp dried rubbed sage
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • cooking spray
  • chopped fresh parsley optional for garnish
  • FOR THE SAUCE:
  • 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup no sugar added applesauce
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice juice squeezed out from half and orange
  • zest from 1 small orange

Instructions

  • For the meatballs:
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl add ground turkey, egg, panko breadcrumbs, garlic, parmesan cheese, onion powder, oregano, sage, ground black pepper, and salt. Mix well to combine.
  • Form balls with hands and place each meatball on the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
  • For the sauce:
    Meanwhile, in a saucepan large enough to fit the meatballs, add the cranberry sauce, pure maple syrup, applesauce, orange juice, and zest. Cook over medium-low heat. Stir to combine and cook until everything is blended together.
  • Once the meatballs are done cooking, add them to the sauce and stir to completely coat the meatballs. Serve immediately or transfer to a crockpot and serve as an appetizer.
  • Sprinkle fresh parsley on top before serving as a garnish! The parsley makes your dish look very pretty and appetizing :)

Notes

How can the kids help?
Have your children help add in all the ingredients.  If your child is old enough, you can teach them how to roll the meat mixture into meatballs using 2 hands. 
To help your meatballs not dry out don't overmix your meat. Mix it just enough so the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout. Try spraying the tops of them before popping them in the oven. This also helps to crisp the outsides.
When storing your meatballs, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze them for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.5g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 4.7mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 6.7g | Vitamin C: 1mg