Baked Turkey Meatballs with Cranberries & Sage
These healthy and flavorful meatballs are a great main dish entree on their own with your favorite sauces. They go equally well with a light cream sauce, turkey or mushroom gravy, or serve them plain with your favorite dipping sauces, chimichurri, chutney, or mustard. Pair these turkey and cranberry meatballs with a side of rice or potatoes, pile them atop a grain bowl, green salad, or hearty pasta, or tuck them in a meatball sub sandwich or hoagie.
Ingredients
saute together and cool:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 medium red onion, minced can substitute white or yellow onion
- ½ cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 tsp fresh sage leaves, minced substitute 1 tsp dried rubbed sage
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
panade (bread crumb mixture)
- 1 cup dry whole-grain bread crumbs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves washed and minced
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Dijon or whole-grain brown mustard
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ⅛ tsp grated nutmeg
mix in & shape meatballs:
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb ground turkey 85/15 if possible (leaner turkey will make drier meatballs)
Instructions
prep ingredients & make panade:
- Peel & mince the red onion and garlic cloves.
- Chop the fresh sage & parsley (or measure out the dried sage).
- Roughly chop the dried cranberries.
- In a medium to large bowl, combine the milk and bread crumbs, mustard, Worcestershire, parsley, allspice, and nutmeg.
saute red onion & cranberries:
- Melt the butter in a small saute pan over medium-low heat.
- Saute the minced onion with the salt and pepper for 1-2 minutes, stirring until the onions begin to go translucent.
- Add the chopped dried cranberries and stir for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sage, and reduce the heat to low. Sweat together for just a few minutes, until fragrant.
- Remove pan from heat and let cool (transfer to a heat-resistant bowl to cool quickly).
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃).
mix & shape meatballs:
- Add the egg and the grated Parmesan cheese to the bowl with the panade (soaked seasoned bread crumbs).
- Whisk or mix with a fork to combine the egg and cheese with the panade mixture, then add the cooled onion and cranberry mixture.
- Add the ground turkey and mix well with clean hands or a spatula until well combined.
- Using your hands, a tablespoon, or a portion scoop, shape the mixture into walnut-sized turkey meatballs. They will be quite wet and soft, but will firm up a bit as they bake.
bake or air-fry:
- Place the meatballs on a sheet pan, and place them in the center rack of the preheated oven.
- Bake until lightly golden and the temperature in the center of the meatballs reaches 165℉ (74℃) on an instant read meat thermometer, or cut a meatball in half and make sure they are done all the way through, about 35-40 minutes.
- The exact cooking time will vary depending on the size of your meatballs and your oven.
- If you like, you can carefully turn the meatballs partway through their baking time. Be careful and use a thin metal spatula for best results, as the meatballs are delicate.
- Serve while warm, with your choice of gravy, herb pesto, fruit mustard, or other dipping sauce.
- Refrigerate any leftovers promptly for up to four days, or freeze in an air-tight container for up to three months.
Notes
Nutritional data is an estimate for informational purposes only.
Nutrition
Calories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 23gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 696mgPotassium: 352mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 310IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 2mg
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