Thanksgiving Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze

  5.0 – 2 reviews  • Thanksgiving
Perfect for Friendsgiving, these turkey meatballs include all the fun flavors of Thanksgiving in a one-bite appetizer portion.
Level: Easy
Total: 30 min
Active: 30 min
Yield: 26 meatballs

Ingredients

  1. 1 small green bell pepper, cut into chunks
  2. 1/2 small white onion, cut into chunks
  3. 1 small celery stalk, cut into chunks
  4. 1 clove garlic, smashed
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
  6. 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  7. 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
  8. 3/4 cup panko
  9. 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  10. 1 large egg
  11. 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  12. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  13. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  14. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  15. 2 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped
  16. 6 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
  17. 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  18. 1 teaspoon orange zest plus the juice of 1 orange
  19. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Position an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to broil.
  2. Make the meatballs: Pulse the bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, rosemary and thyme in a food processor or blender until finely chopped; transfer to a large bowl. Add the turkey, panko, mayonnaise, egg, paprika, cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of black pepper and mix together using a rubber spatula until just combined.  
  3. Dampen your hands with water and shape the mixture into 26 meatballs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (a 1-ounce ice cream scoop is helpful for portioning); arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the meatballs are golden brown and firm, 9 to 10 minutes. 
  4. Meanwhile, make the cranberry glaze: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the jalapenos. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cranberries, sugar, orange zest and juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds black pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the cranberries begin to soften, and the skin starts to crack, about 2 minutes. Mash the cranberries with a potato masher and stir until the liquid from the cranberries begins to simmer and thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. 
  5. Transfer the meatballs to the skillet and toss to coat with the cranberry glaze. Transfer to a platter and serve with toothpicks.  

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 of 26 servings
Calories 78
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Carbohydrates 4 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugar 2 g
Protein 6 g
Cholesterol 29 mg
Sodium 110 mg

Reviews

Amanda Hart
My family loves these meatballs.  They have become part of our holiday tradition.  You can’t go wrong with a batch of these, or two.
Joshua Cruz
These were perfect!! Pretty much the whole meal in one bite- yum!!!

 

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