Turkey Meatballs in Cranberry Sauce
This unbelievable marriage of holiday flavors features perfectly seasoned, feta-spiked turkey meatballs, a sweet/savory cranberry sauce, and a salty feta/green onion garnish. Colorful, flavorful, healthy, and a MUST for the season!
There’s so much flavor and color in this dish! It’s damn pretty to look at, and it screams HOLIDAY in every juicy bite! Turkey and cranberry sauce are classic holiday foods, and when commingled in this dish, it’s perfection. The meatballs are savory, herby, and salty from the feta, and the sauce is fresh, sweet and tangy. When you combine the meatballs and the sauce, it’s the ultimate balance of flavors.
What kind of cranberry sauce should you use? I used my homemade cranberry sauce made with fresh cranberries. It’s truly fantastic and partners perfectly with the seasoned meatballs. If desired, you may used one can of whole berry cranberry sauce.
How are the meatballs seasoned? Very well! Aside from panko bread crumbs and egg (used to bind the ground turkey and hold the meatballs together), the meatballs are seasoned with feta, green onions and herbes de Provence (a seasoning blend of thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaves). Thanks to the salty feta, fresh green onions, and multitude of herbs in the seasoning, they’re super flavorful. If you don’t have herbes de Provence, you may use an Italian herb seasoning instead. Then, the meatballs are roasted until golden, and then finished in the cranberry sauce. The balance of flavors – salty, sweet, tangy – is spot on.
I used turkey, but ground chicken works too. If you’re more of a chicken fan, feel free to swap that in for the turkey. And you can use regular ground chicken or ground chicken breast (same with the turkey).
How should you serve your turkey meatballs in cranberry sauce? Trust me, you’ll want something to soak up that sauce, so I suggest serving this dish with mashed potatoes, stuffing (or dressing), rice, cauliflower rice, couscous, or your favorite grain. Plus, these meatballs make great party food – so consider serving them with wooden picks at your next holiday soirée!
Turkey Meatballs in Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 20 ounces ground turkey, or ground turkey breast, or ground chicken
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, or goat cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1/3 cup chopped green onions, plus more for garnish
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, or Italian herb seasoning
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups homemade cranberry sauce, or 15-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, feta, green onions, panko, egg, garlic, herb seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well. Shape the mixture into 12 meatballs and transfer the meatballs to the prepared pan. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through (165 degrees on a meat thermometer).
- Meanwhile, combine the cranberry sauce and chicken broth in a large saucepan or high-sided skillet and set the pan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the meatballs finish cooking.
- Add the meatballs to the cranberry sauce and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes to heat through.
- Garnish with feta and green onions and serve.