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Epicurious

Turkey Meatballs With Cranberry Sauce

By Katherine Sacks

4.4

(15)

Platter of meatballs and a bowl of sauce surrounded by appetizer plates with cocktail picks.
Photo by Alice Gao, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen

These tender, flavor-packed meatballs are the perfect Thanksgiving party snack, but they'd also make an excellent meatball sub.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 hour

  • Yield

    Makes 50 meatballs

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground turkey
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
4 teaspoons finely chopped sage, plus whole leaves for garnish (optional)
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 (14-ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil.

    Step 2

    Using your hands, mix pork, turkey, eggs, garlic, breadcrumbs, milk, fennel, 4 tsp. chopped sage, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a large bowl until incorporated. Roll into 1" balls, making sure to pack firmly.

    Step 3

    Transfer balls to prepared baking sheet, packing them snuggly. Roast meatballs until firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

    Step 4

    Meanwhile, cook cranberry sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, ginger, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until smooth, about 5 minutes.

    Step 5

    Using a pastry brush, generously coat meatballs with 1/3 cup cranberry sauce mixture. Return meatballs to oven and continue to bake until glaze is shiny and caramelized, about 5 minutes more.

    Step 6

    Shake sheet to coat meatballs with sauce. Transfer remaining sauce to a serving bowl and transfer meatballs to a serving platter. Top meatballs with sage leaves before serving, if using.

TagsMeatballGround PorkPorkMeatGround TurkeyTurkeyPoultrySageHerbs & SpicesMainSnackDinnerNut FreeQuickRoastEpicurious

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