
If all of the basic, herby, savory flavors of Thanksgiving got here collectively into one satisfying most important dish, these turkey meatballs could be it! They’re WAY simpler to grasp than baking a turkey, making them good for small vacation gatherings and year-round Thanksgiving cravings.
Simply 10 substances required and ideal for pairing with Thanksgiving classics like mashed potatoes, inexperienced bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Allow us to present you the way it’s achieved!

Substances for Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs
These EASY, savory floor turkey meatballs require just some fundamental substances:
- Floor turkey – Turkey is a Thanksgiving basic! Floor hen would additionally work nicely on this recipe, however floor beef has a stronger taste, which we predict would overpower the herbs.
- Sautéed onion, celery & garlic – These veggies create a savory taste base, and when sautéed, they grow to be tender and add a candy, caramelized taste. Plus, sautéing reduces the water content material, permitting for completely browned meatballs.
- Panko breadcrumbs – These act because the binder (no eggs wanted!), in addition to absorbing any extra moisture. Gluten-free breadcrumbs work simply as nicely right here for our GF eaters!
- Recent herbs – We love a mixture of rosemary, sage, and parsley, which evoke the flavors of Thanksgiving. Utilizing contemporary herbs ensures finest taste, however you may also use dried herbs on this recipe (simply halve the quantities!).
- Sea salt – For taste! Any finely floor salt works, although we do want the flavour of sea salt.

Find out how to Make Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs
- Sauté the greens – We prepare dinner the onion and celery with olive oil and salt for taste till they’re softened and aromatic, then add the garlic and proceed cooking for a minute.
- Mix sautéed greens, breadcrumbs, herbs, salt, and turkey. Combine till the herbs and salt are evenly distributed, however keep away from overworking the meat (doing so could make the meatballs powerful).
- Scoop & form – We like to make use of a cookie scoop for ease of making evenly sized meatballs (which ensures even cooking).
- Bake for 18-20 minutes at 400 levels Fahrenheit (204 Celsius).
- Broil – This remaining step provides the meatballs a golden exterior and further taste!



Questions
Can these turkey meatballs be prepped forward?
Sure! For finest taste and texture (supreme for serving at a vacation gathering), put together by way of step 4 (mixing floor turkey with seasonings and breadcrumbs), refrigerate the combination, then form + prepare dinner simply previous to serving. Nevertheless, you may also absolutely prepare dinner the meatballs and reheat within the oven, or freeze fashioned meatballs earlier than baking and prepare dinner them instantly from frozen.
Can I prepare dinner on the stovetop?
Sure, although the meatballs do are typically much less evenly spherical in form! You may prepare dinner over medium warmth in a evenly oiled skillet, turning just a few occasions, till the interior temperature reads 165 levels Fahrenheit. In the event that they’re browning too shortly earlier than getting cooked within the middle, scale back the warmth.
Do I’ve to make use of a forged iron skillet?
Nope! (Although we do love that it retains this a 1-pan dish and the excessive warmth of forged iron provides the meatballs further browning!) However you possibly can sauté the greens in any skillet, then prepare dinner the meatballs on a evenly oiled baking sheet or in any broil-safe dish (NOT glass).

We hope you LOVE these meatballs! They’re:
Savory
Tender
Herby
Satisfying
Fast & straightforward
& Excellent for small Thanksgiving gatherings!
These meatballs pair particularly nicely with Thanksgiving classics like mashed potatoes, inexperienced bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. And the simplicity makes them equally good for year-round consuming, together with busy weeknights!
Extra Vacation-Pleasant Mains
In the event you do this recipe, tell us! Depart a remark, fee it, and don’t neglect to tag a photograph @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, buddies!

Servings 6 (3-meatball servings)
- 2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 giant white or yellow onion, finely diced (1/2 giant onion yields ~2 cups or 200 g)
- 2 giant stalks celery, ends trimmed and finely diced (2 stalks yield ~1 cup or 105 g)
- 1 tsp sea salt (DIVIDED)
- 3 giant cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free as wanted // we like Ian’s for GF)
- 1/4 cup contemporary parsley*, finely chopped
- 1 tsp contemporary rosemary*, minced
- 1 tsp contemporary sage*, minced
- 1 pound floor turkey
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Preheat the oven to 400 levels F (204 C) and prepare your oven racks so there’s one rack within the middle and one close to the highest for broiling.
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In a 12-inch forged iron skillet (or different oven-safe skillet), warmth the oil over medium warmth. As soon as heat, add the onion, celery, and half of the salt. Prepare dinner, stirring sometimes, till softened and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and prepare dinner for 1 minute, till aromatic. Switch the veggies to a big mixing bowl and let cool for a couple of minutes.
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As soon as the veggies have cooled barely, add the breadcrumbs, parsley, rosemary, sage, and remaining salt. Stir to mix.
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Add the bottom turkey and gently combine with clear palms till evenly mixed. Keep away from overworking the meat; doing so will make the meatballs powerful.
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Scoop the combination into 1 ½ Tbsp quantities (we used this scoop), form into balls, and prepare in the identical skillet you used for sautéing. In the event you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you may also use a evenly oiled baking sheet or broil-safe dish.
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Bake on the middle rack for 18-20 minutes, then flip the oven to broil and transfer the baking dish to the highest rack. Broil for 2-3 minutes, till properly browned. For meals security, use a meat thermometer to examine that the interior temperature is ~165 levels F earlier than serving.
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Get pleasure from! These meatballs are scrumptious with different Thanksgiving classics like mashed potatoes, inexperienced bean casserole, and cranberry sauce.
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Leftover cooked and cooled meatballs might be saved within the fridge for 2-3 days or within the freezer for 1 month or longer. Reheat in a 375 diploma F (190 C) oven for 10 minutes or till warmed by way of.
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If you wish to freeze particular person “meatballs” earlier than cooking, form them into patties (which prepare dinner extra evenly from frozen than meatballs), then prepare dinner instantly from frozen in a evenly oiled skillet over medium warmth till browned on either side and the interior temperature reaches 165 levels F (74 C) — about 5-6 minutes per facet.
*We want the flavour of contemporary herbs over dried on this recipe, however you possibly can exchange contemporary with dried herbs (utilizing half the quantities), if desired.
*Diet data is a tough estimate.
Serving: 1 (three-meatball) serving Energy: 305 Carbohydrates: 14.5 g Protein: 21.3 g Fats: 18.3 g Saturated Fats: 4.2 g Polyunsaturated Fats: 4.2 g Monounsaturated Fats: 8 g Trans Fats: 0.19 g Ldl cholesterol: 80 mg Sodium: 546 mg Potassium: 397 mg Fiber: 1.8 g Sugar: 3.9 g Vitamin A: 140 IU Vitamin C: 9.3 mg Calcium: 89 mg Iron: 2.4 mg
