Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

holiday-flavored recipe

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 8m
Cook Time: 12m
Total Time: 20m
Temp.: 425 °F
Servings: 25
Difficulty: Easy
5.0 (17 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

For meatballs:

For cranberry sauce:

Nutritional Information

67
сalories
2,9g
fat
5,6g
carbohydrates
5,6g
protein
26mg
cholesterol
109mg
sodium
1 meatball
serving size
Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

Recipe Description

This seasonally inspired recipe for Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs is a new twist on crowd-pleasing comfort food. And if you love Thanksgiving and all the wonderful flavors of this tasty holiday, then you will love these juicy and tender turkey meatballs. Well-seasoned ground turkey blended with shredded tart apple and bread crumbs and baked to perfection plus homemade apple cranberry sauce. This dish is warm and flavorful, hearty yet healthy, and so delicious. It’s like roasted turkey and cranberry sauce as a meatball!

This holiday-flavored recipe is super easy and quick to make. Start by mixing the ingredients for the meatballs and roll the mixture into 1 ½ to 2-inch meatballs. Bake the meatballs just until cooked through, about 12-14 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the cranberry sauce. Spoon the meatballs into the sauce and baste them with the sauce to coat. Serve warm, garnished with parsley if you wish, and enjoy! 

To make the Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet

    5 min
    Step 1 - Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

    Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Place a baking rack over a large rimmed baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. Then set aside.

  2. 2

    Combine ingredients for meatballs

    3 min
    Step 2 - Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

    Use a large bowl to combine 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey, ½ cup plain bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 lightly beaten large egg, 1 cup shredded tart apple, 1 ½ tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Use two forks or your hands to mix the ingredients, being careful not to over mix and compact the meat.

  3. 3

    Form meatballs

    3 min
    Step 3 - Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

    Using a small scoop, scoop and roll the mixture into 1 ½ to 2-inch meatballs. Place on the prepared baking rack.

  4. 4

    Bake

    12 min
    Step 4 - Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

    Bake the meatballs for 12 to 14 minutes until cooked through.

  5. 5

    Prepare sauce

    3 min
    Step 5 - Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

    In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce, ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, zest of 1 orange, and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice and warm through.

  6. 6

    Add meatballs to sauce

    2 min
    Step 6 - Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

    Add the baked meatballs and spoon the cranberry sauce over them.

  7. 7

    Serve

    Step 7 - Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

    Serve warm garnished with chopped parsley and enjoy!

These Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs are flavorful, hearty but healthy, and so delicious. Give them a try on Thanksgiving, or make them now to give yourself an early taste of the holiday flavors! And please come back to leave us a comment below.

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
5.0 out of 5 (17 reviews)
Ellie
April 14, 2025
Verified

Delicious

Samantha
March 27, 2025
Verified

OMG! These Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs are the bomb! Made them for a family dinner, and my kids couldn't get enough. So easy and such a fun twist on Thanksgiving flavors. You gotta try this recipe! It’s a total game changer!

Katia Rossi
December 20, 2024
Verified

OMG, these meatballs are the bomb! I made 'em for my friends last week, and we all went nuts! So tasty and perf for the holidays! Thanks a ton!

Cathy
December 8, 2024
Verified

Super yummy. Made these for Thanksgiving dinner and everyone loved them, they are now a family favorite.

Isabella Martin
August 7, 2024
Verified

Superb

Quinn
January 14, 2024
Verified

OMG, these meatballs are a total game changer! Super easy to make and sooo delish! Made 'em for a potluck and they were gone in minutes. Thx so much!

Lily
December 12, 2023
Verified

Superb

Daisy
November 7, 2023
Verified

These meatballs are the bomb, super easy to make. Had a blast cooking with my kids last night, they loved rollin' 'em!

Ava
November 6, 2023
Verified

Loved it so much!

Yvonne
November 2, 2023
Verified

I made these Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs for our family Thanksgiving dinner, and they were a huge hit! The flavors were so good, and the recipe was easy to follow. Everyone loved the twist on classic dishes. I will be making these again for sure!

Kathy
June 20, 2023
Verified

Delicious! Made these meatballs for a family gathering, and they were a hit! The flavors of apple and cranberry made it so special. Can't wait to make it again.

Zoe Thompson
February 12, 2023
Verified

So mouthwatering!

Vicki
January 28, 2023
Verified

These meatballs were a hit at my fam's feast! So yummy!

Chad Michaels
December 28, 2022
Verified

Simply great meatballs

Arty
August 24, 2022
Verified

Blimey, these meatballs are a game changer! Whipped them up for my mates and everyone was chuffed. The apple gives a wicked twist, love it! Perfect for a cozy night in.

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