Cranberry Balsamic Glazed Turkey Meatballs are sticky, sweet, and moist. Lean ground turkey is seasoned with parmesan cheese, herbed breadcrumbs, garlic, fresh rosemary, and a little orange zest. They are then coated with luscious glaze made with cranberry sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey, fresh rosemary, orange juice, and soy sauce. Mini meatballs are the perfect appetizer for any dinner or holiday party.
With the holiday season in full swing, there are so many dinners, parties, and get togethers we are having. The best part is most of them are potluck! I love tasting what other people love to eat and cook. Honestly, I just love the variety of food I get to have.
What’s funny is I was just having a conversation with someone about who brings meatballs to a potluck? Especially a holiday potluck? Usually people bring a casserole, dessert, maybe crudites and a dip, or even lasagna. But how often do you hear someone say, “I’ll bring the meatballs”? I’m here to change that!
These holiday meatballs will not only be showstoppers, they are going to sell like hotcakes. A beautiful crust on the inside and moist meat on the outside, glazed in a beautiful sauce all of which takes less than 45 minutes! Yep. You heard right. Less than 45 minutes. I probably spent more time rolling the meatballs than any of the other steps combined!
WHAT DO I NEED?
- Lean ground turkey – I know people think that if there is no fat in the meat, the meatballs will not be moist. Trust me, we’re going to make this work! You can also sub in ground chicken if you prefer.
- 1 egg – that’s it.
- Italian Herbed breadcrumbs – these add so much flavor.
- milk – you only need a little bit but this will go a long way to keeping your meatballs moist.
- fresh rosemary – the woodsy flavor will definitely give these babies a taste of the holidays
- orange zest – to brighten up and give just a zing
Well, what about the glaze? There are quite a few ingredients but it really doesn’t take much time to make this sticky sauce:
- cranberry sauce – as the name of the glaze implies. This adds the perfect sweetness
- balsamic vinegar – though it’s tart, as you cook it, the sweet flavor of the balsamic will add an extra depth to the glaze
- honey – have to make it sticky somehow!
- soy sauce – just a hint of umami and salt
- fresh rosemary – again, need the touch of the holidays
- orange zest and orange juice – a bright note to get your attention
- arrowroot powder – this thickens the sauce beautifully
Can I freeze these?
Absolutely. Store the meatballs without the glaze in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat them, thaw them out overnight in the fridge and heat up in the microwave or oven.
Need some more party appetizer ideas? Check out some of my favorites:
Tinseltown Tostadas
Blistered Shishito Peppers
Farmer’s Market Crudites Platter with Hummus Two Ways
Rosemary Caprese Skewers with a Balsamic Glaze
Garden Fresh Balsamic Bruschetta
Fresco Carpaccio
Cranberry Balsamic Glazed Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1/3 c shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/3 c Italian Herb breadcrumbs or gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
For the Cranberry Balsamic Glaze:
- 1 14 oz can cranberry sauce
- 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 c low sodium chicken or veggie broth
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce, tamari for gluten-free
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 tsp orange zest
- Juice of half an orange
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tsp arrowroot powder mixed with 2 tsp water to create a slurry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- In a large bowl whisk together parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, egg, milk, rosemary, orange zest, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Add in the turkey and use your hands to incorporate everything together. Be careful not to work the meat too much or the meatballs will be tough.
- Scoop out tablespoon sized portions of the meat mixture, roll them into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Once all of the meatballs are formed spray or brush the tops with oil.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the meatballs bake, make the cranberry balsamic sauce.
- In a large saucepan, add cranberry sauce, balsamic vinegar, broth, honey, soy sauce, rosemary, orange zest and juice, and black pepper. Whisk well to combine.
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Add in the arrowroot slurry and whisk the sauce until it thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
- When the meatballs are done, remove from oven and gently add them to the glaze.
- Stir to coat them. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve the meatballs on a serving platter or bowl with toothpicks.
Notes
Notes:
To make this recipe gluten free - substitute the bread crumbs with gf bread crumbs and replace the soy sauce with tamari.
If you want to freeze the meatballs, place without the glaze in an airtight bag or container. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. To use, thaw out in refrigerator overnight then reheat in oven or microwave.
Here are the tools I used for this recipe:
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