Baked turkey meatballs with no-drippings gravy are a simple way to enjoy the flavors of Thanksgiving without all the fuss of preparing a whole turkey.
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Pro-tip: if you’ve got picky eaters in the house…try it as a meatball! Our kids won’t touch classic chicken shawarma…but they’ll devour chicken shawarma meatballs. Will they eat wings? No. Will they eat buffalo chicken meatballs? Ding! We’ve got a winner.
We accepted long ago that a perfectly roasted turkey (or even turkey breast!) is a non-starter with our anti-foodie kids. That’s life. So in years when our party of four celebrates Thanksgiving on our own, I make meatballs. And honestly? *We* like them better too!
How to Make Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs
These turkey meatballs are decidedly more “Thanksgiving-style” than “Italian-style”, seasoned with thyme and sage, then smothered with no-drippings gravy. If you can source it, use dark ground turkey meat for superior flavor and tenderness.
- Mix ’em up. Combine ground turkey with breadcrumbs, an egg, finely diced onion and celery, parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
- Using your (clean) hands, gently mix until the ingredients are just barely combined; over-mixing can result in denser, tougher meatballs.
- Form 1-tablespoon portions, roll into balls, then place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake 15-18 minutes in a 400°F oven, or until the centers register 165°F using an instant read thermometer.
How to Make Caramelized Onion Gravy
Take your baked turkey meatballs next level by smothering them with onion gravy. Turkey + gravy always equals heaven, even in meatball form. Caramelized onions bring so much flavor to this gravy – no drippings required!
- Caramelize a thinly sliced onion over low to medium-low heat. The key to perfect caramelized onions is two-fold: time, and moisture. As the onions start to cook down, they’ll release their moisture content and eventually start to dry out, so have some broth or wine handy and add a bit to the pot every now and then to keep the onions moist.
- Once they’re deep golden brown, add a clove of smashed garlic, a cup of turkey or chicken broth, and a sprig of thyme. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and the thyme leaves start to fall off the stems.
- Fish out the thyme stems, transfer the mixture into a blender, and process until smooth. Finish it out with a pat of butter and a splash of heavy cream, and don’t forget to taste for seasoning and adjust the salt or add a bit of black pepper.
Essential Notes and Tips
- If you can find it, use dark ground turkey meat! With slightly more fat than ground turkey breast and a gamier flavor, dark ground turkey meat makes an excellent meatball. I can typically only find dark ground turkey meat from a local butcher or from speciality stores like Whole Foods and MOMS Organic Market – but it’s worth the trip if you can find it!
- Finely mince the onion and celery for best texture.
- Rub a little olive oil on your hands before mixing and then again before forming the meatballs (reapplying as needed). This will prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands too much, and the extra fat will help the meatballs forms a deeper golden brown crust.
- A small cookie scoop will yield perfect portions (about 1 tablespoon) for bite-sized meatballs!
- Use a thermometer to check for doneness. Yes, you can slice a meatball open, but turkey meat can be a little deceiving. An instant read thermometer is the most accurate method to check for doneness; the centers should register 165°F.
Freezing and Storing
- In the Fridge: store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
- To Freeze: flash freezing is an easy and effective way to preserve homemade meatballs. Place the cooked meatballs onto a baking sheet, leaving a little space between each. Place the entire baking sheet into the freezer, uncovered, for 1-2 hours, or until the meatballs are frozen. Transfer the individually frozen meatballs into a gallon sized freezer bag, press out the air, seal, and stash! Flash frozen meatballs keep for 3-6 months in an air-tight bag.
- To Reheat from Frozen: for small batches (6-8 meatballs), place the frozen meatballs in a bowl, cover with damp paper towel, then microwave for 2 minutes; for larger portions, defrost in the fridge overnight, then arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet and warm in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
- Potatoes: serve over rich and creamy roasted garlic mashed potatoes, rosemary roasted potatoes, or maple cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes.
- Veggies: try roasted Brussels sprouts, honey roasted carrots, parmesan roasted cauliflower, or garlic green beans.
More Meatball Recipes
- Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
- Beef Kofta Meatballs
- Italian Style Turkey Meatballs
- Filler Free Italian Meatballs
Did you make these Turkey Meatballs with Caramelized Onion Gravy? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs with Gravy
Description
Thanksgiving style turkey meatballs are seasoned with thyme and sage for an easy and kid approved option to offer this holiday season. If you can find it, use dark ground turkey meat for superior flavor and tenderness. And definitely don't skimp on the gravy!
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey, see Note 1
- 1 small yellow onion, finely minced or grated, see Note 2
- 1 stalk celery, finely minced or grated
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup bread crumbs, see Note 3
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Caramelized Onion Gravy
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons wine, optional
- 1 large Vidalia (sweet) onion, thinly sliced, about 2 cups
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1.5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Start the gravy. Heat one tablespoon of butter and the olive oil l in a 2-quart saucepan over medium high heat until the butter melts then foams. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, then toss to coat in the fat. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and deeply golden brown, 20-25 minutes. If the pot gets too dry, add wine or broth in 1-2 teaspoon portions to keep the pot moist and prevent scalding.
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then lightly mist with the parchment with olive oil spray (or brush with olive oil).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, minced onion and celery, egg, bread crumbs, salt, parsley, thyme, sage, garlic powder, and pepper. Rub your (clean) hands with a bit of olive oil (see Note 4), then gently mix the ingredients until evenly combined.
- Again lightly coat your hands with olive oil to prevent stickage, then form the mixture into 1-tablespoon meatballs. Arrange the meatballs in a single, ever layer on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake 15-18 minutes, or until the centers register 165°F using an instant read thermometer.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake 15-18 minuter, or until the meatballs are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F using an instant read thermometer.
- Finish the gravy. Add the smashed garlic clove, 1 cup chicken broth, and fresh thyme to the onions. Simmer an additional 10 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and the thyme leaves are falling off the stems.
- Pour the gravy ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the cold butter and heavy cream, and blend one final time. Taste for seasoning and add pepper and additional salt (if needed).
- Serve the meatballs warm, smothered with sweet onion gravy. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a tightly sealed container for up to 4 days. See notes for freezing instructions.
Recipe Notes
Note 1. Use dark ground turkey meat if you can find it. We typically cannot purchase dark meat in our “regular” grocery stores, but can often puchase it from our local butcher or from speciality stores like Whole Foods and MOMS Organic Market.
Note 2. For a very fine texture, grate the onion and celery using the smallest holes on a box grater.
Note 3. Both regular and panko bread crumbs work in this recipe. Regular bread crumbs will make for slightly denser, chewier meatballs while panko bread crumbs will be a lighter and airier.
Note 4. Turkey meat is lower in fat than ground beef or pork, and therefore tends to be stickier. Rub your hands with olive oil to make mixing and forming the meatballs easier and to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands. Gently coating the exteriors of the meatballs with oil from your hands will also help them brown just a bit more while baking.
Storing and Freezing
- In the Fridge: store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
- To Freeze: flash freezing is an easy and effective way to preserve homemade meatballs. Place the cooked meatballs onto a baking sheet, leaving a little space between each. Place the entire baking sheet into the freezer, uncovered, for 1-2 hours, or until the meatballs are frozen. Transfer the individually frozen meatballs into a gallon sized freezer bag, press out the air, seal, and stash! Flash frozen meatballs keep for 3-6 months in an air-tight bag.
- To Reheat from Frozen: for small batches (6-8 meatballs), place the frozen meatballs in a bowl, cover with damp paper towel, then microwave for 2 minutes; for larger portions, defrost in the fridge overnight, then arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet and warm in 350°F oven for 10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
serving size:
calories per serving: 352 kcal
total fat: 22g
saturated fat: 6g
monounsaturated fat: 9g
polyunsaturated fat: 1g
trans fat: 0g
cholesterol: 137mg
sodium: 231mg
protein: 26g
total carbohydrates: 12g
fiber: 2g
sugars: 1g
potassium: 149mg
vitamin a: 250%
vitamin c: 7.4%
calcium: 60%
iron: 2.5%
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Janelle
I made this for my in-laws last weekend, and my mother in law asked for the recipe! I ate the few leftover meatballs for breakfast the next day…shh, don’t tell anyone.
Danielle
My lips are sealed 😀
carolyn
O.M.G. absolutely delish! Finishing touch
. cream, butter..over the top!!
Molly
So tasty! To save myself a trip to the store I subbed the celery for carrots, but followed everything else, and they were amazing! Added a touch of lingonberry jam when serving for my Norwegian partner 🙂