Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce

Juicy turkey and pork meatballs seasoned with sage and fennel, glazed with a sweet-tart cranberry sauce. Perfect for holiday entertaining or a special family dinner.

8 servings
47 min

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
  • cup whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
  • 4 teaspoons sage
  • teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
  • 14 ounce jellied cranberry sauce
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

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

    5 min

  2. 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.

    15 min

  3. 3.

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

    15 min

  4. 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.

    5 min

  5. 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.

    5 min

  6. 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.

    2 min

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