These Thanksgiving meatballs are juicy, savory, and coated in a sweet and spicy raspberry glaze. They’re truly every flavor you love at Thanksgiving dinner mashed into delicious meatballs. I love making these as a festive appetizer or cozy main. It’s such a fun dish to get in the holiday spirit!
- Protein-packed! 24g per serving to be exact 🙌🏻
- Easy prep and cleanup: Prep the meatballs in one bowl, and bake them on one sheet pan.
- Perfect for holiday get togethers: This is such a fun recipe to get into the holiday spirit!
- Bold fall flavors: It’s really everything you love about Thanksgiving rolled into a yummy meatball.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground turkey: Obviously! Ground chicken is a great substitute if you can’t find ground turkey or don’t have it on hand.
- Stuffing mix: I love a classic Stovetop stuffing mix! GF breadcrumbs will also work if you’re hoping to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Dried cranberries: These go right into the meatballs, and add amazing Thanksgiving-forward flavor.
- Jam: It’s tough to find cranberry jam year-round in American grocery stores, which is why this recipe calls for raspberry jam instead. Homemade or canned cranberries will also work. I love using leftovers from my lemon ginger cranberry sauce for this recipe!
- Chili crunch: My gosh, I just love chili crunch! It adds a nice hit of spice to the raspberry sauce. Don’t love spicy? Just skip it!
How to Make Thanksgiving Meatballs
- Prepare the meatballs: In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the meatballs except the ground turkey, and toss. Add the ground turkey to the meatball mixture, and mix all the ingredients together. Scoop 2 tablespoons into your hands and roll into meatballs. Repeat until all of the meatballs have been formed (this recipe will make about 18 meatballs).
- Bake the meatballs: Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes at 450℉, flip, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Make the sauce: Add the jam and chili crunch to a small saucepan, and simmer for a few minutes.
- Toss and serve: Toss the cooked meatballs in the raspberry sauce, and serve! You can also use the raspberry sauce as a dipping sauce if you’re serving these meatballs as an appetizer.
- Stuffing mix –> Leftover stuffing or breadcrumbs
- Ground turkey –> Ground chicken, ground beef or a plant-based ground
- Raspberry jam –> Strawberry jam, canned cranberry sauce or leftover cranberry sauce
Serving Ideas
As a main dish: When serving these Thanksgiving meatballs as a main dish, I like to serve them over a bed of cottage cheese mashed potatoes and with a veggie side like my glazed carrots or roasted Brussels sprouts.
As an appetizer: This is such a fun recipe to serve as an appetizer for holiday get togethers! I like to serve them in a crockpot with toothpicks and the raspberry sauce as a dipping sauce on the side.
Storage & Reheating
Let your thanksgiving meatballs cool completely. Then, transfer into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
To reheat: Reheat covered in the oven or in the crockpot to avoid the meatballs drying out.
How to Freeze Cooked Thanksgiving Meatballs
- Cook meatballs: Cook meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Cool meatballs: Let the meatballs cool completely.
- Freeze: Once cooled, transfer them into a gallon-size freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container. Remove as much air as possible and then seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.
More Thanksgiving Recipes to Try
Can I make the cranberry turkey meatballs ahead of time?
Definitely! I like to meal prep these when I’m serving them at a party, and then just warm them back up / keep them warm in the crockpot.
Can I substitute the raspberry sauce for something else?
For sure! Leftover cranberry sauce is a great alternative. You can also substitute the raspberry jam for another fruit jam or spread, although this will alter the flavor slightly.
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Preheat the oven to 450℉ and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the meatballs except the ground turkey. Toss to combine.
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Add the ground turkey to the meatball mixture. Use a silicon spatula or your hands to mix all ingredients together.
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Scoop 2 tablespoons into your hands and roll into meatballs. Repeat until all of the meatballs have been formed.
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Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
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While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Add the jam and chili crunch to a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
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When the meatballs are done baking and have reached an internal temperature of 165℉, toss them in the spicy raspberry sauce and serve.
- You can increase or decrease the spice in the raspberry sauce by adding or subtracting the chili crunch.
- I used the chicken flavor of Stovetop but any flavor would work. You could also use your favorite stuffing mix.
- This recipe yields approximately 18 meatballs.
Calories: 330 kcal, Carbohydrates: 43 g, Protein: 24 g, Fat: 7 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 16 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by: The Wooden Skillet
