Thanksgiving Appetizer

Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing Meatballs

All the flavours of the holiday in one bite — seasoned turkey meatballs loaded with stuffing, herbs, and aromatics, then glazed in a sweet-smoky cranberry-chipotle BBQ sauce. They’re built for a party platter, but they make a pretty great dinner too.

Makes about 24 meatballs · 25 min active · 25 min bake

Made by Salty Sprig

Ingredients

Ingredients:

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•   1 lb ground turkey
•   2 cups prepared stuffing
•   1 egg
•   .5 cup yellow onion
•   .5 cup celery
•   2 garlic cloves
•   fresh sage
•   fresh thyme leaves
•   .25 cup low-sodium chicken broth
•   14 oz whole-berry cranberry sauce
•   1 cup BBQ sauce
•   2 chipotle peppers in adobo
•   2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
•   2 tbsp brown sugar
•   .25 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients are subject to availability at local stores. Unavailable items will be automatically substituted at best-effort.

If you’re using leftover stuffing, make sure it’s already cooked and cooled. Dried bread cubes need a few extra minutes in the broth to soften before mixing. Start with 1 chipotle pepper if you’re heat-shy, then taste the sauce and add the second if you want more of a kick.

Directions

Make the cranberry-chipotle BBQ sauce

1. Combine: Add the cranberry sauce, BBQ sauce, minced chipotles, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Simmer and reduce: Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to break up the cranberry sauce. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
3. Taste and set aside: Taste and adjust the heat or sweetness — add a splash more vinegar if it’s too sweet, or a spoonful of adobo if you want more smoke. Keep warm on low heat while you make the meatballs.

Make the meatballs

1. Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Soften the stuffing: If using dried bread cubes, pour the chicken broth over them in a large bowl and let them sit for 5 minutes until softened. If using already-prepared stuffing, skip this step.
3. Mix the meatballs: Add the ground turkey, egg, onion, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Use your hands to mix until just combined — overmixing makes the meatballs dense and tough.
4. Roll: Scoop the mixture into roughly 2-tablespoon portions and roll into balls. You should get about 24. Place them on the lined sheet pan with a little space between each one.

Bake and glaze

1. Bake: Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the meatballs are browned and cooked through to 165°F in the centre.
2. Glaze: Brush the meatballs generously with the warm sauce, or transfer them to a serving dish and spoon the sauce over the top so they’re fully coated.
3. Serve: Serve warm, straight from the dish, with the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

Make-ahead: The sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored in the fridge. The raw meatball mixture can be rolled and refrigerated for up to 24 hours, or frozen on the sheet pan and baked from frozen with an extra 5–8 minutes. Leftover meatballs keep beautifully in the fridge for 4 days and reheat well with a splash of extra sauce.