These easy Thanksgiving Turkey Cranberry Meatballs combine ground turkey, dried cranberries, sage, onion and instant mashed potato flakes, then finish in a creamy savory gravy. The potato flakes replace traditional breadcrumbs while adding a subtle mashed-potato flavor, so you get the flavors of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy in one cozy dish.
Unlike many cranberry turkey meatball recipes, the cranberries are finely chopped inside the meatballs rather than served as a sweet cranberry glaze. I first made these for a camping Thanksgiving, which is why I've tested both pan-fried and baked methods.
They're naturally gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free with your favorite dairy-free milk and butter.
This recipe is inspired by my super popular Dairy-Free Swedish Meatballs and uses the same dairy-free gravy.
Recipe Overview: Turkey Cranberry Meatballs
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy
- 🕒 Total Time: 50 mins
- 👥 Serves: 5
- Flavor: Savory sage turkey meatballs with sweet-tart dried cranberries and creamy gravy.
- ✅ Dietary: Gluten-free as written, easy tested swaps for dairy-free.
- Method: Pan-fry or bake the meatballs, then finish them in gravy.
- Best for: Thanksgiving dinner, holiday meals and cozy fall dinners.
⚠️ Most Important Tip: Use an instant-read thermometer and cook the meatballs just to 165°F. This ensures they're safely cooked without drying out the lean turkey.
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FEATURED REVIEW ★★★★★
These meatballs are fantastically addictive! These are a new Thanksgiving holiday favorite for me.
- Andie
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Why This Recipe Works
- All the flavors of Thanksgiving in one dish. Sage and onion give the turkey a stuffing-inspired flavor, while dried cranberries, mashed potato flakes and creamy gravy round out the classic holiday combination.
- Mashed potato flakes make an excellent meatball binder. They replace traditional breadcrumbs while adding a subtle mashed-potato flavor that works especially well in this recipe.
- The cranberries are inside the meatballs. Finely chopped dried cranberries add little bursts of sweet-tart flavor throughout rather than coating the meatballs in a sweet cranberry sauce.
- You can pan-fry or bake them. I originally developed these meatballs for a camping Thanksgiving, so I've tested both methods.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Ground turkey
Lean ground turkey works well for these meatballs. Because turkey can dry out when overcooked, I recommend using an instant-read thermometer and cooking it just to 165°F.
Instant mashed potato flakes
These replace traditional breadcrumbs as the meatball binder and add a subtle mashed-potato flavor that fits perfectly with the Thanksgiving theme. Use plain instant potato flakes rather than a flavored mashed potato mix. Gluten-free breadcrumbs or panko can also be used in equal amounts if needed
Dried cranberries
Use sweetened dried cranberries and finely chop them before adding them to the turkey mixture. This distributes little bursts of cranberry flavor throughout the meatballs. I haven't tested this recipe with fresh cranberries and don't recommend substituting them.
Sage
Sage gives the turkey its classic stuffing-inspired flavor. I have made these meatballs with both rubbed and ground sage. If using ground sage, use a little less since its flavor is more concentrated.
More Ingredient Notes
- Milk: I originally made these with unsweetened cashew milk because its neutral flavor and creamy texture work well in the meatballs and gravy. Regular dairy milk or another unsweetened, neutral-flavored milk can be substituted in equal amounts.
- Butter: Regular or dairy-free butter both work in the gravy.
- Tapioca starch: This thickens the gravy and keeps it smooth and creamy. Cornstarch or potato starch can also be used, but start with half the amount and add more as needed because their thickening power differs.
See the recipe card for full quantities.
How to make turkey cranberry meatballs
Learn how to make Thanksgiving Turkey Cranberry Meatballs with these step-by-step instructions.
- Meatball mixture: To a medium mixing bowl, add the ground turkey, instant mashed potato flakes, egg, ¼ cup milk, onion, dried cranberries, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, sage, and ½ teaspoon salt. Use your hands to mix just until the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Roll into balls: For pan-frying, roll the meatball mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a baking sheet.
- Pan-Fry (see notes for baking instructions): Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and melt a tablespoon of butter. Sear the meatballs by browning the outsides, flipping to a new side every 2-3 minutes. I do this in two batches so there is room to roll the meatballs around. Once seared, reduce the heat to medium and continue to roll the meatballs around every 2-3 minutes to cook through. Cook until the centers reach 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a clean plate.
Note: If you have a hard time reaching the internal temperature, add a cover and drop the heat to medium-low to cook through without burning the outsides. - Gravy: Melt ¼ cup butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and the tapioca starch, mixing until smooth with a spatula or silicone coated whisk. Add the broth in ¼ cup increments and stir briskly or whisk well with each addition until smooth. Add milk in the same fashion. Bring to a low boil for 3-5 minutes to thicken. Add extra broth as needed to get your desired gravy consistency.
- Assemble: Place the cooked meatballs in the gravy. Push them around gently so they get nice and saucy! For a little extra flavor, simmer together for 5 minutes before removing from heat. Garnish with extra dried cranberries and parsley (optional). Then serve and enjoy!
When you make this recipe, please leave a rating and review below. I always appreciate the feedback! ❤️
📖 Recipe
Thanksgiving Turkey Cranberry Meatballs
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- ½ cup instant mashed potato flakes
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup unsweetened cashew milk
- ¼ cup onion , finely minced
- 2 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries , finely minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons rubbed sage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter or dairy-free butter , for pan-frying
Gravy
- ¼ cup butter , I used dairy-free butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup unsweetened cashew milk
Instructions
- Meatball mixture: To a medium mixing bowl, add the ground turkey, instant mashed potato flakes, egg, ¼ cup milk, onion, dried cranberries, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, sage, and ½ teaspoon salt. Use your hands to mix just until the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Roll into balls: For pan-frying, roll the meatball mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a baking sheet.
- Pan Fry (see notes for baking instructions): Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and melt a tablespoon of butter. Sear the meatballs by browning the outsides, flipping to a new side every 2-3 minutes. I do this in two batches so there is room to roll the meatballs around. Once seared, reduce the heat to medium and continue to roll the meatballs around every 2-3 minutes to cook through. Cook until the centers reach 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a clean plate.Note: If you have a hard time reaching the internal temperature, add a cover and drop the heat to medium-low to cook through without burning the outsides.
- Gravy: Melt ¼ cup butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and the tapioca starch, mixing until smooth with a spatula or silicone coated whisk. Add the broth in ¼ cup increments and stir briskly or whisk well with each addition until smooth. Add milk in the same fashion. Bring to a low boil for 3-5 minutes to thicken. Add extra broth as needed to get your desired gravy consistency.
- Assemble: Place the cooked meatballs in the gravy. Push them around gently so they get nice and saucy! For a little extra flavor, simmer together for 5 minutes before removing from heat. Garnish with extra dried cranberries and parsley (optional). Then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Expert Tips
- Use an instant-read thermometer. Ground turkey should reach 165°F (74°C). Checking the temperature also helps you avoid overcooking the meatballs and drying them out.
- Use smaller meatballs for pan-frying. Make them about 1 inch in diameter so the centers cook through before the outsides become too dark. For baking, you can make larger 1½-inch meatballs, about the size of a ping-pong ball.
- If the pan-fried meatballs brown too quickly, lower the heat and cover the skillet. This gives the centers time to reach 165°F without burning the outsides.
- Adjust the gravy consistency at the end. If it becomes thicker than you like, stir in a little additional broth until it reaches your preferred consistency.
What to serve with Thanksgiving Meatballs
These meatballs already bring together many of the flavors of Thanksgiving dinner, so I like to serve them with simple holiday sides.
Pair them with Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes, Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts, or another favorite from my Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menu.
Margaret Fortier says
I loved these meatballs ! Thank you for the recipe , I will definitely make them again !
Jamie says
Thank you so much for the review Margaret! We love this recipe too 🙂
Alexa says
I was a little skeptical but I’m so glad I tried these! You wow’d me again Jamie! I’m planning to make these and bring them to a couple of holiday pot lucks for something different and tasty!
Jamie says
So glad you enjoyed them Alexa! Thank you for the review!
Andie says
These meatballs are fantastically addictive! These are a new Thanksgiving holiday favorite for me—I love how these are spiced. Thanks for another great recipe and for wowing my holiday guests!