Enjoy classic Thanksgiving flavors any night of the week with these easy Thanksgiving meatballs topped with homemade gravy! Featuring ground turkey, stuffing mix, carrots, onions, celery, and fresh herbs, they’re like eating homemade turkey and stuffing, but made in a fraction of the time!
Who said turkey, gravy, and stuffing can only be enjoyed on Thanksgiving?! Certainly not me! It’s one of my all-time favorite meals, so why eat it only one day out of the year?
These Thanksgiving meatballs are perfect for when I’m craving savory, comforting Thanksgiving flavors but don’t have time to make an entire stuffed turkey and gravy from scratch.
Made with store-bought stuffing mix and topped with homemade gravy, they’re not only super moist and loaded with flavor, but they’re easy to make, too! Pair Thanksgiving meatballs with red-skin mashed potatoes and green bean casserole for a quick and easy Thanksgiving-ish dinner for any night of the week!
Jump to:
- Why you'll love this recipe
- Ingredients
- How to make Thanksgiving meatballs
- Expert tips
- What to serve with Thanksgiving meatballs
- Can I make this Thanksgiving meatball recipe using leftover stuffing?
- How to store, freeze, and reheat
- Frequently asked questions
- Thanksgiving recipes you might also like
- Thanksgiving Meatballs with Gravy
- Hungry for more?
- 💬 Comments
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy - The carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and herbs are prepped in the food processor for quick and easy chopping, and using a store-bought stuffing mix saves so much time!
- Flavor - With mix-ins like onions, garlic, sage, and rosemary, it’s almost impossible for these Thanksgiving meatballs to lack flavor.
- Texture - The rehydrated stuffing mix gives the meatballs a seriously moist and tender texture (just like these turkey zucchini meatballs). No dry turkey meat here!
Ingredients
For the Thanksgiving meatballs
- Stuffing mix - Use dried, premade stuffing mix from a package. I tested this recipe with the Pepperidge Farm brand. This adds moisture, gives the meatballs a tender texture, and acts as a binder, holding the meatballs together and eliminating the need for eggs.
- Butter - Use salted butter for the best flavor.
- Veggies - Carrots, celery, and onion are finely diced in a food processor so they easily incorporate into the ground turkey mixture. They’re the classic Mirepoix combination, giving the Thanksgiving meatballs a seriously flavorful foundation.
- Garlic - For flavor and aroma.
- Fresh herbs - I used fresh sage, rosemary, and parsley for classic Thanksgiving flavors. Fresh thyme would be delicious as well.
- Ground turkey - Use 85-95% lean ground turkey and avoid the low-fat and fat-free varieties. We need a little bit of fat for flavor and to prevent the turkey meatballs from drying out.
For the gravy
- Butter - I like to use salted butter, but unsalted butter is okay, too, as long as you add salt to taste.
- Flour - All-purpose flour is best. The butter and flour mix into a smooth paste, forming a roux. This is used to thicken the gravy.
- Chicken broth - Use whatever you have on hand and add salt and pepper to taste as needed.
How to make Thanksgiving meatballs
Recipe rundown
- Mix the dry stuffing mix with hot water in a small mixing bowl to rehydrate.
- Dice the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and herbs in a food processor.
- Sauté the vegetables.
- Mix the stuffing with the cooked vegetables.
- Combine the ground turkey and stuffing mixture in a large mixing bowl.
- Form into meatballs and bake.
- Make the gravy.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Rehydrate the dry stuffing mix with 1 cup of hot water.
Step 2: Finely dice the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs using a food processor.
Step 3: Cook the diced vegetables and herbs in a hot skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Add the rehydrated stuffing and mix until well combined.
Step 5: Add the stuffing and vegetable mixture plus the ground turkey to a large mixing bowl. Mix until the stuffing and turkey are evenly incorporated.
Step 6: Use a cookie scoop to make 40-45 small meatballs. Place them on a large baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400°F or until cooked through.
Step 7: Make the gravy. Add the butter and flour to a small saucepan and whisk until smooth over medium-low heat.
Step 8: Add the chicken broth and whisk non-stop until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 9: Serve the Thanksgiving meatballs drizzled with warm gravy, and enjoy! These work as a main dish or party app!
Expert tips
- Finely dice the onions, celery, and carrots, ideally using a food processor, but if you don’t have one, then a chopping knife works, too. All that matters is that they’re finely diced, so they incorporate nicely into the ground turkey.
- Rehydrating the dry stuffing mixture is a must! Since we’re not adding eggs to the Thanksgiving meatballs, we need the stuffing to be wet so that it acts as a binder.
- Stir the roux constantly. Stir the butter and flour mixture with a whisk to make it smooth and lump-free. And don’t stop stirring after you add the chicken broth! Constant stirring helps the gravy thicken and prevents it from burning.
- Start with warm chicken broth for a faster cooking time. When making the gravy, warm chicken broth will thicken much more quickly than cold chicken broth straight from the fridge. Warm it for a minute or two in the microwave before adding it to the saucepan.
What to serve with Thanksgiving meatballs
For more Thanksgiving flavors, serve Thanksgiving turkey meatballs with traditional turkey-day sides! Here are my favorites:
Can I make this Thanksgiving meatball recipe using leftover stuffing?
While I haven’t tested this Thanksgiving meatballs recipe with leftover stuffing yet, I don’t think it would be a problem! We’re essentially making a quick stuffing when we’re rehydrating the stuffing mix and adding carrots, onions, and celery. So I think you could skip all of those steps and just mix in your leftover brioche stuffing. I’ll update the post after I test this!
How to store, freeze, and reheat
- How to store: You can store leftover Thanksgiving meatballs in a glass airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to freeze: Allow the meatballs to fully cool, then transfer them to a plastic, ziplock freezer bag. Lay them flat and freeze them in a single layer to prevent them from clumping together. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- How to reheat: Reheat leftover meatballs in the oven at 300° F. To prevent them from drying out, place them in a baking dish, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of the dish, and tightly cover with aluminum foil. Reheat for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.
Frequently asked questions
Binding agents, such as eggs and breadcrumbs, are the key to moist meatballs that hold together. The rehydrated stuffing mix acts as a binder for these Thanksgiving meatballs, eliminating the need for breadcrumbs or eggs.
To prep in advance, dice the vegetables and herbs and rehydrate the stuffing mix. Then, sauté the vegetables and combine them with the stuffing. Transfer the stuffing mixture to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Then, proceed with the rest of the recipe when you're ready to bake.
Yes, ground chicken or ground pork can be substituted for ground turkey. Just keep in mind that compared to ground turkey, ground chicken is lower in fat, and ground pork is higher in fat. This means ground chicken meatballs might not be as moist, and ground pork meatballs might become greasy.
Thanksgiving recipes you might also like
If you tried this Thanksgiving meatball recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Thanksgiving Meatballs with Gravy
Enjoy classic Thanksgiving flavors any night of the week with these easy Thanksgiving meatballs topped with homemade gravy! Featuring ground turkey, stuffing mix, carrots, onions, celery, and fresh herbs, they’re like eating homemade turkey and stuffing, but made in a fraction of the time!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 40-45 meatballs 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Thanksgiving turkey meatballs
- 2 cups dry stuffing mix
- 1 cup hot water
- 2-3 large carrots
- 3-4 celery stalks
- ½ large yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 7 large fresh sage leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds ground turkey
For the gravy
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Pour the stuffing mix into a small bowl. Add the cup of hot water and stir until well combined. Set it aside to soak up the water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Peel and chop the carrots into large chunks. Place them in a food processor and pulse until finely diced. Measure out ⅔ cup and set aside in a large mixing bowl. Discard any leftovers.
- Chop the celery into large chunks. Place them in a food processor and pulse until finely diced. Measure out ⅔ cup and set aside in the mixing bowl with the carrots. Discard any leftovers
- Chop the onion into large chunks. Separate the parsley and rosemary leaves from the stems. Keep the leaves and discard the stems. Place the onion, garlic, sage, rosemary, and parsley in the food processor and pulse until finely diced.
- Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced carrots, celery, onion mixture, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
- Stir in the rehydrated stuffing mix. Use a spatula to break up the stuffing mix and thoroughly incorporate it into the cooked vegetable mixture. Once incorporated, remove it from the heat and pour the stuffing mixture into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the ground turkey and use your hands or a large mixing spoon to combine the turkey and stuffing mixture. Make sure the turkey and stuffing are well combined, but be careful you don't overmix.
- Use a small cookie scoop to form the turkey mixture into 40-45 small meatballs. The meatballs will be about the size of a golf ball. Place the formed meatballs on a large baking sheet.
- Bake the Thanksgiving meatballs for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
- While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the homemade gravy. Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Once melted, stir in the flour. Whisk until smooth and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth and whisk continuously until slightly thickened. If your chicken broth is warm, the gravy will thicken quickly. If it's cold from the fridge, it may take 5 minutes or more to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the Thanksgiving meatballs drizzled with warm gravy, and enjoy!
Notes
- Use dried, premade stuffing mix from a package. I tested this recipe with the Pepperidge Farm brand.
- Use 85-95% lean ground turkey and avoid the low-fat and fat-free varieties. We need a little bit of fat for flavor and to prevent the turkey meatballs from drying out.
- Finely dice the onions, celery, and carrots, ideally using a food processor, but if you don’t have one, then a chopping knife works, too. All that matters is that they’re finely diced, so they incorporate nicely into the ground turkey.
- Rehydrating the dry stuffing mixture is a must! Since we’re not adding eggs to the Thanksgiving meatballs, we need the stuffing to be wet so that it acts as a binder.
- Stir the roux constantly. Stir the butter and flour mixture with a whisk to make it smooth and lump-free. And don’t stop stirring after you add the chicken broth! Constant stirring helps the gravy thicken and prevents it from burning.
- The nutrition information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. The nutrition information shown below is based on making 43 meatballs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball with gravy
- Calories: 62
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 166.6 mg
- Fat: 3.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.3 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 4.6 g
- Cholesterol: 19 mg
Katie says
The perfect fall meatball recipe!