How do you keep turkey meatballs from falling apart?

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.

How do you prep this turkey meatballs recipe ahead of time?

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.

Can I use ground chicken or ground pork instead of turkey?

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 Meatballs with Gravy

Thanksgiving meatballs drizzled with gravy in a brown dish.

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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!

Author: Katie
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 40-45 meatballs 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

For the Thanksgiving turkey meatballs

2 cups dry stuffing mix
1 cup hot water
2-3 large carrots
3-4 celery stalks
1/2 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

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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 2/3 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 2/3 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

Find it online: https://sugarandsnappeas.com/thanksgiving-meatballs-with-gravy/