Thanksgiving Meatballs with Stuffing and Gravy (Cast Iron)

Thanksgiving meatballs are the entire holiday plate rolled into one cast iron skillet. Turkey, stuffing, gravy and a spoonful of cranberry sauce, browned and braised in a single pan instead of spread across six dishes and three hours.

These turkey stuffing meatballs solve two nights in particular. The Friendsgiving where roasting a whole bird makes no sense, and the week after Thanksgiving when there is a container of stuffing in the fridge that needs a job.

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What Makes These Different from Regular Turkey Meatballs

The stuffing mix is the binder here, not breadcrumbs. That one swap does two jobs at once. It holds the meatballs together, and it brings the sage, thyme and poultry seasoning with it, so you are not measuring six spices into a bowl.

It also solves the problem every turkey meatball has. Ground turkey is lean, and lean means dry. The moistened stuffing acts as a reservoir, holding water through the cooking and releasing it slowly instead of letting the meat squeeze itself out. That is the whole trick, and it is why these come out tender when plain ground turkey meatballs so often do not.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Ground turkey. Reach for 85/15 rather than 99% lean. The fat is what carries the moisture.
• Boxed stuffing mix. Chicken or turkey flavor. Do not prepare it according to the box, you are only moistening it. If you would rather go from scratch, my skillet sausage stuffing works beautifully here.
• Low sodium chicken broth. Boxed stuffing is already salty. The broth does double duty as the braising liquid and the base of the gravy.
• One large egg. The binder that takes over once the stuffing softens.
• Salted butter and flour. For the gravy you will build in the same pan.

See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list with exact amounts.

How to Make Thanksgiving Meatballs

1. Step 1: Combine the meats. Put the ground turkey and sausage in a large bowl. Cold meat straight from the fridge holds its shape better when you shape it later.

2. Step 2: Add the eggs. Crack the eggs straight in. They are the binder that takes over once the stuffing softens.

3. Step 3: Season it. Granulated garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Go light on salt, the stuffing mix brings plenty of its own.

4. Step 4: Add the stuffing mix. Pour in the boxed stuffing and the broth together. Do not prepare the stuffing per the box, you are only moistening it.

5. Step 5: Mix until it just comes together. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry stuffing. Overworking ground turkey turns it rubbery.

6. Step 6: Shape and arrange. Wet your hands and roll into meatballs, then set them in the hot skillet with space between them so they brown instead of steam.

7. Step 7: Brown, then add the broth. Leave them alone until they release on their own, then pour the broth in around them to lift the fond off the iron.

8. Step 8: Simmer until cooked through. Cover and simmer until they reach 165°F in the center. The liquid left behind becomes your gravy.

Why Cast Iron Works Best Here

Most versions of this recipe bake the meatballs on a sheet pan. That works, and it is easier to walk away from, but it costs you the best part of the dish.

Cast iron holds its heat when cold meatballs hit the surface. A thin sheet pan drops temperature on contact and the meatballs end up steaming in their own moisture. The skillet stays hot, so you get an actual crust instead of pale grey turkey.

That crust is the point, and not only for texture. The browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan are fond, and fond is the difference between real gravy and thickened broth. When you pour the broth in and the meatballs braise, all of that lifts off the iron and into the liquid.

Which is why the gravy comes together in the same skillet with nothing but butter and flour. Bake these on a sheet pan and you have to make gravy from scratch as a separate recipe. If you want the method on its own, here is my pan gravy from the drippings.

A 12 inch skillet holds a full batch in one layer. If you are doubling for a crowd, move to a Dutch oven so the meatballs still have room to brown rather than crowd.

Using Leftover Stuffing Instead of Boxed Mix

If you are making these the week after Thanksgiving, leftover stuffing is the better ingredient. It is already cooked and already seasoned, so it goes in exactly as it is.

Three adjustments. Cut the broth in the meatball mixture, because cooked stuffing is already carrying moisture. Hold back the salt entirely until you taste the gravy. And if the mixture feels soft in your hands, chill it for twenty minutes before shaping. The texture lands a little more tender this way, which is not a bad thing.

Expert Tips

• Moisten the stuffing first. Dry stuffing pulls water straight out of the turkey.
• One egg per pound. More than that and the texture turns spongy.
• Stop mixing when it just comes together. Overworked ground meat goes rubbery, and turkey shows it faster than beef.
• Wet your hands to shape. The mixture is sticky by design. Damp hands are the whole solution.
• Chill fifteen minutes if the mix feels loose. Cold mixture holds its shape in the pan.
• Leave space in the skillet. Crowded meatballs steam. Work in two batches if you need to.
• Do not turn them early. They release from the iron on their own once the crust forms.

Troubleshooting

• Dry and crumbly. Either the turkey was too lean or the stuffing went in dry. Use 85/15 and moisten first.
• Falling apart while browning. The mixture was too wet, or you turned them before the crust set. Chill before shaping and let them release on their own.
• Too salty. Boxed stuffing plus regular broth is the usual culprit. Switch to low sodium broth and do not add salt until you have tasted the finished gravy.
• Gravy too thin. Let it simmer another few minutes uncovered. It thickens more than you expect as it cools toward serving temperature.

Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing

You can shape the meatballs up to twenty four hours in advance and keep them uncooked on a covered sheet pan in the fridge. Pull them out while the skillet heats.

For longer storage, cook them completely, let them cool in their gravy, and freeze for up to three months. Freezing them in the gravy is the better move by a wide margin, because the sauce protects the surface and keeps the turkey from drying out.

Reheat covered at 325°F rather than in the microwave, which toughens lean turkey quickly. The gravy thickens considerably in the fridge, so add a splash of broth as it warms. Cooked meatballs keep four days refrigerated.

What to Serve With Thanksgiving Meatballs

Mashed potatoes are the default and the right one. They catch the gravy, and the whole plate reads as Thanksgiving the moment the two are together.

Cranberry sauce is not optional in my view, and it is doing more work than it looks like. Without it these read as Swedish meatballs with a different seasoning. The tartness against the gravy is what makes the plate say holiday. If you want to lean into it, my baked cranberry brie uses the same sauce as an appetizer earlier in the evening.

Add something green for contrast and you have a full plate. My cheesy green bean casserole with bacon cooks in cast iron alongside.

If the stuffing is gone but there is still turkey in the fridge, my leftover turkey shepherd's pie is the other recipe that earns its keep the last week of November.

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5 from 21 votes

Thanksgiving Meatballs

Thanksgiving meatballs bring turkey, stuffing and gravy together in one cast iron skillet. Browned for a real crust, then braised in broth that becomes the gravy. Works with a box of stuffing mix or with leftover Thanksgiving stuffing.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8

Calories: 322kcal

Author: Ned Adams

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• ▢
  12-inch cast iron skillet

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 lbs ground turkey
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 3 tablespoon onion finely grated or minced
• ▢ 1 boxed stuffing mix turkey or chicken flavor
• ▢ 2 tablespoon butter divided
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Gravy

• ▢ 2 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoon flour
• ▢ 2 cups low sodium chicken broth

US Standard - Metric

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Crumble the ground turkey a large bowl and add the eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and stuffing mix. Mix well until combined.
• Form the meatballs. Make them as uniform in size for even cooking.
• Heat the skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and olive oil.
• Cook the meatballs in batches so that they will comfortably fit with room around them and allow them to get a good sear, 1-2 minutes
• Carefully flip the meatballs to continue browning.
• Return all of the meatballs to the skillet and pour in the broth, thyme, and butter.
• Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until fully cooked and a meat thermometer reads 165°F.
• Remove the meatballs from the skillet to a large bowl or baking sheet. Cover to keep them warm.
• Scrape up any stuck on bits from the bottom of the skillet and pour the remaining liquid into at least a two-cup measuring cup.

Gravy

• Top off the measuring cup of cooking liquid to equal two cups.
• Make a roux by melting butter in the skillet and whisking in the flour to make a smooth paste.
• Slowly pour the cooking liquid into the roux paste. Once all incorporated, bring to a boil.
• Reduce to a low simmer and allow the gravy to thicken to desired consistency.
• OPTIONAL. If you want smooth gravy without any extra bits (small pieces of meat from searing), pass the cooked gravy through a mesh strainer to collect and discard them. Then serve.

Notes

• Moisten the stuffing first. Dry stuffing pulls water straight out of the turkey.
• One egg per pound. More than that and the texture turns spongy.
• Stop mixing when it just comes together. Overworked ground meat goes rubbery, and turkey shows it faster than beef.
• Wet your hands to shape. The mixture is sticky by design. Damp hands are the whole solution.
• Chill fifteen minutes if the mix feels loose. Cold mixture holds its shape in the pan.
• Leave space in the skillet. Crowded meatballs steam. Work in two batches if you need to.
• Do not turn them early. They release from the iron on their own once the crust forms. If they stick, they are not ready.

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 599mg | Potassium: 527mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg

Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

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