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.
Servings: 8
Calories: 322kcal
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
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
