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Turkey Cocktail Meatballs Recipe

Turkey Cocktail Meatballs is a great appetizer for your holiday cocktail party. The cranberry glaze is out of this world!

Turkey Cocktail Meatballs Photo
(Dan George)

If you’re looking for the perfect holiday appetizer, look no further than these turkey cocktail meatballs with cranberry glaze!

The homemade cranberry glaze cooks in a few hours in the slow cooker and then you can throw the meatballs right in and let them get all glazed up.

This was my first attempt at making homemade cranberry sauce. To be honest, my favorite kind is the stuff out of the can. I know, it pains some people to hear me say that, but I can’t help it. It’s what I had growing up and it kind of stuck with me.

But I came up with the perfect solution. I made homemade cranberry sauce that tastes like the kind from the can! It’s a little bit better than the canned version, I will admit. Not as much sugar for one, and for two, it has bourbon.

But it still is sweet, with a little tartness from the orange zest and of course from the cranberries. I pulled out my handy Better Zester that I received from KitchenIQ to grate my oranges. These graters are pretty rock star – the blade of the grater is extra sharp, so zesting is a breeze.

Turkey Cocktail Meatballs Picture
(Dan George)

You start by making the cranberry sauce in your slow cooker. Basically add in all the ingredients and give it a stir. Set it to high for three hours and then puree with stick blender until it’s smooth.

In the meantime you can start the turkey meatballs. They do taste better to me if you pan fry them first – an extra step but definitely worth it.

Since the turkey meat is really moist I sprayed my hands with cooking spray first before I started rolling so they wouldn’t stick and make a mess.

After they’re browned you can set them aside until your sauce is ready and then add them to the slow cooker.

You can let them go for six hours on low or they’ll be done in two on high.

These turkey meatballs with cranberry glaze are a perfect appetizer for any holiday dinner you might be hosting or you could even serve them with rice or noodles for dinner!

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Turkey Cocktail Meatballs Photo

Turkey Cocktail Meatballs Recipe

Dan George
Turkey Cocktail Meatballs is a great appetizer for your holiday cocktail party. The cranberry glaze is out of this world!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours
Total Time 9 hours 15 minutes
Cuisine Boozy Food
Servings 20 2 meatballs
Calories 109 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups Fresh Cranberries
  • 1/4 cup Bourbon Or whiskey
  • 1/4 cup Orange Juice
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Orange Zest
  • 1 pound Ground Turkey
  • 1/3 cup Ricotta Cheese
  • 3 tablespoons Sour Cream
  • 4 leaves Fresh Sage Chopped
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
  • 1 clove Garlic Large, minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon Poultry Seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon Salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon Black Pepper Freshly ground
  • Olive Oil For frying

Instructions
 

  • Add all the ingredients for the cranberry sauce into a large slow cooker.
  • Stir and set to high heat for 3 hours.
  • Puree with a stick blender (or let cool and transfer in batches to a blender) until smooth.
  • Mix all the ingredients together for the meatballs in a large bowl.
  • Add some olive oil to a large skillet and heat up over medium-high heat.
  • Spray your hands with cooking spray and roll the meatballs into small 1 1/2" inch rounds. I used a 1 tablespoon scoop to measure them out evenly.
  • Brown the meatballs on all sides and set them aside on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
  • Add the meatballs to your slow cooker, pushing them down gently to make sure they’re all covered in the cranberry sauce.
  • Cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4-6.

Nutrition

Calories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 397mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9g
Keyword Appetizers, Boozy Food, Christmas, Cranberries, Easy, Ground Turkey, Meatballs, Party Food, Slow Cooked, Slow Cooker
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