Savory Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs Recipe for Leftovers

Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs deliver Thanksgiving flavor in a quick, crowd-pleasing, fork-friendly form. If you’d rather smoke a whole bird, try a dedicated “How to Smoke a Turkey” tutorial instead.

These meatballs combine two holiday classics—turkey and stuffing—into an easy, year-round dish. Ground turkey can be lean and mild, but the pre-seasoned cornbread stuffing mix replaces breadcrumbs and, together with sautéed onions, celery, fresh and dried sage, garlic, and butter, gives the meatballs a rich, savory Thanksgiving profile.

They’re simple to prepare, big on flavor, and a great shortcut when you want the comforts of a holiday meal without the full fuss of a roast turkey.

My family treats Thanksgiving and the leftovers like a sport. My teenager has always intentionally overfilled his plate and eaten only a little so he can claim the leftovers wrapped in plastic in the fridge. He swore it wasn’t the same to eat from a fresh plate versus his carefully stashed leftovers—and that’s a sure sign these meatballs capture the true taste of the holiday. He saved a few to enjoy later, which speaks volumes.

Cook’s Notes

This recipe uses a dry, pre-seasoned cornbread stuffing mix for authentic corn-breaded, savory flavor. If you can’t find cornbread stuffing, any pre-seasoned dry stuffing mix will work. Seasoned bread crumbs can substitute in a pinch, but the spice profile will differ and the result won’t taste quite as much like Thanksgiving.

If the stuffing mix has large chunks, break them up by pressing them against the bowl with a measuring cup until the pieces are crumb-sized. Avoid pieces bigger than fresh bread crumbs so they incorporate evenly into the meat.

After sweating the onions, celery, sage, and garlic in butter, cool that mixture slightly before adding it to the ground turkey and eggs. Adding hot vegetables to raw turkey can begin to cook the meat prematurely. Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a plate and chill in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes, or use the freezer for faster cooling—just until the mixture reaches roughly body temperature.

As with most meatballs, don’t overwork the meat. Use a mix-and-chop tool (or gently combine with your fingertips) to avoid compacting the mixture. A cookie scoop or disher makes uniform 2-inch meatballs easy; if you don’t have one, shape portions by hand.

These meatballs are forgiving because the butter-sautéed vegetables add moisture, but avoid overcooking. A properly cooked meatball will register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

We enjoy these with whole-berry cranberry sauce; others prefer mashed potatoes and gravy. Both ways are delicious.

Prep Tips

Helpful tools to make these meatballs quickly and evenly:

disher / cookie scoop
parchment paper
mixing bowl
mix-and-chop or a gentle mixing tool
half-sheet pan
silicone spatula

Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs

Rebecca Lindamood

These turkey and stuffing meatballs are made with cornbread stuffing mix, sautéed onions and celery, fresh and dried sage, and garlic in butter. Serve with cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving on a fork.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 large yellow onions, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, sliced and diced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup pre-seasoned cornbread stuffing mix (see Cook’s Notes)
2 large eggs

Instructions

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and celery, sprinkle with kosher salt, and stir to coat. Sweat for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic followed by the fresh sage. Continue cooking 6 more minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and mostly tender. If they begin to brown before softening, lower the heat and add a teaspoon of water if needed. When tender, spread the mixture in a thin, even layer on a plate and refrigerate until it cools to about body temperature.

Line a half-sheet pan with parchment and preheat the oven to 375°F.

Add the cooled onion mixture to a mixing bowl with the ground turkey, dried sage, black pepper, nutmeg, cornbread stuffing mix, and eggs. Gently combine using your fingertips or a mix-and-chop tool—mix just until incorporated.

Use a medium disher or cookie scoop to portion the mixture into 2-inch balls, or roll by hand. Arrange the meatballs with room between them on the prepared pan so hot air can circulate. Bake 16–20 minutes, or until the centers reach 165°F.