The following content may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.
This time of year is when I find myself reaching again and again for my slow cooker! I love using it when the weather turns colder because I can make hearty and comforting meals for my family with minimal cleanup and not a lot of brain power required! It’s so nice to set the slow cooker in the morning, and magically have dinner by the evening! If you haven’t tried them yet, one of my most popular recipes ever on this blog has been my Slow Cooker Meatballs. They’re really easy, so delicious, and they sneak in extra veggies for your kiddos!
in this picture
With October in full swing, I always think about how to incorporate those warming fall flavors and fresh produce, and I realized that I could make some tweaks to my recipe to change it up a bit! I came up with this Harvest Turkey Meatball recipe, and I absolutely love how it turned out. We really enjoy these on top of rice pilaf, with lots of charred broccoli on the side. To char the broccoli, I just roast it with some olive oil drizzled for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. It almost brings together a Fall flavors version of a turkey meatloaf but in meatball form. What’s not to like?! Let me know if you try this recipe!
I also wanted to note that my slow cooker has a searing function, so I can make the entire process of the recipe right in there. If your slow cooker doesn’t, you can simply sear these in a pan instead!
in this picture
in this picture
Ingredients…
For the meatballs…
- 1.5lb ground turkey
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup large white onion diced
- 1.5 granny smith apple
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 large carrot – peel and diced
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp thyme loosely packed and chopped
- 1/2 tbsp rosemary coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley tightly packed, coarsely chopped
For the glaze…
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
in this picture
Step 1:
Combine meatball ingredients
Combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, onion, apple, carrot, celery, black pepper, salt, thyme, rosemary, and parsley in a mixing bowl. Mix well so all ingredients are combined evenly.
Step 2:
Form meatballs and sear
Roll the mixture into balls ensuring you make each one the same size so that they cook evenly. Sear on all sides for a couple of minutes. You may use a pan to do so or a crockpot if it has a sear setting.
Step 3:
Add glaze to meatballs
In a bowl combine apple cider, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, ground nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk for a few minutes. Add mixture to crockpot and cook on high for two hours.
Step 4:
Set aside meatballs
Set aside cooked meatballs and reduce the liquid to make the glaze, for roughly 10 minutes.
Step 5:
Add meatballs back to glaze and serve
Add meatballs back into the glaze and mix. Cook rice and char broccoli to serve with.
Harvest Turkey Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 1.5 granny smith apple
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp thyme, loosely packed and chopped
- 1/2 tbsp rosemary, coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley, tightly packed and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
Instructions
- Combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, onion, apple, carrot, celery, black pepper, salt, thyme, rosemary, and parsley in a mixing bowl. Mix well so all ingredients are combined evenly.
- Roll the mixture into balls ensuring you make each one the same size so that they cook evenly. Sear on all sides for a couple of minutes. You may use a pan to do so or a crockpot if it has a sear setting.
- In a bowl combine apple cider, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, ground nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk for a few minutes. Add mixture to crockpot and cook on high for two hours.
- Set aside cooked meatballs and reduce the liquid to make the glaze, for roughly 10 minutes.
- Add meatballs back into the glaze and mix. Cook rice and char broccoli to serve with.
Nutrition
in this picture
Shop the post…
YUM! I’ve been patiently (not really lol) waiting on this since I saw in the newsletter that it was coming this week! We’ve given up red meat in my house so I’ve been looking for ground turkey recipes.
This dish looks delicious. I love meatballs on anything!