Easy Cranberry Turkey Stuffing Balls

Cranberry Turkey Stuffing Balls are the most delicious way to transform your holiday leftovers into something completely irresistible! These golden, crispy bites combine tender turkey with sweet-tart cranberries and aromatic herbs – and trust me, nobody will guess they’re made from yesterday’s dinner.

Love More Cranberry Recipes? Try My Cranberry Meatballs or this Easy Cranberry Roll Ups next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These little gems are pure holiday magic in bite-sized form! They’re crispy on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside, and they solve that age-old problem of what to do with leftover turkey. Plus, they’re incredibly versatile – serve them as an appetizer, side dish, or even the star of your meal. The best part? They come together in about 30 minutes and can be made ahead for stress-free entertaining!

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Ingredient List

For the Stuffing Balls:

• 2 cups cooked turkey, finely chopped or shredded
• 1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• ½ cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ½ cup finely diced onion
• ½ cup finely diced celery
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅓ to ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or unsalted butter (for sautéing)
• Optional: oil spray (for baking or air frying)

What I swap when I run out:

• No turkey sitting around? Grab one of those rotisserie chickens and pick it apart
• Got fresh cranberries? Chop them tiny and sprinkle some sugar on first
• Panko makes them way crunchier than regular breadcrumbs
• If you saved turkey drippings, use that instead of chicken broth – so much better

Why These Ingredients Work

The leftover turkey finally gets to be the star instead of that sad sandwich filling. Those breadcrumbs aren’t just there to bulk things up – they grab onto all the good flavors and turn crispy when they hit the heat.

I used to skip cooking the onions and celery because I was lazy, but raw vegetables taste terrible in these. When you sweat them down first, they get all sweet and soft – that’s where the real stuffing flavor comes from. Those dried cranberries get a little plump while they bake and hit you with these perfect tart moments that cut through all the savory stuff.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Big mixing bowl (I use my red ceramic one)
• Medium skillet for cooking the veggies
• Baking sheet with parchment OR my trusty air fryer
• Small cookie scoop or regular spoon works fine
• Wire rack if you want to get fancy with cooling

How To Make Cranberry Turkey Stuffing Balls

Step 1: Sauté the Vegetables

Heat up some oil or butter in your skillet over medium heat. Toss in the diced onion and celery and let them cook for maybe 5-7 minutes until they get soft and see-through. I burned them once rushing this step and they tasted bitter – don’t be me! Take them off the heat and let them cool down a bit.

Step 2: Mix the Base

Dump the turkey, breadcrumbs, chopped cranberries, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper into your big bowl. Give it all a good mix with your hands – don’t be shy about getting messy here.

Step 3: Add Wet Ingredients

Mix in the cooked onions and celery, that beaten egg, and about ⅓ cup of chicken broth. Get your hands dirty and mix it all up. If it looks too dry and crumbly, add more broth bit by bit until everything sticks together when you squeeze it. My first try was like trying to roll sand because I was scared to add enough liquid!

Step 4: Chill

Cover the bowl and stick it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Yeah, it’s another step, but it makes rolling these so much easier. The mixture firms up and stops sticking to everything. Learned this the hard way after my first attempt looked like I’d been wrestling with cookie dough!

Step 5: Shape the Balls

Heat your oven to 375°F or get the air fryer going at 360°F. Put some parchment on your baking sheet – saves scrubbing later. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of mixture and roll them into balls roughly ping pong ball size. Give them some space so they don’t stick together.

Step 6: Cook to Golden Perfection

Oven: Spray them with a little oil, then bake for 22-25 minutes until they look golden brown. Air Fryer: Cook for 12-15 minutes, shake the basket once halfway through. They’re done when they’re crispy and golden all over.

Step 7: Serve and Enjoy

Serve them while they’re hot with whatever you like for dipping – gravy, cranberry sauce, or that garlic aioli I put on everything. Stand back and watch people demolish them!

You Must Know

Your mixture needs to stick together when you squeeze it, but not be so wet it falls apart in your hands. If you’re struggling to roll them and they keep falling apart, rinse your hands with cold water first – game changer.

My neighbor showed me this – I cook just a tiny spoonful of the mixture first to taste it. Takes maybe a minute but saves me from bland disappointment later. Last time I caught that I completely forgot to add any thyme!

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

I finally bought a cookie scoop after hand-rolling my first disaster batch – best $8 I ever spent. When my hands get all sweaty and gross from cooking, everything sticks to them, so I keep a bowl of cold water next to me for quick rinses.

My oven runs hot as hell, so I peek at these around 18 minutes instead of waiting the full time. If you’re air frying, flip them halfway or you’ll get beautiful tops and sad pale bottoms like I did once.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t rush cooking those onions and celery – raw bits taste awful in these. Don’t make them huge or the outsides will burn before the insides heat up. And please don’t squish the mixture to death when you’re mixing it.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Orange Cranberry: Add some orange zest and swap half the cranberries for golden raisins – tastes like the holidays Herb Crazy: Throw in fresh sage or rosemary if you’ve got it growing outside Spicy Kick: Dice up a jalapeño and mix it in – my brother-in-law’s favorite version Nutty: Chopped pecans or walnuts add great crunch Cheesy: Half a cup of sharp cheddar makes them extra indulgent

Make-Ahead Options

I’m obsessed with making these ahead because I’m always running around crazy when people come over. Shape them in the morning, stick them in the fridge, then just throw them in the oven when everyone shows up. Even made them the whole day before once and just reheated – still disappeared fast.

Last Christmas I went nuts and made like 60 of these, froze half. When my mother-in-law dropped by unannounced (as she does), I had fancy appetizers ready in half an hour. Frozen ones just need those extra few minutes – figured that out by burning the first batch.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

The moisture thing drove me crazy until I figured it out. Sometimes my leftover turkey’s really dry, sometimes it’s swimming in gravy. I always start with less liquid than I think I need and work up slowly – easier to add than take away, you know?

My early attempts looked like perfect little spheres because I was trying too hard. Now I just roll them quick and dirty – they’re supposed to look homemade! And here’s something weird – they actually taste better the next day. Something about all those flavors hanging out together overnight.

Serving Suggestions

I’ve served these so many ways now:

• Party apps with little bowls of cranberry sauce and gravy for dipping
• Dinner sides next to mashed potatoes and green beans
• Light dinner over salad greens with balsamic drizzle
• Game day food with toothpicks and three different sauces

Sprinkle some fresh parsley on top, drizzle with gravy, or dollop on some herbed sour cream. Makes them look fancy even though they’re just leftovers!

How to Store Your Cranberry Turkey Stuffing Balls

Don’t leave these sitting out – they’ve got turkey in them and need to stay cold In the fridge: Stick them in a container for up to 4 days Freezer storage: They’ll keep for 3 months in freezer bags

How to reheat:

• Oven: 350°F for about 10 minutes until hot
• Air fryer: 350°F for 5-7 minutes (my preferred method)
• Microwave: Works but they won’t be crispy anymore

Allergy Information

Heads up – these have: Eggs and gluten from the breadcrumbs No dairy version: Just use olive oil instead of butter Gluten-free: Swap in gluten-free breadcrumbs or crush up some gluten-free crackers No eggs: Try mixing 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water, let it sit for 5 minutes

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried?

Sure thing! Chop them up small and toss with a tablespoon of sugar first – they’re pretty tart on their own. Fresh ones add more juice, so you might need to add a bit more breadcrumbs to soak it up.

My mixture is too wet and won’t hold together – help!

Been there! Add more breadcrumbs bit by bit until it firms up. Also double-check that your cooked onions and celery cooled down completely before you mixed them in – hot veggies make everything soggy.

Can I make these with ground turkey instead of leftover turkey?

Absolutely! Cook up 2 cups of ground turkey first with some salt and pepper, then let it cool before mixing. The texture’s a little different but still really good.

How do I know when they’re done cooking?

They’ll be golden brown all over and feel firm when you poke them gently. If you’ve got a meat thermometer, aim for 165°F in the center.

Can I freeze these after cooking?

Yep! Let them cool completely first, then freeze them on a baking sheet before dumping them into freezer bags. They reheat great in the oven or air fryer – sometimes better than fresh!

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I’d love to hear how they turned out and any creative variations you tried!