Description
Turn that pile of leftover turkey into something everyone will actually fight over. These little balls are crispy outside, tender inside, and way better than another turkey sandwich.
Ingredients
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
Instructions
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
Notes
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.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 20 minutes chilling)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking/Air Frying
- Cuisine: American