The Maple Mustard Turkey Meatballs I make repeatedly for easy weeknight dinners

Italian-American meatballs tend to hog the spotlight. Yes, they’re plump, porcine and luxurious in their ruby ​​red sauce, and well-deserving of a cinematic close-up. But weeknights don’t always call for this kind of drama. Sometimes you want meatballs that are a little quicker, lighter, and less expected, like this recipe for Glazed Turkey Meatballs with Maple Mustard Sauce, developed by Craig Ruff in our Birmingham, Alabama test kitchen.

They’re also wonderfully versatile: pour them over a bed of creamy polenta or buttered noodles for an easy weeknight dinner, or serve them alone on a platter as a festive appetizer for a fall gathering.

Turkey meatballs generally get a bad rap, and it’s not entirely without reason. Ground turkey is lean, especially compared to fatty beef or pork, and this leanness often leads to dryness and disappointment when cooked. But don’t consider the turkey the problem. Instead, think of it as a blank canvas. You just need to know how to create the right support system (flavor, fat, and structure) to transform the humble bird into juicy, flavorful meatballs.

To ensure moist meatballs, Craig starts his recipe with a panade (fresh bread soaked in broth) rather than the more common dry breadcrumbs. The bread retains moisture, keeping the inside of the meatballs moist and tender. He then uses a secret ingredient straight from the Serious Eats school of “molecular grandma cooking” that we also used in our Italian-American meatball recipe: powdered gelatin. This may seem like a difficult ingredient, but it’s a clever way to replicate the succulent, collagen-rich texture you typically get with fattier meats or long braises.

To develop a rich flavor, Craig relies heavily on umami and aromatics. A little chopped bacon does double duty here: it renders the fat to cook the onion, carrot, and celery until sweet and deeply aromatic, then joins the mixture for a dose of smoky flavor. The bacon can be replaced with turkey bacon or left out completely, but it’s a supporting player that makes the turkey sing.

The maple-mustard glaze ties the dish together. Maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness, while Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar add a tangy touch. The tricky part is the timing of the glaze: you want the meatballs to finish cooking in the glaze without reducing them to sticky tar. The solution is to add a little broth to ensure the sauce thickens into a shiny, sticky layer while the meatballs cook, instead of a burnt mess.

The end result is meatballs that are light but deeply flavorful, glazed but balanced and, above all, never dry. This recipe is proof that turkey meatballs don’t have to be the sad health food of your nightmares. With the right technique, they can strut across your plate with as much swagger as their Italian-American cousins—no red sauce required.

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