The comfort of a full turkey dinner, without the whole bird, Turkey Stuffing Meatballs & Gravy deliver all the holiday magic in one skillet. Ground turkey, fragrant herbs, golden-brown meatballs, and plenty of rich gravy — because what’s Christmas without gravy.
Turkey Dinner for Two (or One!) Without the Whole Bird
We’ve built this as turkey for two… or just for you. Because I’m running solo this year, but I still think I deserve a turkey dinner! And so do you! It’s weeknight-manageable, deeply satisfying, and hits all the nostalgic seasonal notes, with leftovers. But without the full bird commitment!
Everything cooks in one pan (plus a sheet pan for the oven. I’m not counting that) making it ideal for smaller gatherings, quiet holidays, or anytime you want the flavours of a roast turkey dinner without the production.
Larder Checklist for Ingredients:
- ground turkey
- onion
- celery
- fresh parsley
- fresh sage
- fresh rosemary
- fresh thyme
- egg
- breadcrumbs (plain or Italian) or stuffing crumbs
- milk
- salt
- black pepper
- butter
- flour
- chicken stock or turkey broth
Easy Christmas-Style Turkey Meatballs in Rich Gravy
The meatballs are seasoned with classic stuffing herbs — parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme — finely chopped for even distribution and maximum flavour. Plus a bit of quickly sweated onion and celery for the full stuffing experience.
If fresh herbs aren’t available, dried herbs work beautifully here, and you can also lean into poultry seasoning for a shortcut that still delivers that unmistakable “holiday kitchen” aroma. So essential!
Once the meatballs are browned (in butter), we’re going to pop them in the oven to finish cooking all the way through. That way we can finish our simple pan gravy made from pan drippings, butter, flour, broth (and more butter) to give you that richness we all crave at Christmas.
Ground Turkey Meatballs Inspired by Mom’s Stuffing
The result? Tender, juicy meatballs, crisp on the outside and homespun gravy that begs to be spooned over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or even thick slices of sourdough. Don’t forget the cranberry sauce!
Festive without being fussy — comforting, familiar, and just indulgent enough. Whether you’re cooking for two, hosting a low-key holiday dinner, or simply want a cozy winter meal that tastes celebration, these turkey stuffing meatballs prove you don’t need a whole turkey to get the full turkey dinner experience.
Happy Holidays… or any day!
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Turkey Stuffing Meatballs and Gravy
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 18 meatballs 1x
Description
All the flavour of a classic turkey dinner, in one pan. Turkey stuffing meatballs and gravy are the perfect for festive dinner for two or just for you. Bonus: Leftovers!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Sweat vegetables: In a large pan, over medium heat, cook onion and celery with a bit of butter, until transparent. Then set aside to cool.
- Make the meatball mixture: In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, fresh parsley, fresh sage, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, egg, breadcrumbs, cooled cooked onion and celery, salt, and black pepper. Gently mix just until combined — do not overwork, or the meatballs will be dense. How does the mixture handle? Is it wet? Do you need a bit more breadcrumbs to tighten the mixture? It should be easy to handle.
- Form the meatballs: Roll the mixture into evenly sized meatballs, about 1½ inches in diameter. You should have 16 to 18 meatballs. REST IN THE FRIDGE for 20 minutes to allow the bread crumbs to absorb all that liquid.
- Brown the meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a good slick of butter. Working in batches if needed, brown the meatballs on all sides until golden. They do not need to be fully cooked at this stage. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. When browning is complete, finish in a 350*F (175*C) preheated oven for about 20 minutes (or until cooked through).
- Start the gravy: In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium-low. Add the butter (if needed, because you may have some nice deep brown butter already in the pan. You decide. Maybe you need a little butter, maybe you don’t) and allow it to melt, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle in the flour and toast it with your fat, stirring continuously for about one minute, until the mixture is lightly golden and smells nutty.
- Build the gravy: Add broth, one cup at a time, while whisking to prevent lumps. Continue stirring until the gravy thickens and becomes smooth. Finish with a nice lump of butter, to give it that smooth, velvety appearance. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve: Nestle piping hot turkey stuffing meatballs into waiting mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or on to crusty bread cover with a generous amount of gravy. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Herb Swap Notes:
• Dried herbs: Use 1 teaspoon each dried parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.
• Poultry seasoning shortcut: Substitute 1½ teaspoons poultry seasoning, total.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: pan fry
- Cuisine: North American
