Honey Free Apple-Sage Turkey Meatballs
These meatballs are the kind of cozy, weeknight-worthy dish that somehow also feels special enough for a dinner party. Ground turkey gets a serious flavor upgrade from freshly grated apple, fragrant sage, warm Ceylon cinnamon, and a hint of turmeric — it's an unexpected combination that genuinely works. A key technique here is squeezing the grated apple nearly dry before mixing, which keeps the texture light and cohesive rather than dense or soggy. The pan sauce — built from unsweetened apple cider, bone broth, and a splash of apple cider vinegar — picks up all those golden, caramelized bits from the sear and reduces into something glossy and deeply savory. Every ingredient in this recipe is naturally free of added sweeteners, so there's no need to audit labels or swap anything out. It's a clean, satisfying meal that lets bold, real-food flavors do all the heavy lifting.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the meatballs
- 1 ½ lb ground turkey
- 1 medium apple (such as honeycrisp or fuji), peeled and finely grated
- 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup green onions (green tops only), thinly sliced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
For searing
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
For the pan sauce
- 1 cup apple cider (unsweetened, unfiltered)
- ½ cup bone broth (homemade or aip-compliant brand)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch, mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
- 1 tbsp cold water (for arrowroot slurry)
For serving
- fresh sage leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Grate the apple on the large holes of a box grater, then squeeze the grated apple firmly in a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towel to remove as much liquid as possible — the apple should feel nearly dry. This keeps the meatballs from becoming dense or wet.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, squeezed grated apple, sage, garlic, green onion tops, ginger, turmeric, Ceylon cinnamon, salt, and arrowroot starch. Mix with your hands until just combined and uniform — do not overwork the mixture.
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