MSG Free Apple-Sage Turkey Meatballs
These meatballs hit a genuinely surprising flavor note — sweet apple, earthy sage, warm cinnamon, and a whisper of ginger all wrapped up in tender ground turkey. Squeezing the grated apple dry before mixing is the kind of small step that makes a real difference, keeping the texture light and cohesive rather than dense. Every single ingredient here is whole and straightforward, which matters when you're trying to avoid the hidden additives that sneak into so many packaged sauces and seasoning blends. The pan sauce is built from unsweetened apple cider, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, and fresh thyme — nothing processed, nothing suspicious, just deeply savory with a bright edge. Arrowroot starch does the thickening work in both the meatballs and the glossy finishing sauce, so the whole dish stays clean from start to finish. This is the kind of weeknight dinner that feels a little special without requiring anything complicated, and it's the sort of recipe you'll want to keep on rotation.
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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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