Pork Free Apple-Sage Turkey Meatballs
Ground turkey gets a serious flavor upgrade here, with freshly grated apple, sage, ginger, turmeric, and a whisper of Ceylon cinnamon folded right into the mix. The trick of squeezing the grated apple nearly dry before combining everything is what keeps these meatballs tender and light rather than dense — a small step that makes a big difference. A hard sear in coconut oil builds a gorgeous golden crust, and then the meatballs finish gently in a pan sauce made from unsweetened apple cider, bone broth, and fresh thyme, which pulls all those warm, autumnal flavors together into something genuinely craveable. The arrowroot slurry at the end thickens the sauce into a glossy, spoonable finish that clings to every meatball. Because the entire recipe is built around turkey and whole-food ingredients, there's no need to scrutinize labels for hidden pork-derived additives — everything on the list is straightforward and easy to source. Serve them straight from the skillet with a scatter of fresh sage leaves and watch them disappear fast.
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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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