When I have a busy day, I like to use my slow cooker to do most of the work so that when I come home, dinner is pretty much done. This turkey meatball slow cooker recipe has a wonderful sauce of maple syrup, cranberries, brown sugar, soy sauce, and rosemary that add a delicious flavor to the meatballs. Here’s how I made it:
Start by sautéing a medium onion in 2 tablespoons of butter until slightly caramelized. In the mean time, place 3 lbs. of ground turkey in a bowl and add 1 egg, 1/2 cup of plain bread crumbs, 2 tsp. salt, and 2 tsp. pepper.
When onions are slightly caramelized, cool until warm but not hot, and add to the turkey bowl and mix everything together.
Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray and form meatballs using an ice cream scoop. Next, mix together well, 1/4 soy sauce, 1/2 real maple syrup, 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar, 1/4 water.
Pour the maple syrup mixture over all of the meatballs trying to cover each one. Sprinkle over the top, 2 cups of dried cranberries and place the 2 whole sprigs of rosemary on top and cover.
Once covered, place the heat on low and cook for 3-4 hours. If meatballs stick together, they can be easily separated.
Once the meatballs are done, remove the two sprigs of rosemary and discard. The easiest way to thicken the sauce is to remove the meatballs to a plate, pour the sauce into a sauce pan, and thicken with 2 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch mixed well with 1/2 cup of water.
Mix cornstarch slurry well and add to the sauce and bring to a boil stirring constantly boil for 1 min. Once thickened, place meatballs back into the slow cooker and pour the sauce over the meatballs and set on low to keep warm until ready to serve.
The rosemary adds such a delicious flavor to this sauce. This dish can be served with your favorite sides. I put it on some jasmine rice and served it with a side salad. Enjoy and happy cooking!
Prep Time: 30 min. Cook Time: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Easy Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
3 lbs. ground turkey
2 tablespoons butter
1 med onion
1 egg
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 whole sprigs of rosemary
2 cups of dried sweetened cranberries