This easy meatball recipe will surprise you with all of its flavors! A thick vinegar-based sauce is the star of these turkey meatballs with balsamic vinegar glaze. Place them on top of creamy mashed potatoes and you are in comfort food dinner nirvana.
To say that I like meatballs is an understatement. I LOVE them. They are easy to make and can come in many different combinations. You can serve them on noodles, or potatoes, as an appetizer. So versatile!
Jump to:
What movie pairs well with turkey meatballs and beer?
The movie we’re watching is Bridget Jones’s Baby. I love this series of movies and just recently re-watched the others because I knew this was coming.
What beer pairs well with turkey meatballs with balsamic vinegar glaze?
The beer: Yuengling Lager from Yuengling.
This very drinkable beer is perfectly paired with the tang of the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce in the glaze on these meatballs.
Ingredients
This easy turkey meatball recipe with balsamic reduction has-
- Ground turkey. Lean ground turkey cooks quickly and is the perfect base for these meatballs.
- Egg and bread crumbs. These ingredients help to bind the meatballs together.
- Onions, garlic, and butter. Sautee together as a base for the sauce.
- Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce. This makes a tangy and rich homemade balsamic glaze sauce when cooked together.
- Water mixed with cornstarch. Together they thicken the glaze without using flour.
- Olive oil. For frying.
Visit YouTube for a video of how to make these
Turkey Meatballs with Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
How to make turkey meatballs with balsamic vinegar glaze step-by-step
First, for the meatballs, combine ground turkey with an egg and bread crumbs in a bowl.
Mix all ingredients together and form a ball.
Add about a tablespoon of oil to the bottom of a pan then set to medium heat.
Place the meatballs in the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Flip the meatballs and add a cover to the pan while the meatballs cook for another 5-6 minutes more. This helps them cook the center further.
While the meatballs are cooking, chop the onions and mince the garlic.
Remove the homemade turkey meatballs from the pan, put them on a plate, and set them aside.
Add the butter to the same pan on the same heat setting.
Let the butter melt then add the onion. Sautee for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Pour in the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Mix everything together.
In a cup add the warm water and mix in the cornstarch. Stir together so there are no clumps.
Pour into the pan and let the sauce thicken. Takes about 1 minute.
Take the meatballs and add them back into the pan.
Tips & Variations
- Instead of frying, you can make baked turkey meatballs. Form the meatballs and add them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
- If you really love vinegar, you can add another 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in place of the soy sauce.
- Serve with air fryer green beans or these easy garlic mashed potatoes from Creme De La Crumb.
Storage
Add to a covered container and refrigerate. Eat within 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or to make on the stovetop, make 1/2 cup of the gravy and add to the meatballs in a skillet. Reheat over medium heat until cooked through.
To freeze the turkey meatballs, let them cool and add in a single layer to a Ziploc bag or a freezer-proof dish. Thaw in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours before cooking. Reheat on the stovetop as stated above. I do not recommend freezing with the sauce, this is for the meatballs only.
More meatball recipes
And here you are….
From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!
Turkey Meatballs with Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
Equipment
- large sautee pan
- tongs
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs, original
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
Instructions
Turkey Meatballs
- Add the turkey, egg, and bread crumbs to a bowl. Mix all ingredients together and form into a ball.1 pound ground turkey, 1 egg, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, original
- Add about a tablespoon of oil to the bottom of a pan then set to medium heat. Place the meatballs in the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Flip the meatballs then cover the pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes more.
Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
- Chop the onions and mince the garlic.1 small white onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Remove the cooked meatballs and to the same pan melt 2 tablespoons butter, then add onions and garlic. Let soften for 2-3 minutes.2 tablespoons butter
- Add the balsamic and soy sauce to the pan and the brown sugar.2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Stir together the water and cornstarch. Pour into the pan and let the liquid thicken.1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- Serve on top of mashed potatoes or noodles. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tips for making this recipe:
- After flipping the meatballs for the first time, cover the top of the pan with a lid so the meatballs cook evenly in the center.
- Instead of frying bake the meatballs in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
- To store: Add to a covered container and eat within 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with additional sauce. See the directions in the post on how to freeze the meatballs.
Balsamic Vinegar Glaze adapted from Shugary Sweets
Originally published in January 2017. Updated post in April of 2022 with new photos, and the same great recipe.
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Last Updated on March 25, 2023 by Erin@BottomLeftoftheMitten
These look delicious! I love a slightly sweet sauce on meatballs! Thanks for sharing!
I love using turkey meat for meatballs, that and chicken. I have to try the balsamic glaze!! Yum.
Mmm such good comfort food! That balsamic glaze sounds wonderful!
Thank you Sasha!
Yum! I wanted to use up some Costco meatballs lingering in the freezer, found this, loved the blog title as I grew up in the mitten state. The sauce was easy and delicious! A simple recipe with items I already had on hand. Thanks Erin.
Thank you! Happy to meet another fellow Michigander. Glad you enjoyed this recipe. Have a wonderful day.
Use this recipe all the time! It’s mine and my wife’s favorite. The only things we changed are putting the garlic and onions in the actual meatballs instead of the sauce and then using a 1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch so it’s not as goopy.
Adding the onions and garlic to the meatballs sounds great! Thank you, Joshua.
For the chicken part of the recipe. It says canned roasted tomatoes but under instructions it says sundried tomatoes. Which is correct, canned roasted or sundried (not talking about the noodle part, I know that’s sundried.
CrazyAsk
I’m sorry, was this supposed to be for a different recipe? The Turkey Meatball with Balsamic Vinegar does not contain those ingredients. Let me know if was another recipe I can help you with. Thank you!