Cranberry Sauce Meatballs
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Cooked in a rich cranberry sauce with sweet, spicy, and savory flavors, these tender cranberry sauce meatballs are the perfect easy-peasy appetizer to enjoy this holiday season.
Another holiday lifesaver? Cranberry sauce. If you often find yourself with an extra can in the pantry, this cranberry sauce meatball recipe is exactly what it’s for. These cranberry-flavored meatballs add a festive touch to any holiday buffet or serve as a perfect appetizer to tide guests over until the main meal.
The sauce in this recipe combines sweet, spicy, and savory flavors, made from cranberry sauce, chili sauce, honey, orange juice, and a touch of salt and pepper. This unique mix of ingredients creates a rich, irresistible sauce that pairs perfectly with meatballs. To make these Cranberry Sauce Meatballs, simply bring the sauce ingredients to a boil, add the meatballs, and let them simmer for about 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. It’s ready in just 30 minutes and offers a delicious holiday-inspired twist.
What You’ll Need to Make Cranberry Sauce Meatballs
Ingredients
- meatballs, fully cooked and frozen
- whole berry cranberry sauce
- chili sauce
- honey
- orange juice
- salt and pepper
How to Make Cranberry Sauce Meatballs
Place all ingredients except for meatballs into a large sauce pan or dutch oven.
Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Carefully add meatballs and reduce heat to medium-low.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce has thickened. Add a garnish of chopped fresh parsley.
Enjoy as a flavorful appetizer.
Alternatively, serve over rice for a hearty meal. However you serve them, Cranberry Sauce Meatballs are sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Cranberry Sauce Meatball Recipe Notes
- I prefer ground beef or turkey meatballs, but any type of frozen meatballs will work. You can also choose any size, including appetizer or mini-party meatballs.
- You can use homemade meatballs instead of frozen if you prefer.
- Use any chili sauce you prefer for this recipe; I typically choose Heinz Chili Sauce, which is widely available. For a unique flavor, try to find Homemade Chili Sauce in the distinctive round glass container.
- You can substitute whole berry cranberry sauce with jellied cranberry sauce, leftover cranberry sauce, or homemade cranberry sauce.
- The honey can be replaced with brown sugar to provide the same touch of sweetness that balances the spicy and savory flavors.
- Cranberry sauce meatballs can also be made in the slow cooker. Simply place the meatballs in the slow cooker, combine the sauce ingredients, pour the sauce over the meatballs, cover, and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.
More Easy Party Appetizer Recipes You’ll Love
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- Pumpkin Fritters With Orange Marmalade
- Cheese Wafers
- How to Bake Brie (With Delicious Toppings)
- Cheesy Baked Onion Dip
- Little Smokies Pigs In A Blanket
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs frozen fully cooked meatballs
- 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup honey
- ½ cup chili sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine everything except meatballs in a dutch oven or a similar pot on the stovetop. Stirring constantly, bring just to a boil over medium-high heat.1 can whole berry cranberry sauce, 1 cup orange juice, 1/3 cup honey, ½ cup chili sauce, salt and pepper to taste
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Carefully add meatballs and stir to coat. Continue cooking until meatballs are heated through and the sauce is thickened (15-20 minutes).1.5 lbs frozen fully cooked meatballs
- Serve on their own as an appetizer or over rice as a meal.
Wow…these sound amazing! We Love meatballs…All the meatballs!!! Do you use beef or chicken??? I think either would be wonderful! I cannot wait to try them. Thank you so much for the recipe and all you do!
I typically use turkey or beef but any kind will work!
What brand of meatballs do you prefer?
I like to get the all beef ones. Publix has some Angus beef ones that are amazing. I can’t recall the brand but they are in a red, green, and white package.
I just made my Thanksgiving plans right now: make these meatballs soon. : ) They sound great!
🙂 I hope you love them as much as I do!!
Thank you Christy for this wonderful recipe for these Holiday Meat Balls. I am planning on making some this weekend for my husband and my self. Then am going to make another batch to carry to a friend’s home for a small get together. Can’t wait to make these..
How will this recipe for Cranberry meatballs work in a crock pot? If so, give me a few hints to crock pot this recipe.
Sure will! I would place all ingredients in there, stir up the sauce ingredients to break them up a bit, and then add the meatballs. You’ll want to stir from time to time and the sauce won’t thicken as much but it will still thicken some. Low, about 4-5 hours, high 2-3.
Do you have a brand of meatballs that you prefer? Thanks for the recipe; it sounds yummy! I’ll definitely be trying it. 🙂
Hello Christy……thanks so much for the wonderful recipes you post on your blog! I have a whole folder of them and enjoy fixing them regularly. They are family friendly, for sure! This Cranberry Cocktail Meatball recipe will be perfect for our “snowbird” get togethers in Orange Beach, Alabama…..we head there for two months every winter to get out of the Iowa cold and snow!!! Again, thanks!!!
If I wanted to make a meal out of these what sides could you suggest? Absolutely love your blog!
Rice, green beans, potatoes of some kind, broccoli, asparagus. Goodness, most any vegetable would work so just fix what you love!