Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs

Sweet and tangy, these delicious slow cooker cranberry meatballs make an amazing appetizer! Both kids and adults will love these meatballs and they will be the hit of any party. This easy recipe with simple ingredients is especially great when you are short on time, but tastes like you spent a lot longer making it!

 

Why We Love Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs

• Easy to make– Only a few steps and you’ll have these easy meatballs prepped and ready to go for these yummy crockpot meatballs.
• Delicious party appetizer– Meatballs at any party always seem to be a favorite, and they can stay on the warm setting for a long time in the slow cooker. This recipe is perfect for family gatherings, tailgating, or any holiday season party.
• Sweet And Tangy Sauce– The sauce ingredients for these meatballs may sound different when you expect, but trust the process! These ingredients make an irresistibly sweet and tangy sauce that goes so well with the meatballs. It’s also the perfect recipe to use up leftover cranberry sauce at the holidays.

Ingredients For Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs

• meatballs 2 pounds beef, pork or turkey meatballs, frozen or homemade meatballs both can work for this recipe.
• cranberry sauce About 1 3/4 cups cranberry sauce, canned or fresh works for this recipe. This is sometimes called cranberry jelly or jellied cranberry sauce. Whole berry cranberry sauce is also fine too.
• chili sauce 1 1/2 cups, Like Heinz, or your favorite barbecue sauce can also work. Pick a tomato based BBQ sauce over a mustard based sauce if swapping.
• brown sugar
• garlic powder
• cayenne pepper optional. This only is a tiny bit of heat and helps balance the sweetness, but it can be left out. Ground red pepper flakes are also delicious in this recipe.
• green onion optional garnish

How To Make Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs

Making this cranberry meatball recipe couldn’t be easier! Just add toothpicks for the perfect little cocktail meatball appetizer.

1. Place meatballs into the bottom of a slow cooker.

2. In a small bowl mix together cranberry sauce, chilli sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder and cayenne pepper and mix well with a spoon. If you’re habing trouble blending the sauce, try microwaving it for 15-30 seconds and then blending. Sometimes this helps to break up the cranberry sauce further.

3. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Cook on high for two to three hours or four to five hours on low, or until meatballs are warm all the way through.
4. Switch to warm and serve meatballs directly from the crockpot, and garnish with thin slices of green onions if preferred. You can also serve these on little toothpicks as cocktail meatballs.

Cranberry Meatball Variations

Try BBQ Sauce– Chili sauce is kind of like ketchup with a few other flavors like vinegar and just a little bit of chilli powdered added to it. Heinz chilli sauce is the most common, but if you don’t have that easily available try swapping your favorite BBQ sauce.

Swap Sweet Chili Sauce– Chili sauce is sometimes confused with sweet chili sauce which is an asian style sauce that is mostly sweet and a little spicy. While these sauces are different in flavor, sweet chili sauce also works well with these meatballs.

Switch The Cranberry– Other fruit jams and jelly flavors do work with these meatballs. Grape jelly is the classic version (yes for real, don’t knock it until you try it. You may have even had it before if you’ve had “cocktail meatballs.”) but don’t overlook trying flavors like cherry, apricot, pineapple or peach!

Add Jalapenos– Do you like a little heat? Try adding some sliced jalapenos to the crockpot, it pairs wonderfully with the sweetness and tartness of the sauce. I recommend starting with about 1/4 cup diced. You can also sprinkle them with chopped crispy jalapenos if you have them. Yum!

Try A Drizzle Of Sriracha Sauce – Give these meatballs a modern update and a kick by adding a good drizzle of Sriracha sauce to these meatballs. It’s best to start out slow, you can always add a second drizzle at the end after they have heated up to taste if you prefer more kick! Your tastebuds will totally thank you!

Add Orange Flavor– You can make a delicious cranberry orange version of these meatballs. Simply add 1/2 cup orange juice to the mixture. You can also add some orange zest for more flavor. For a thicker sauce you could also add 1/2 cup orange marmalade.

What Is Chili Sauce?

Chili sauce is an American-style sauce that’s been a staple for many years. The most well-known version is Heinz’s chili sauce. It is usually found in the same area as the ketchup and BBQ sauce in the grocery store.

Despite the name, chili sauce is not a spicy sauce. If you don’t generally like spicy food you will very likely enjoy this sauce in recipes.

You can use chili sauce to make a spicier dish, but you’ll be able to control the spice level like with these Sweet & Spicy Cranberry Chicken Wings.

Are These Meatballs Spicy?

No despite having a tiny amount of cayenne pepper in this recipe and chili sauce, this recipe is not spicy. The tiny amount of chili in this large recipe really just helps balance the sweet and slight tartness of the sauce, but it won’t taste spicy on your tongue. If you have ever had slow cooker bbq little smokies, this meatball appetizer reminds me a lot of that recipe except with more cranberry flavor.

If you prefer a spicier sauce though you can make it spicier. See my tips above in the swaps section.

Can I Use Homemade Meatballs?

First off, you are a gem. I love making homemade meatballs, but when I’m making them as an appetizer for holiday gatherings I almost always reach for frozen meatballs because it’s just faster. You have to roll a lot of meatballs to make party meatballs, but it is the perfect party appetizer.

I have made these with my homemade baked Italian beef meatballs though and it is really delicious so your time is worth it for the extra flavor if you choose to make homemade.

How Do I Make Homemade Meatballs Into A Smaller Size?

I recommend using about a tablespoon of meat and to roll the meatballs small so they are more of an appetizer size. This is closer to the size of an oversized large marble.

My homemade Italian meatballs makes twelve bigger dinner size meatballs, but for this recipe, you want to roll more like thirty meatballs to one pound of meat.

Do Homemade Meatballs Fall Apart In The Slow Cooker?

Meatballs do sometimes fall apart in the crockpot. Some meatball recipes tell you to add the meatballs to the sauce raw and they will cook in the sauce. This works alright on the stovetop but can cause them to fall apart when cooked low and slow for a long time.

To fix this either bake the meatballs like the Italian beef meatballs recipe does (slightly less time baking because they are smaller.) You can also brown the outside of the meatballs in a pan until brown then add them to the sauce. That sear on the outside from the oven or pan will add flavor, and help keep homemade meatballs from falling apart.

How Do I Store These Meatballs?

Store any leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge. Meatballs will last two to three days.

How Do I Serve These Cranberry Meatballs?

Serve these cranberry meatballs right from the slow cooker! They stay warm at a party which is pretty delicious. You can also place some of the warm meatballs on toothpicks to serve to make more of a cocktail meatball appetizer depending on how you are serving your

Can I Cook These Meatballs On The Stove?

Yes, you can absolutely cook these meatballs on the stove. Combine the frozen meatballs and the sauce in a large saucepan, then cook for 25 to 30 minutes over medium heat. The sauce will thicken slightly and the meatballs need to be cooked all the way through or to an internal temperature of 165 for beef or turkey.

You can heat up the Crock Pot then and transfer the meatballs to a warm Crock Pot to serve, or just plate and serve.

How Long Can I Keep Meatballs On Warm In The Slow Cooker?

Meatballs can be kept warm in the slow cooker for up to 24 hours as long as they are kept warm the entire time. That means keeping them in the slow cooker makes a great party appetizer!

Depending on the meatballs after an extended time of more than eight hours, the meatballs may be a little drier than when they started. I like to add a little more chili sauce, some boxed chicken broth or even just a little water to help keep them nice and juicy. Start with a quarter cup and add more if needed.

What Do I Serve These Meatballs With?

I like to serve these cranberry meatballs as an appetizer either from the crockpot or on little toothpicks. They are perfect for parties or for game day. This is perfect at a party served with cold ranch veggie tortilla pinwheels, spinach artichoke dip or baked jalapeno poppers if you like things a little spicier.

These meatballs are also tasty served over steamed rice or with cheesy garlic bread. Make a green vegetable like roasted broccoli, salad, or green beans, or try it with honey-roasted carrots as a side.