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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers » Cranberry Sauce Meatballs

    Cranberry Sauce Meatballs

    Published: Oct 30, 2022 · Modified: Jan 23, 2023 by Sherri · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

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    Three Ingredients is all that stands in your way for these easy Cranberry Sauce Meatballs. These cocktail meatballs are a hit for a holiday appetizer or a perfect appetizer to serve a crowd at holiday parties.

    Need more meatball recipes? Check out my buffalo chicken meatballs, grape jelly meatballs, or these teriyaki meatballs, for more game day snacking, family gatherings or appetizer for the holiday season.

    white bowl full of cranberry sauce meatballs.

    Table of contents

    • Meatballs in Cranberry Sauce
    • Ingredients/shopping list
    • Variations/ Substitutions
    • How to Make These 3 Ingredient Meatballs
    • Tips
    • FAQ’s

    Meatballs in Cranberry Sauce

    This is a sweet and slightly spicy cranberry meatballs recipe. A super easy recipe you throw in the crockpot and can walk away to let them cook on their own. Simple ingredients with big flavor.

    My family always loves these party meatballs. We have even served them over rice with roasted broccoli as a main course too.

    closeup of cranberry meatballs in a white bowl with a fork on the side.

    Ingredients/shopping list

    three white bowls. one with frozen meatballs, one with jellied cranberry sauce and one with sweet chili sauce.

    Meatballs – You can buy and use any brand of meatballs. I tend to buy frozen pre-cooked meatballs for these crockpot meatballs. This helps speed up the prep work but you can make your own homemade meatballs too.

    Cranberry Sauce – I use the jellied cranberry sauce in a can. You can find this in the canned food aisle at the grocery store.

    Thai Sweet Chili Sauce – This is what creates a spicy sauce for the meatballs. The chili sauce carries a little heat, it isn’t overly spicy though. It makes these meatballs a crowd pleaser.

    Variations/ Substitutions

    1. Swap the Thai sweet chili sauce for Heinz chili sauce, ketchup or your favorite barbecue sauce instead of chili sauce.
    2. You are welcome to use leftover cranberry sauce you have on hand. Homemade cranberry sauce does work, I just prefer the jelly style.
    3. Use homemade meatballs instead of store bought meatballs.
    4. Add in â…“ cup orange juice for another flavor level.

    How to Make These 3 Ingredient Meatballs

    black slow cooker with cranberry sauce and chili sauce.

    Step One: Add in the cranberry and sweet chili sauce into the crockpot. Then mix to combine.

    frozen meatballs in a black crock pot.
    meatballs tossed in cranberry sauce mixture in a black crock pot.

    Step Two: Next add in the meatballs and mix to coat them in the spicy sauce.

    black slow cooker with meatballs in cranberry and chili sauce mixture.

    Step Three: Cover and cook as directed. Then once done serve up for as a side or appetizer to your holiday meals this season.

    white bowl of meatballs in cranberry and sweet chili sauce with a fork picking up one.

    Tips

    • Low heat works best as it really helps the sauce ingredients soak into the meatballs as it cooks.
    • Serve with toothpicks or plates so they can pour on extra sauce over the meatballs.
    • If you own a larger crockpot go right ahead and double the recipe.

    FAQ’s

    How to Store?

    Any leftover meatballs you have place in an airtight container. Store the meatballs in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

    How to Reheat?

    Then you can reheat them in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. Add a little water if you are heating up on the stove to prevent burning the sauce.

    How to Freeze


    You can freeze the meatballs in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months. Just place the meatballs in the fridge overnight and reheat and enjoy.

    If you like this recipe, please leave us a comment and rate the recipe below. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram!

    closeup of cranberry meatballs in a white bowl.

    Cranberry Meatballs

    Three Ingredients is all that stands in your way for these easy Cranberry Sauce Meatballs. These cocktail meatballs are a hit for a holiday appetizer or a perfect appetizer to serve a crowd at holiday parties.
    5 from 4 votes
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    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
    Servings: 64 meatballs
    Calories: 60kcal
    Author: Sherri Hagymas

    Ingredients

    • 14 ounces cranberry sauce canned, jellied
    • 14 ounces Thai sweet chili sauce
    • 2 pounds frozen cocktail meatballs

    Instructions

    • Add the cranberry sauce and sweet chili sauce to the slow cooker. Stir to combine well.
    • Add the frozen meatballs and stir to coat completely with the cranberry sauce mixture.
    • Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
    • Garnish with chopped chives if desired.
    • Keep on the warm setting in the crockpot for up to 1 hour.

    Notes

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
    Use ketchup, Heinz chili sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce instead of the Thai sweet chili sauce if desired.
    Add a ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you like them spicier.
    Add ¼ cup of brown sugar.
    Make you own meatballs if desired but bake them for about 10 minutes prior to adding them to the crockpot to lock in the juices.
    For thicker sauce, remove the lid for the last 20-30 minutes of cooking.
    Use turkey meatballs if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @ToSimplyInspire or tag #ToSimplyInspire!

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    Filed Under: Appetizers, Crock Pot Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. john danckwerth danckwerth

      November 05, 2022 at 1:10 pm

      great food idea *****

      Reply

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    Hi there! I’m Sherri I love creating a variety of easy recipes that anyone can make and enjoy! From healthy to comforting, I hope you find something that inspires you!.

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