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Cranberry Meatballs are the appetizer that disappears first at every holiday party, juicy homemade beef meatballs simmered in a sweet and tangy sauce made from jellied cranberry sauce and chili sauce, straight from the slow cooker. I made them for Thanksgiving weekend as a snack while the turkey rested, and they beat out our famous grape jelly meatballs for the empty bowl award.
The slow cooker does the hosting, keeping them warm and saucy for the whole party.
Cranberry Meatballs Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 5 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 28 meatballs
- ⚡ Calories: 98kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet and tangy cranberry with smoky beef
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, the same roll and simmer rhythm as our Asian meatballs
Quick Answer
Mix eggs, panko, ketchup, parsley, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and seasonings, then work in 2 pounds of lean ground beef. Roll into 1 and a half tablespoon balls and bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Whisk jellied cranberry sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar, pour it over the meatballs in a slow cooker, and cook on low 4 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Jellied cranberry sauce is the secret sauce base. It melts into a glossy, sweet tart glaze that clings to every meatball, no fancy ingredients required.
- Chili sauce keeps it from being dessert. Its vinegar and gentle heat balance the sweet cranberry so adults keep coming back too.
- Baking before slow cooking builds flavor. The 425 degree oven browns the outside of each meatball, and that caramelized crust survives hours in the sauce.
- Panko plus eggs keeps them tender. The panko soaks up juices while the eggs bind, so the meatballs stay soft instead of turning dense and rubbery.
- Smoked paprika sneaks in depth. A half teaspoon reads as slow cooked smokiness rather than a spice you can name.
- The slow cooker is serving dish and warmer. Set it to warm at party time and the last meatball is as saucy and hot as the first.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One batch makes about 28 meatballs, real party numbers from one bowl and one slow cooker.
- The sweet tangy cranberry glaze tastes like the holidays without any fussy ingredients.
- They hold on warm for hours, just like our brown sugar bacon little smokies, so early guests and late guests eat equally well.
Key Ingredients
Freezer aisle nothing, this is a from scratch meatball with a 3 ingredient sauce.
- Lean ground beef: Two pounds of 90 10 keeps the slow cooker from pooling grease while staying juicy.
- Jellied cranberry sauce: The can with the ridges, it melts into the glossy sweet tart glaze that makes the recipe.
- Chili sauce: The tangy, gently spicy counterpoint, look for it next to the ketchup.
- Panko breadcrumbs and eggs: The binder team that keeps the meatballs tender through the long simmer.
- Brown sugar, Worcestershire, and seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper season the beef from the inside.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
The formula is flexible once the sauce hits the cooker.
- Shortcut it with 2 pounds of frozen fully cooked meatballs, skip the baking and add 30 minutes to the slow cooker time.
- Swap the beef for ground turkey for a lighter meatball that still loves the cranberry glaze.
- Add a tablespoon of sriracha or a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a spicy sweet version.
- Stir a teaspoon of orange zest into the sauce for a cranberry orange holiday spin.
How to Make Cranberry Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a sheet tray with parchment. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, panko, ketchup, parsley, brown sugar, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Add the ground beef and mix it in well, it is easiest by hand.
- Roll 1 and a half tablespoon portions into balls and place them on the prepared tray, not touching. A cookie scoop keeps them even.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown, then transfer the meatballs to a 6 quart slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar. A few lumps are fine, they melt in the cooker.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs and stir to coat. Cook on low 4 to 5 hours or high 2 to 3, stirring every 30 minutes or so. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a cookie scoop for even meatballs. Same size means every meatball finishes cooking at the same time.
- Do not skip the bake. Browning first sets the meatballs so they hold together through hours of stirring.
- Stir every 30 minutes or so. The sugary sauce can catch on the hot spots of the crock without an occasional turn.
- Lumpy sauce is fine. The jellied cranberry chunks melt smooth within the first hour of cooking.
- Switch to warm for serving. The sauce keeps thickening on low, warm holds them glossy for the length of the party.
- Double the sauce for extra dipping. If your crowd likes them extra saucy, one more can of cranberry and bottle of chili sauce fits fine in a 6 quart cooker.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve them straight from the slow cooker with a cup of toothpicks and watch them vanish, they hold the appetizer table with our little smokies and a veggie tray while the main event cooks.
They are a natural for Thanksgiving and Christmas grazing hours, set them out while the roasted turkey rests and nobody hovers in the kitchen asking when dinner is.
Leftovers make outrageous meatball subs, pile them in a toasted hoagie roll with a slice of melty provolone. Or spoon them over rice or our meatballs and gravy style mashed potatoes for a sweet and savory dinner.
Refrigerate leftovers in the sauce up to 4 days, or freeze them, sauce and all, up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a saucepan or the microwave, the sauce revives with a splash of water.
Cranberry Meatballs FAQs
Just three ingredients, a 14 ounce can of jellied cranberry sauce, a 12 ounce bottle of chili sauce, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, whisked together. It melts in the slow cooker into a glossy sweet and tangy glaze.
Yes, swap in 2 pounds of fully cooked frozen meatballs, skip the mixing and baking entirely, and add about 30 minutes to the slow cooker time. Homemade tastes noticeably better, but the frozen shortcut still gets devoured.
For this recipe, yes, bake them at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes first. The browning adds flavor, firms them up so they do not fall apart when stirred, and renders excess fat so the sauce stays glossy instead of greasy.
Four to 5 hours on low or 2 to 3 hours on high, with a stir every 30 minutes or so. Once cooked, switch the slow cooker to warm and they hold beautifully through a whole party.
Yes, bake the meatballs and whisk the sauce a day ahead, refrigerate separately, then combine in the slow cooker the day of the party. Fully cooked leftovers also freeze in the sauce for up to 3 months.
Hot, straight from the slow cooker set to warm. The jellied cranberry glaze thickens and dulls as it cools, so keep them in the cooker with toothpicks on the side rather than plating them ahead.
Made these Cranberry Meatballs? Leave a comment and a star rating below, I would love to hear how fast the bowl emptied!
Round out the appetizer table with our sweet and smoky bacon crackers.
Cranberry Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs well beaten
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
For the sauce:
- 14 ounces jellied cranberry sauce
- 12 ounces chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, breadcrumbs, ketchup, parsley, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Add the beef and mix it well with the ingredients. It’s easier to do this by hand.
- Take 1 & ½ tablespoons of the mixture and roll it between your hands to form a ball. I find using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop easiest. Place them on the prepared sheet tray not touching.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Place the meatballs into the body of a 6-quart or similar-sized slow cooker, set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar. It may not become smooth, with some lumps, that’s okay.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs, and stir so the meatballs are coated in the sauce.
- Place the slow cooker on low temp for 4-5 hours, or high for 2-3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes or so to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn.
- Garnish with more parsley if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- The meatballs are very tender, be careful when stirring.
- Frozen meatballs can be used.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Add some spice to the dish, see above on what we add.
- These can be made ahead and stored in the slow cooker on the warm setting for up to 3 hours, stirring about every 30 minutes.
Nutrition
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