Cooked low and slow these Cranberry Meatballs are the perfect appetizer for your upcoming holiday gatherings. Easy ingredients, homemade meatballs and all the flavor.
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.