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Home >> Food >> Appetizers >> Cranberry Meatballs | Cocktail Meatball Recipe

Cranberry Meatballs | Cocktail Meatball Recipe

Published: Sep 29, 2018 · Modified: Sep 9, 2020 by Stefanie Fauquet · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

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Cranberry Meatballs

Cranberry Meatballs will be the star of your holiday party or potluck! This delicious Cocktail Meatball Recipe is made with homemade meatballs and a sweet and sour meatball sauce that will make your guests beg for more!

Cranberry Meatballs

Cranberry Meatballs

One of the most popular recipes here on Mommy Musings is for party meatballs AKA grape jelly meatballs made in the slow cooker. They are ridiculously good and easy to make because the recipe starts with frozen meatballs that you throw in the Crockpot with a few other ingredients.

Over the years I've had people ask me for a cocktail meatball recipe that's made from scratch. I'm excited to announce that I finally have a delicious homemade sweet and sour meatballs recipe to share that's going to be a hit at your next potluck or holiday party! Yes, these cranberry meatballs take a little more time to prepare, but the payoff is worth it! Plus, you know exactly what ingredients are going into them, so if you need to make them gluten-free, for example, you can make substitutes as necessary.

Cocktail Meatball Recipe

Cranberry Meatballs Recipe

Cranberry Meatballs Ingredients:

For the cocktail meatball mixture:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ½ onion, minced
  • ¼ cup old fashioned oats
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley

For the cocktail meatball sauce:

  • 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • ½ cup chili sauce
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: a dash of cayenne pepper

Cranberry Meatballs | Cocktail Meatballs ingredients

How to Make Cranberry Meatballs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Place oats in a food processor and pulse a few times to break them down a bit.

3. Place all ingredients for the meat mixture in a large bowl. Using clean hands, mix the ingredients - being careful not to overmix as this could result in tougher meatballs.

how to make cranberry meatballs

4. Scoop the meat using a rounded teaspoon. Lightly roll into a ball and place on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.

homemade meatball recipe

5. Prepare the sauce while the meatballs are cooking. In a small saucepan on medium heat, add cranberry sauce, orange juice, honey and chili sauce. Whisk until the sauce starts to break down and becomes a smooth consistency. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste and an optional dash of cayenne pepper if desired. Add orange zest and stir.

sweet and sour meatballs

6. Once the meatballs are done cooking, place them in your serving dish and pour the sauce over the top to completely coat them. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Easy Cocktail Meatball Recipe

To serve as a party appetizer, pile up meatballs on a large plate or shallow bowl, placing a toothpick in each. I really like these colorful frill toothpicks for parties.

cranberry cocktail meatballs

 

4 from 1 vote
cranberry meatballs - cocktail meatball recipe
Print
Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Delicious Cocktail Meatball recipe for potluck or parties.

Servings: 45 meatballs
Author: Stefanie Fauquet
Ingredients
For the meat mixture:
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ½ onion minced
  • ¼ cup old fashioned oats use GF if needed
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
For the cranberry sauce:
  • 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • ½ cup chili sauce
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: a dash of cayenne pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

  2. Place oats in a food processor and pulse a few times to break them down a bit.

  3. Place all ingredients for the meat mixture in a large bowl. Using clean hands, mix the ingredients - being careful not to overmix as this could result in tougher meatballs.

  4. Scoop the meat using a rounded teaspoon. Lightly roll into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.

  5. Prepare the sauce while the meatballs are cooking. In a small saucepan on medium heat, add cranberry sauce, orange juice, honey and chili sauce. Whisk until the sauce starts to break down and becomes a smooth consistency. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste and optional dash of cayenne pepper if desired. Add orange zest and stir.

  6. Once meatballs are done cooking, place them in your serving dish and pour the sauce over the top to completely coat them. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

 

How to Freeze Cocktail Meatballs

These Cranberry Meatballs are so good that you might want to double or triple the batch and freeze the leftovers for later. To freeze cocktail meatballs, simply allow the cranberry meatballs to cool upon removing from the oven. On cooled, place them in freezer-safe containers or freezer bags and freeze. When ready to eat – place frozen cocktail meatballs on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until heated through.

How to Make Cranberry Meatballs in the Crockpot

This cocktail meatball recipe can be modified to be made in the Crockpot or Slow Cooker. You will need to prepare and bake the meatballs as directed in the recipe, and then add the sauce ingredients in the Crockpot until heated. Then add the cooked meatballs to the sweet and sour sauce and let simmer on high for 1-2 hours. Set to low until ready to serve. Alternatively, you could use frozen meatballs and place all ingredients in the Crockpot.

Cranberry Meatballs

 

More Party Appetizer Recipes:

  • Crescent Roll Pizzas
  • Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
  • Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Bites
  • Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Jalapeno Bacon Cheese Ball
  • Million Dollar Dip
  • Pimento Cheese Sausage Dip
  • Bacon Cheeseburger Dip
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Comments

  1. Theresa

    November 08, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    4 stars
    Can you use cranberry sauce instead?

    Reply

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Welcome to Mommy Musings™ - I'm Stefanie Fauquet and my passions are food & family travel! I regularly share easy recipes and travel tips to inspire families to create a life they love...one that's full of delicious food and incredible adventures!

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