Crock Pot Cranberry Meatballs

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CrockPot Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs, these are delightful little treats that are a little tangy yet  savory. They are are slow cooked in blend of cranberry sauce, ketchup and spices that tenderize the meat. It takes just a few minutes to prepare the sauce and meatballs. These tasty treats are perfect for Game Day, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, any of your family gatherings.

CrockPot Cranberry Meatballs

Between watching football on the weekends and it being the Holidays, appetizers are on my mind. Sometimes my family just has a few appetizers for dinner. We call it fun food night.

My Mom always made festive cocktail meatballs using grape jelly. Years ago, I had an abundance of cranberry sauce and I decided to try this recipe with cranberry sauce. Hello Delicious!

Cranberry meatballs have become a staple for my family gathering.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

One of the greatest things about a crock-pot is the ability to fix and forget. No one wants to spend the entire game, party, or Holiday in the kitchen and miss all the fun.

These little babies are a quick fix and no fuss so I can focus on my family and friends.

These flavors make a great combination of tangy and sweet and everyone is just plain happy.

FAQs and Tips

Can I use frozen pre-made meatballs?

Yes, you can use pre-made meatballs. I prefer to make my meatballs from scratch. If you have an extra 10 minutes, make the meatballs fresh, so delicious.

Storage

These meatballs are an awesome make ahead recipe. You can prepare the meatballs and once cooled, keep the crockpot vessel in the fridge until ready to reheat. They can alsp be placed in an oven save casserole dish to reheat later.

After they are cooked, store the leftovers in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 days.

These meatballs freeze really well. Either store in freezer safe bags or use a food saver to preserve the meatballs. They keep in the freezer for 3-4 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and warm either in the oven or on low in the slow-cooker until heated through.

Serving Suggestions

We enjoy these meatballs as a meal over any of the following:

• Egg Noodles
• Mashed Potatoes
• Low-Carb Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
• Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Some other cranberry recipes

• Cranberry Orange Relish
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Pot Roast
• Cleansing Cranberry Tea

Step by Step Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, onion and garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper. Combine well. Set aside.
2. In a crockpot, mix together cranberry sauce, ketchup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire Sauce.
3. Add in meatballs. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
4. Serve and enjoy

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Crock Pot Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs

A delicious treat for any party. These cranberry meatballs are slow cooked in cranberry sauce. These are fantastic prepared a day ahead and reheated for your guests. Always a party favorite. A wonderful recipe that is freezer friendly to have a batch ready any time.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry meatballs, easy cranberry meatballs, tangy cranberry meatballs

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 20 servings

Calories: 189kcal

Author: Eileen Kelly

Equipment Needed:

• As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
• Slow Cooker

Ingredients

Meatball

• 2 pounds 80% ground beef
• ¼ cup milk Note 1
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs Note 2
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper

Cranberry Sauce

• 14 ounce can cranberry sauce
• 1 cup ketchup low-salt ketchup can be used
• 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• fresh chopped parsley, optional garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Meatballs

• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, milk, plain bread crumbs, eggs, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt and pepper. Gently combine all ingredients to blend. Shape into meatballs approximately 1 inch round.

Cranberry Sauce

• In the crockpot, stir together cranberry sauce, ketchup, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Gently place the meatballs in the slow cooker with the prepared cranberry sauce, recipe below
• Cook on low for 3 hours, check for tenderness and meat should be cooked through. Should take no more than 4 hours to complete cooking.
• Ready to serve. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, optional
• Meatballs can be prepared ahead and reheated. Meatballs can also be frozen and used at a later date.

Notes

Note 1: 80/20 ground beef is my preferred choice for best flavor. 80% or leaner can be used. 

Note 2: Plain whole wheat or Panko breadcrumbs can be used. 

Note 3: Cranberry Meatballs can be made ahead and frozen for a later date. Defrost in the fridge and warm in the slow cooker or in the oven until warm. Slow cooker about 1 hour and oven 20 minutes.

Note 4: For variations, feel to swap chili sauce or BBQ sauce for the ketchup.

• Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

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