Ultimate Guide to Delicious Cranberry Meatballs: A Perfect Appetizer for Any Occasion
An easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer or main dish, these Spicy Cranberry BBQ Meatballs combine sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors for a delicious bite. Perfect for parties, game day, or a quick weeknight meal!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
Scale
- 28 oz frozen meatballs (or ~50 small homemade meatballs)
- 14 oz whole cranberry sauce (1 can)
- 18 oz spicy BBQ sauce (~2–3 cups)
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Heat Sauces: In a large deep skillet, combine cranberry sauce and BBQ sauce over medium heat. Stir until bubbly.
- Add Meatballs: Place meatballs in a single layer and stir to coat.
- Simmer: Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook:
- 15-20 mins (frozen meatballs)
- 10 mins (fresh/cooked meatballs)
- Thicken Sauce: Uncover, cook 2-3 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and clings to meatballs.
Slow Cooker Method
- Mix sauces in the slow cooker, add meatballs, and stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours until heated through.
Notes
- Use spicy BBQ sauce for extra heat, or mild if preferred.
- For homemade meatballs, bake or pan-fry before adding to the sauce.
- If the sauce is too thin, thicken with a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water).
- Slow cooker method works great for keeping them warm at parties!
Nutrition
- Calories: 446 kcal per serving
- Sugar: 40g
- Sodium: 725mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 71mg