Cranberry meatball recipe video
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Why I love cranberry meatballs
I love meatballs. I would request them as my birthday dinner for every single one of my birthday growing up so I’m thrilled to share this holiday worthy Cranberry Meatball recipe just in time for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve because these meatballs are the perfect make ahead appetizer that everyone will be begging you for – just like I used to beg my mom to make her famous meatballs growing up.
Cranberry meatball recipe ingredients
ground beef: use lean ground beef so the meatballs will be tender but not greasy. I have not tried these Cranberry Meatballs with ground turkey or chicken but I am sure they would be delicious, just a little less juicy. Whenever I substitute turkey for beef, I like to add some beef bouillon, you can also add a splash of oil as well. crackers: 22 saltine crackers add a fabulous flavor in place of panko or breadcrumbs. I’m sure Ritz crackers would also work well but I haven’t personally tried them. dried minced onion: I love using dried minced onion because they deliver concentrated flavor. You can find dried minced onions with all the other seasonings at your grocery store. eggs: 2 eggs will do the trick to bind all the ingredients together. milk: any kind of milk will work in this Cranberry Meatball recipe. seasonings: ginger, garlic powder, salt and pepper add an oomph of flavor without being overpowering.
Sweet and spicy meatballs sauce
A meatball recipe is only as good as the sauce. And this Cranberry Sauce is crazy delicious. The sweet and spicy Cranberry Sauce is inspired by my blackberry hoisin ginger pork tenderloin sauce. It’s sweet from the cranberry sauce and brown sugar, tangy from the ketchup, complex from the hoisin, grounded by the soy, and spicy from the Buffalo Hot Wings Sauce. Basically, you’ll want to put it on everything!
Sweet and spicy meatballs sauce ingredients
whole cranberry sauce: you can use store-bought or homemade cranberry sauce, but go for the whole cranberry sauce vs cranberry jelly as the jelly contains more pectin and is less fluid. hoisin sauce: is like an Asian BBQ Sauce and can be found in the Asian section of any grocery store. I use it in tons of my Asian recipes, so I promise it will not go to waste! Please use only Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee brands hoisin sauce because they taste 1000X better! ketchup: your favorite will work great. Don’t substitute with other tomato substitutes because they are not as sweet. red wine vinegar: adds a subtle tang. soy sauce: use less sodium soy sauce so the sauce isn’t too salty. brown sugar: enhances the sweetness. seasonings: garlic powder and ground ginger add complex flavor.
How to make Cranberry Jalapeno Meatballs
STEP 1: COMBINE MEATBALL INGREDIENTS
These Cranberry Meatballs mega tender and super easy! I used my mom’s perfect moist meatball recipe that uses crushed saltines instead of breadcrumbs as well as dried minced onion for maximum flavor. Simply add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix with your hands until evenly combined.
STEP 2: ROLL MEATBALLS
Next, roll the meat mixture into balls and place on foil lined baking sheet for easy cleanup. I suggest using a cookie scoop to roll your cranberry meatballs so they are a uniform size and cook evenly.
The size of the meatballs is totally personal preference. The recipe will make approximately 75 meatballs using 1″/1 tablespoon cookie scoop; 35-40 meatballs using 2″/2 tablespoon cookie scoop.
STEP 3: BAKE MEATBALLS
Bake for 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Baking the meatballs ensures they don’t fall apart in the slow cooker and seals in the juices for more tender meatballs. Baking is also much easier in a mass batch to cook instead of frying (and healthier too!).
STEP 4: Combine Sauce Ingredients
The Cranberry Meatball Sauce is super easy to make, simply whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. I suggest starting with 1 tablespoon hot wings sauce and then adding more hot sauce to taste at the end of cooking. Of course, if you know you like spicy, then feel free to add the full 2 tablespoons.
STEP 5: Layer sauce with meatballs
The sweet and spicy sauce gets layered between rows of our lightly browned meatballs in the slow cooker so every meatball can be enveloped by their glory.
How long do cranberry meatballs cook?
Cook Cranberry Meatballs on LOW for 2-4 hours. gently stirring one hour into cooking. The meatballs will cook and seep in the zesty, sweet, tangy, savory, spicy sauce. You can keep the crock pot on the WARM setting until you’re ready to serve.
Cooking sweet and spicy meatballs
Making cranberry meatball recipe in the oven
I would still brown the meatballs in the oven first so they don’t fall apart when cooked. Add sauce and browned/baked meatballs to a large pot and gently simmer over medium low heat for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally.
Can I make Cranberry Meatballs in the Oven?
Yes! Increase the baking time to 15-20 minutes for small meatballs and 20-25 minutes for larger meatballs or until the meatballs are cooked through. Either add the cooked meatballs to the cranberry sauce in the crockpot and keep on the warm setting or add them to a large pot over low heat.
How long do cranberry jalapeño meatballs cook?
The meatballs should first be seared in the oven, then placed on a baking rack placed on top of a baking sheet. Transfer the meatballs to the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 2-4 hours depending on size of meatballs of the meatballs.
Variations for spicy meatball recipe
Part of the deliciousness of this Cranberry Meatball Recipe are the homemade meatballs, but you are welcome to use your favorite store-bought meatballs as well. To make Cranberry Meatballs with store-bought meatballs, you will need one 32 oz. frozen fully cooked home style meatballs.
SLOW COOKER: Add sauce and meatballs to a 6-qt. slow cooker and cook on low 2-3 hours for THAWED meatballs and 6-8 hours for FROZEN meatballs. STOVE TOP: Add sauce and meatballs to a large pot and gently simmer over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes for THAWED meatballs and 30-35 minutes for FROZEN meatballs, stirring occasionally.
Prepping cranberry meatballs in advance
Assemble and bake the meatballs for 8 minutes. Let meatballs cool completely. Gently layer meatballs in slow cooker in between layer of sauce per recipe directions. Remove crockpot ceramic insert with meatballs/sauce and refrigerate, covered. Add an additional 30 minutes to cooking time when ready to make OR cook until meatballs are completely cooked through and sauce is hot. Alternatively, you can bake the meatballs for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked through, then just reheat in the sauce.
Freezing & defrosting this cranberry meatball recipe
You can either freeze your Cranberry Meatballs after baking but before cooking in the slow cooker or once fully cooked in the sauce.
Freezing sweet and spicy meatballs after they are cooked
Let Cranberry Meatballs and Sauce cool completely in the refrigerator before freezing. Transfer to an airtight, freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, let meatballs thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer to a large pot and gently simmer until heated through.
Freezing spicy meatball recipe before they have been cooked
Defrosting cranberry meatballs
When ready to make, cook Cranberry Meatballs either on the stove, crockpot or oven/crockpot:
Looking for more Meatball Recipes?
Honey Buffalo Meatballs Cheesy Italian Meatball Sliders Italian Meatballs Korean Meatballs Parmesan Meatballs Swedish Meatballs
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Sweet and spicy meatball comments and reviews
I just made these for a holiday party this weekend. Wanted to leave feedback…because they were a HUGE HIT! – Niki I have made this recipe so many times for my family and it is a huge hit in our house. It is one of my favorite recipes for the slow cooker. The sauce is amazing!!… – Julia Thank you for this INSANELY delicious recipe! I made these meatballs for New Years and they were gone so fast! – Audrey My mother made these for my 10 y/o son tonight (but w ground chicken) & he loved them so much, he ate about 15 of them (!!!) then got up, hugged her & said thanks for dinner Nani & asked me to make them for him lol… -Audra
