Last updated on November 4th, 2018 at 06:11 pm
Whip up these delicious classic Cranberry Meatballs for the upcoming holidays. Completely homemade, super simple and bursting with savory-sweet flavor!
Ah meatballs! I can never get enough of eating or making meatballs. So you better believe it that I’m never going to stop making new meatball recipes and sharing them with you, because simply put, meatballs.
Meatballs are the best, they’re versatile, and great in or on anything. But meatballs are also the perfect appetizer, especially for the holidays. And this meatball recipe with this incredible cranberry sauce, which I have made completely from scratch, is out of this world.
Not only do these meatballs look spectacular, but they taste utterly delicious. Sweet and tangy and saucy enough, these meatballs melt in your mouth. Always a crowd pleaser, nobody will turn these meatballs down.
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If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
Cranberry Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 small onion grated or finely chopped
- 1 1/2 lb ground pork extra lean
- 1 cup breadcrumbs such as Panko
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup parsley fresh, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
Sauce
- 2 cups cranberry sauce homemade or store bought
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 tbsp brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine all the meatball ingredients together and mix well.
- Wet your hands and form the mixture into medium size meatballs. You should end up with about 32 meatballs. Watch the video to see how to use a small ice cream scoop to make the meatballs.
- Transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160 F degrees.
- While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet add all the sauce ingredients, stir and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Turn down the heat and stir in the meatballs. Cook until heated through.
- Garnish with parsley if preferred and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Recipe yields 32 meatballs or 4 per serving.
- I made my own cranberry sauce, you can find the recipe here or you can use store bought jellied cranberry sauce.
- To freeze the meatballs, let them cool completely at room temperature. Transfer them to a freezer safe container and place them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Freeze sauce separately in an air-tight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag and can last for a few months.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.
- Nutrition: Nutritional information is for 4 meatballs plus cranberry sauce. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition
I made this for Christmas day. It was so easy to make and was delicious. Everyone loved it. This will be a go to recipe for me for years to come.
Do you think it would be ok to use beef or turkey rather than the pork. Not a fan of ground pork, but the seasonings and sauce sound delicious.
You absolutely can. These are nice and saucy so you don’t have to worry about them being dry if you use leaner meats.
Folks at our joint Thanksgiving Day meal loved the meatballs. Great appetizer, and addition to the sit-down dinner. Thanks again Jo for excellent accouterment.
That’s so great to hear. Happy Thanksgiving!
Easy to make and turned out absolutely delicious
These ARE delicious! I used a little less cranberry sauce in the sauce and the meatballs to reduce the sugar content. YUMMY! I also added hot sauce for a spicy addition! Loved using the ground pork as pork is now so lean. I am planning o make these again with ground turkey as a variation.
So happy you enjoyed these!
Hi I am looking forward trying these. On my schedule to make next weekend.
Dish looks delecious and excellent presentation!