Whip up these delicious classic Cranberry Meatballs for the upcoming holidays. Completely homemade, super simple and bursting with savory-sweet flavor!
Oh meatballs, what more can really be said about them? I mean they’re delicious and I’m a big fan of them, as you can tell by my many meatball recipes here on the blog. But don’t take my word for it – try these out! Believe me you won’t regret it.
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.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- Meat – We want regular ground pork for this recipe for lots of flavor and moisture.
- Breadcrumbs – I used panko but you can substitute it for any breadcrumbs you have on hand.
- Egg – The binder in our meatballs. If you’re egg free you can use 1/4 cup of ricotta per egg.
- Seasoning – Just salt and pepper today.
- Onion – 1 small onion grated up to ensure moisture and flavor in every single bite.
- Sauce – Worcestershire sauce and ketchup are important flavor additions to our meatballs.
- Parsley – Chopped up fine and sprinkled liberally.
Cranberry sauce
- Cranberry sauce – You can feel free to use store bought if you’d like, but the best option out there will always be my recipe found right here on the blog.
- Ketchup – A little sweet, a little tang, some acidity, trust me just a dollop will do.
- Sugar – We’re using brown sugar today to give us a bit of a complex syrupy feel.
- Lemon juice – Fresh is always best, so pick up some lemons the next time you’re out – they’re good just to keep on hand!
Not A Fan Of Pork?
Well you don’t have to use pork if you’d prefer not to! Here’s some perfectly palatable substitutions.
- Ground beef
- Veal
- Ground lamb
How To Make Cranberry Meatballs
- Preheat your oven: To 350 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine the meatballs: In a large bowl combine all the meatball ingredients together and mix well.
- Form the meatballs: 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.
- Bake: Transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160 F degrees.
- Create the sauce: 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.
- Finish: Garnish with parsley if preferred and serve warm.
Expert Tips
- If you find your meatballs are a bit dry, try cubing up some bread nice and small and soaking in a bit of milk before incorporating into the meatballs. This is a traditionally Italian way of ensuring moisture.
- If you still have crumbling issues, it could be an issue with the binders. So either not enough egg or too much breadcrumbs. If your eggs are too small, add another egg, that should help bind the meatballs better.
How To Serve
I mean it’s a crowd pleaser so if you’re making it for friends and family, pair it with some of your favorite finger foods! Here are some to get you inspired:
- Potato Croquettes
- Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
- Skillet Pizza Dip
- Chimichurri Steak Quesadillas
- Parmesan Chicken Strips
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.
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.
More Delicious Meatball Recipes To Try:
- Pomegranate Cocktail Meatballs
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs
- Porcupine Meatballs
- Stout Meatballs
- Swedish Meatballs
- Crockpot Sweet and Tangy Asian Meatballs
- Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
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Cranberry Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 small onion grated or finely chopped
- 1 ½ pound ground pork extra lean
- 1 cup breadcrumbs such as Panko
- 2 large eggs
- â…“ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup parsley fresh, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
Sauce
- 2 cups cranberry sauce homemade or store bought
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon 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
Recipe 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.
So delicious. I’ve made these for parties a couple times. Always a crowd-pleaser.
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!