Cranberry Meatballs

Whip up these delicious classic Cranberry Meatballs for the upcoming holidays. Completely homemade, super simple and bursting with savory-sweet flavor!

Cranberry Meatballs

Ah meatballs! I can never get enough of eating or making meatballs. They’re full of flavor, easy to whip up, and served to you in a tiny little morsel. 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.

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 In Cranberry Meatballs

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.

Tips For Making The Best Cranberry Meatballs

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. If you’re still having trouble with your meatballs, try referencing this page to trouble shoot what exactly is going wrong.

What Can I Serve Cranberry Meatballs With?

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 Leftover Cranberry Meatballs

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.

Can I Freeze My Meatballs?

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
• Chimichurri Meatballs
• Sweet and Spicy Korean Meatballs
• Sweet Potato Turkey Meatballs
• Crockpot Sweet and  Tangy Asian Meatballs
• Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

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Cranberry Meatballs

4.65 from 39 votes

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 45 mins

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Serves: 8

Print Pin Rate

Whip up these delicious classic Cranberry Meatballs for the upcoming holidays. Completely homemade, super simple and bursting with savory-sweet flavor!

Equipment

• Aluminum Baking Sheet (2 pack)
• Parchment Paper
• Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3 piece)
• 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet

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

US Customary - Metric

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

1. Recipe yields 32 meatballs or 4 per serving.
2. I made my own cranberry sauce, you can find the recipe here or you can use store bought jellied cranberry sauce.
3. 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. 
4. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.
5. 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 Information:

Serving: 4meatballsCalories: 470kcal (24%)Carbohydrates: 53g (18%)Protein: 18g (36%)Fat: 20g (31%)Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)Cholesterol: 107mg (36%)Sodium: 736mg (32%)Potassium: 495mg (14%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 41g (46%)Vitamin A: 460IU (9%)Vitamin C: 8.1mg (10%)Calcium: 66mg (7%)Iron: 2.3mg (13%)

Course:Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine:American

Keyword:cranberry meatballs, cranberry meatballs recipe, meatballs with cranberry sauce

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