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4.5 from 89 votes

Cranberry Meatballs

Jump to RecipeVideoPrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •10/23/22 11 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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

Cranberry Meatballs in a yellow skillet
Table of Contents Open
  • Ingredients
    • Meatballs
    • Cranberry sauce
  • Not A Fan Of Pork?
  • How To Make Cranberry Meatballs
  • Expert Tips
  • Storing Leftovers
  • More Delicious Meatball Recipes To Try:
  • Cranberry Meatballs
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Equipment
    • Video
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

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.

Cranberry Meatballs process shots

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
Cranberry Meatballs

How To Make Cranberry Meatballs

  1. Preheat your oven: To 350 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Combine the meatballs: In a large bowl combine all the meatball ingredients together and mix well.
  3. 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.
  4. Bake: Transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160 F degrees.
  5. 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.
  6. Finish: Garnish with parsley if preferred and serve warm.

Expert Tips

  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.
Cranberry Meatballs

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
  • Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
  • Swedish Meatballs
  • Crockpot Sweet and  Tangy Asian Meatballs
  • Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

side view shot of cranberry meatballs
Print
4.48 from 89 votes

Cranberry Meatballs

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 45 minutes
Rate Recipe
Whip up these delicious classic Cranberry Meatballs for the upcoming holidays. Completely homemade, super simple and bursting with savory-sweet flavor!
8

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
  • ⅓ 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)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

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.

Equipment

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

Video

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%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

side view shot of cranberry meatballs

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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11 Comments
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Sarah
Sarah
Posted: 3 years ago

5 stars
So delicious. I’ve made these for parties a couple times. Always a crowd-pleaser.

0
Reply
Christina
Christina
Posted: 4 years ago

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.

0
Reply
Vicki
Vicki
Posted: 4 years ago

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.

0
Reply
Nicole Beaulieu
Nicole Beaulieu
Reply to  Vicki
Posted: 4 years ago

You absolutely can. These are nice and saucy so you don’t have to worry about them being dry if you use leaner meats.

0
Reply
George Baker
George Baker
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
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.

0
Reply
Nicole Beaulieu
Nicole Beaulieu
Reply to  George Baker
Posted: 4 years ago

That’s so great to hear. Happy Thanksgiving!

0
Reply
Sherry
Sherry
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Easy to make and turned out absolutely delicious

0
Reply
RoRo Wright
RoRo Wright
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
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.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  RoRo Wright
Posted: 4 years ago

So happy you enjoyed these!

0
Reply
Rachel
Rachel
Posted: 4 years ago

Hi I am looking forward trying these. On my schedule to make next weekend.

0
Reply
Punam Paul
Punam Paul
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Dish looks delecious and excellent presentation!

0
Reply

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Hey there!

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More
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Subscribe

Get our FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

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