Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Meatballs Recipe (Cranberry Meatballs)

COCKTAIL MEATBALLS are the best holiday appetizer! These sweet and spicy Cranberry Meatballs are cooked in a cranberry pepper jelly sauce, which gives them the perfect kick of flavor. These cranberry sauce meatballs are just so delicious! The best Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years Eve appetizer without a doubt.

Cocktail Meatballs Recipe

Cocktail Meatballs are a must for any holiday party. These delicious Cranberry Meatballs are perfectly sweet and spicy, and so delicious!

Holiday appetizers are MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE TYPE OF FOOD ON THIS EARTH, so this amazing cocktail meatballs recipe is ideal. You guys know I just love my dips, appetizers, and any type of finger food. And Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are the absolute best time to try out new appetizer recipes. There are so many parties with family and friends, and delicious shareable foods are a must!

These Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Meatballs are my new favorite appetizer. They have so much flavor, they are super easy to make, and of course they are ultra delicious. YUM! Mom came over and made me some of these meatballs and I just could not get enough. So I knew I had to share the recipe with all of you!

These Cranberry Sauce Meatballs are a real winner, so buckle up, prepare your holiday grocery list, and get excited for COCKTAIL MEATBALLS!

These Cranberry Meatballs are the perfect holiday appetizer. Every party needs a cocktail meatball recipe, so add these to your party plate!

Cranberry Meatballs

I’ve always loved pepper jelly, and it adds just enough zip to these Cranberry Meatballs. They don’t have a strong cranberry taste, but it’s just the right amount. Just enough spice and just enough sweetness. These cocktail meatballs are sure to please anyone and everyone at your holiday party! I’m already getting excited just thinking about all of the food!

How to Make Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs

Lucky for you (and for me), these cranberry meatballs are super easy to make. An easy cocktail meatball recipe? What more could you ask for during the holidays?

How to Make Cranberry Meatballs:

1. Combine ground chuck, chili sauce, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, onion, & salt. (Everything should be blended but don’t over mix)
2. Make 1 1/2 inch meatballs & place on baking sheet.
3. Cook for 10 minutes at 350°F. Then turn meatballs over and cook another 10-15 minutes.
4. (Prepare the sauce while the meatballs are cooking) Combine all sauce ingredients in a skillet over low heat.
5. Once meatballs are cooked, place them in the skillet with the sauce and let them simmer for 1 hour.

You can let the cocktail meatballs simmer in the sauce in a slow cooker if you prefer! This is a great option if you’d like to prepare them ahead of time, then let them simmer just before the party.

Recommended Products to make Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs

What is the best sauce for meatballs?

This cocktail meatballs recipe is extra delicious thanks to the amazing sauce. We made a sweet and spicy cranberry sauce to cook these meatballs in, and it is so perfect for holiday parties!

Best New Year’s Eve Cocktail Meatballs Recipe

If your’e having a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or NYE party this year, this cocktail meatballs recipe is simply an absolute must. You can’t have a holiday get together without meatballs! It’s the American way! These sweet and spicy cranberry meatballs are just a great flavor combo for Fall/Winter, and I hope you love them as much as we do. I know they’ll be on our holiday table…for a few minutes at least. These don’t last very long around Pat!

See the recipe card below for details on how to make Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs. Enjoy!

If you like these cranberry meatballs, try some of our other favorite cocktail meatball recipes:

• Swedish Meatballs
• Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
• Mozzarella Stuffed Italian Meatballs
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs
• Peruvian Chicken Meatballs
• Orange Marmalade Meatballs

3 from 11 votes

Print

Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time

1 hr 50 mins

 

COCKTAIL MEATBALLS are the best holiday appetizer! These sweet and spicy Cranberry Meatballs are cooked in a cranberry pepper jelly sauce, which gives them the perfect kick of flavor. These cranberry sauce meatballs are just so delicious! The best Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years Eve appetizer without a doubt.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry meatballs, meatballs

Servings: 4

Calories: 761 kcal

Author: Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 2 lbs. ground chuck
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons Sweet Chili Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced onion opt.
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Cranberry Pepper Jelly Sauce:

• 10 oz. jar Hot Pepper Jelly
• 12 oz. jar Chili Sauce
• 8 oz. can Jellied Cranberry Sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• juice from ½ lemon

Instructions

For the Meatballs:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine ground chuck, breadcrumbs, eggs, chili sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, onion and salt. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated but do not overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be tough.
3. Form into 1½ inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Leave at least 1-inch space between meatballs.
4. Cook at 350F for 10 minutes then turn each meatball over. Cook another 10-15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Remove from oven.
5. *While meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce.

For the Sauce:

1. In a large skillet over LOW heat, combine all sauce ingredients. Stir until well blended then remove from heat until the meatballs are ready.
2. When meatballs are cooked, place them in the sauce in the skillet and simmer for 1-hour or until sauce has thickened.
3. ENJOY!
4. *The meatballs and sauce can simmer on HIGH in a slow-cooker for the last hour.

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 761 Calories from Fat 432

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 48g 74%

Saturated Fat 18g 90%

Cholesterol 242mg 81%

Sodium 841mg 35%

Potassium 763mg 22%

Total Carbohydrates 31g 10%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 12g

Protein 45g 90%

Vitamin A 2.4%

Vitamin C 1.3%

Calcium 11.7%

Iron 36.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.