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.
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Best 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:
- Combine ground chuck, chili sauce, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, onion, & salt. (Everything should be blended but don’t over mix)
- Make 1 1/2 inch meatballs & place on baking sheet.
- Cook for 10 minutes at 350°F. Then turn meatballs over and cook another 10-15 minutes.
- (Prepare the sauce while the meatballs are cooking) Combine all sauce ingredients in a skillet over low heat.
- 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.
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!
Be sure to try some of our other favorite meatball recipes:
- Swedish Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Mozzarella Stuffed Italian Meatballs
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs
- Peruvian Chicken Meatballs
- Orange Marmalade Meatballs
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs
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:
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 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.
- Form into 1½ inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Leave at least 1-inch space between meatballs.
- 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.
- *While meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce.
For the Sauce:
- In a large skillet over LOW heat, combine all sauce ingredients. Stir until well blended then remove from heat until the meatballs are ready.
- When meatballs are cooked, place them in the sauce in the skillet and simmer for 1-hour or until sauce has thickened.
- ENJOY!
- *The meatballs and sauce can simmer on HIGH in a slow-cooker for the last hour.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
At first I thought this would just be a variation of the terrific old standby using jelly and tomato based Heinz chili sauce–which has gotten a bit hard to find. We do love cranberry sauce, and I used traditional tomato based chili sauce, whole berry cranberry sauce and hot pepper jelly. I think using a Thai sweet chili sauce in addition to the other sweet ingredients would have made my teeth hurt. I also made my meatballs smaller–i” is a single bite, 1.5″ is 3 bites and increases the risk of dripping. They were absolutely delicious–thanks for an easy and economical winner!
Thanks for sharing, Janet!
Do you use Heinz chili sauce or like Mae Ploy Asian chili sauce? There is a difference and this recipe as well as another one of your meatball recipes do not specify. I really want to make these but I’m going to the store now and am not sure which to buy. 🙁
Honestly, whatever is in stock at the store!
It is good but too sweet. I will omit the brown sugar and use whole cranberry sauce next time.
That sounds like a good idea, Debbie!! I hope that helps!
I have tried many different meatball recipes over the years. I made these last night and they are now my family’s favorite.
Yay! Thanks, Sherry! I’m glad you enjoyed it!!
How many meatballs do you get out of this recipe? Assuming small cocktail sized (1-in round).
I made these for a party today and everyone asked for the recipe.
I thought I didn’t have a lemon so I used white vinegar instead. Also used jalapeño red pepper jelly.
Those sound like great substitutions! I’ll have to give it a try!
It looks really yummy
Just attended a gathering where there were three meatballs. these sweet and spicy cranberry meatballs were by far the best. Thank you for a great keeper recipe.
This literally made my day. Thank you Judi!!
I am confused as to why chili sauce is listed twice in the recipe… one says “sweet chili sauce” and has a link, and then further down it just says “chili sauce”. Am I supposed to use the same chili sauce in both places or am I supposed to get two different chili sauces?
Yes, the sweet chili sauce. Hope you love the recipe!
The meatballs look so delicious! I will try it this tomorrow and see if I can come up with good taste. Thanks for the recipe!
Hope you love them!