Cranberry Meatballs

Cranberry Meatballs prove cranberry sauce isn’t just for the holidays.

If you’re ever in need of a quick appetizer, there’s nothing easier than making BBQ Meatballs! They’re always a crowd favorite and such an easy dish to throw together. Sometimes though, I want to change it up a bit. That’s when this recipe comes in handy. Every time I make them I get rave reviews. We won’t tell anyone it only takes 20 minutes from start to finish to bring these bad boys together.

Making Cranberry Meatballs

I usually make meatballs from scratch – these Turkey Meatballs work great – but I’m certainly not opposed to buying them frozen. Sometimes you just need a little life hack, ya know?

Once you have your meatballs all you need to do is make the cranberry barbecue sauce. Combine the cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, and spices in a skillet and bring to a boil. Once the sauce has reached a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, add the meatballs, and cook until heated through, about 10-15 minutes. That’s all folks. See how easy that was? Serve them up at your next party and don’t forget the toothpicks.

Cranberry Meatballs

Contributor: Jamie Silva

Cranberry Meatballs prove cranberry sauce isn’t just for the holidays.

• Author: Jamie Silva
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 55 meatballs 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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Ingredients

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• 1 bag (32 oz.) store-bought frozen meatballs (or homemade)
• 1 can (14 oz.) cranberry sauce
• 1 cup store-bought barbecue sauce (or my homemade barbecue sauce in this BBQ Meatball recipe)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

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Instructions

1. Make meatballs according to the package instructions (or according to a recipe like this one).
2. In a skillet, add the cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Add meatballs and simmer, uncovered, until heated through, about 10-15 minutes.

This post originally appeared in January 2018 and was revised and republished in January 2021.