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Got cranberry sauce? Use it to make these amazing Cranberry BBQ Meatballs! This easy recipe takes only a few minutes to prep, and you can make your own meatballs from scratch or grab a bag of frozen meatballs from the grocery store. The sweet, tangy cranberry BBQ sauce turns them into a mouthwatering, flavor-popping party appetizer, perfect for holiday parties, football parties, game days, or Christmas Eve… and a great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce!

Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

Quick question for you… Do you buy extra cans of cranberry sauce because you have to have it for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinner and you’re afraid it’ll be sold out when you need it?

I do! Because I absolutely love cranberry sauce and can’t eat cornbread dressing without it.

So at the end of the holiday season, I always have a can or two sitting in my cabinets for a whole year until that time rolls around again. (Anybody else have a can of cranberry sauce from last year hiding in the back of the pantry?)

Until now! Because cranberry sauce is the star of this recipe’s cranberry BBQ sauce, and there are so many occasions to make these meatballs.

Make them for a New Year’s party. Make them for a football party or to watch the Super Bowl. Heck, make them for a potluck, a baby shower, or any other occasion where you need a good appetizer, because any crowd will love them!

You may already have an easy meatball recipe that you love, like the well-loved cocktail meatballs made with grape jelly and chili sauce. But these are even better (if that’s possible!)… all because they’re made with cranberry sauce!

Cranberry BBQ Meatballs for Dinner?

These meatballs are perfect for a party appetizer, but you can easily turn them into an easy dinner!

My kids love sliders and small sandwiches like this for supper, so I’m certain this would be a big hit at our house. Add a green salad or some fries and they’d be all set!

Look!! These homemade meatballs would also be perfect in these Hawaiian Rolls Meatball Sliders.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It uses up leftover cranberry sauce. That extra can of cranberry sauce you bought “just in case” finally has a job! It melts into a sweet and tangy sauce that tastes like the holidays in the best way.

It only takes minutes of prep time. You can mix the meatballs in one large bowl in about 10-15 minutes, then let the oven do the rest while you make the sauce.

It works so many different ways. You can make your own homemade meatballs or use store-bought ones, bake them, keep them warm in a crock pot, and serve them as a party appetizer or main dish. It’s a great recipe to have in your back pocket for holiday gatherings and game days all year long!

Ingredients for Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

This recipe only uses simple ingredients, and I imagine most of you already have them in your pantry… especially following the holidays!

Meatball Ingredients

Extra lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
Mild country sausage
Quick oats (or bread crumbs)
Onion – see how to dice onion here
Egg
Evaporated milk
Salt
Ground black pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder

Cranberry BBQ Sauce Ingredients

Jellied cranberry sauce (or whole cranberry sauce, or homemade cranberry sauce if you like)
Chili sauce
Brown sugar

Find the full recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.

Substitutions

Meatballs. For this recipe, we’re going to make the meatballs fresh and from scratch. My meatball ingredients include ground pork sausage, ground beef, onion, garlic, oats, and some seasonings. They’re seasoned simply (no Italian herbs as you’d find in a lot of Italian recipes) so the cranberry flavor really shines. I 100% suggest making them from scratch for the very best flavor and texture, but you can absolutely use frozen meatballs when you’re short on time. (See the frozen meatball instructions below!)

Turkey Meatballs. Turkey meatballs are often dry and bland, but you can still make these with turkey if you’d like. I recommend subbing in ground turkey for the ground beef and ground turkey sausage for the pork sausage. Results may vary depending on the sausage’s fat content and flavor. Or, to make it super easy, buy pre-made frozen turkey meatballs!

Cranberry Sauce. I always buy the jellied cranberry sauce, but whole cranberry sauce works too… your BBQ sauce will just be a little chunkier than mine! Homemade cranberry sauce made with fresh cranberries is delicious here, too. A really tart cranberry sauce might need an extra spoonful of brown sugar.

Chili Sauce. Not familiar with it? Chili sauce is sort of like spicy ketchup (maybe?), but it’s not a hot or spicy sauce at all. You’ll find it at the grocery store on the same aisle as other condiments, usually near the ketchup.

How to Make Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

Okay… let me show you how to make these delicious meatballs. They may seem complicated, but the prep time is really only 10-15 minutes!

Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a large nonstick baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. (See my favorite baking sheets here!)
Dice the onion. Dice up your onion nice and small so it blends right into the meatballs.
Mix the meat mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, sausage, quick oats, diced onion, egg, evaporated milk, and seasonings. I like to mix the meat by hand (use food prep gloves if you like), or you can use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer (my Bosch is great for this!). Mix just until everything is combined.

Shape the meatballs. Shape the meat mixture into 1 ½ inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Tip: A large cookie scoop makes this step so much easier! You may still need to shape some by hand, but it’s easier to get a uniform size when you start with a scoop.
Bake the meatballs. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350°F until browned and cooked through.

Make the cranberry BBQ sauce. While the meatballs are baking, stir together the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sauce simmers.
Simmer the sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Sauce the meatballs. When the meatballs finish baking, remove them from the baking sheet and arrange them in a 9×13-inch glass baking dish. Spoon or pour the BBQ sauce over the meatballs and stir to make sure they’re fully coated.

Bake again. Bake the meatballs at 350°F for another 10-15 minutes.

BAM – they’re ready to eat and gosh, they’re so good!

Using Frozen Meatballs

In a hurry? Skip the from-scratch part and use frozen meatballs instead. Store-bought meatballs make this the easiest appetizer ever, and nobody will complain once they taste that sauce!

Bake the frozen meatballs at 350°F for 20 minutes, then skip down to making the cranberry BBQ sauce and follow the recipe from there.

Cranberry BBQ Crockpot Meatballs

For a party, some of you might want to put the meatballs in a slow cooker… and this totally works! It’s my favorite way to keep party meatballs warm for a crowd.

Bake the meatballs and make the sauce, then transfer them to a crock pot instead of a glass baking dish. Pour the cranberry barbecue sauce over the meatballs, cook on low for 1 hour, then keep them on the warm setting until it’s time to eat.

Want to turn this into a true slow cooker meatballs recipe with frozen meatballs? Put the frozen meatballs straight into the crock pot, pour the sauce over the top, and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for about 2 hours, until they’re heated all the way through. Stir them once or twice along the way so every meatball gets coated.

Pro Tips

Use a cookie scoop so all your meatballs are the same size. Uniform meatballs cook evenly, so you won’t end up with some done and some not.
Don’t overmix the meat mixture or your meatballs can turn out tough. Mix just until everything comes together.
The extra lean meat keeps the grease down, while the sausage adds plenty of flavor, so you get the best of both.
Stir the sauce often while it simmers so the brown sugar doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pan.
Make small meatballs (about 1 inch) for cocktail meatballs on toothpicks, and shorten the first bake by a few minutes.

Variations

There are so many different ways to switch up this recipe! Here are a few fun ideas:

Orange cranberry: Stir in a splash of orange juice or a teaspoon of orange zest for a bright citrus twist.
Extra tangy: Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to balance the sweetness.
Savory: Add a splash of soy sauce for a deeper, savory flavor.
A little heat: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce for a spicy sauce.
BBQ lovers: Swap the chili sauce for your favorite barbecue sauce.
Classic combo: Use half cranberry sauce and half grape jelly for a mix of both old-school party meatball flavors.

Serving Suggestions

As a party appetizer: Pile them on a platter or leave them in the crock pot with a cup of toothpicks nearby. They’re a delicious appetizer recipe for holiday parties, baby showers, and game days.
As sliders: Tuck them into small Hawaiian rolls for little meatball sandwiches.
As a main dish: Serve them over rice or mashed potatoes with a green salad or some fries for an easy dinner.
With other appetizer recipes: They’re right at home next to a cheese tray, veggies and dip, or pigs in a blanket on a holiday appetizer spread.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, in a covered dish in a 350°F oven until warmed through, or in the crock pot on low.

These also make great freezer meals! Let the sauced meatballs cool completely, then freeze them in a freezer-safe airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat.

FAQ

Can I use whole cranberry sauce instead of jellied?

Absolutely! Whole cranberry sauce works great. Your sauce will just be a little chunkier.

Can I use bread crumbs instead of oats?

Yes! Swap in the same amount of plain bread crumbs. The oats keep the meatballs tender, but bread crumbs do the same job.

Can I make cranberry BBQ meatballs ahead of time?

Yes, and that’s one of my favorite things about them. Bake the meatballs and make the sauce up to a day ahead, store them separately in the fridge, then combine and bake (or warm in the slow cooker) right before the party.

Can I make the sauce with homemade cranberry sauce?

Of course! Making homemade cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries in a large pot on the stove is a wonderful way to use up any extra holiday berries. Use about the same amount as a can of cranberry sauce.

How many meatballs should I plan per person?

For a party appetizer, plan on about 3-4 meatballs per person. For a main dish, plan on 6-8 per person.

Are these meatballs spicy?

Not at all. Chili sauce sounds spicy, but it’s really more like a tangy, slightly zippy ketchup. Kids usually love them!

Make These Your New Holiday Favorite

These Cranberry BBQ Meatballs are one of those simple recipes that disappear fast at every party, and I love that they finally give that extra can of cranberry sauce a purpose! Make them from scratch or from frozen, in the oven or the crock pot… whatever works best for your crowd. I hope they become a holiday favorite at your house too!

More Appetizer Recipes…

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