Easy 3-Ingredient Cranberry Meatballs are tender and slow cooked in a tangy cranberry and barbecue sauce. Just dump the ingredients into your crockpot and heat!
In a medium saucepan combine cranberries, sugar, bourbon, water and zest. Push two cloves into each half of the orange and push down into the cranberry mixture.
Stir over medium heat until cranberries start to burst, about 10 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer for about another 10 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick and orange halves. May be made up to 5 days ahead of time, cooled completely and refrigerated in an airtight container.
Cranberry Meatballs
Mix together cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce and if using Worcestershire sauce in the bottom of a 6 quart or larger crockpot. Stir in frozen meatballs making sure to coat well.
Cover and cook: LOW 3-4 hours HIGH 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Garnish with fresh cut parsley or chives, serve hot. See below for how to make on stovetop or oven.
Notes
Stovetop Cranberry Meatballs | Pour all sauce ingredients into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch Oven. Stir and add frozen meatballs, stir to coat. Heat low heat between 25 to 30 minutes to heat the meatballs all the way through. Stirring occasionally.Oven-Baked Cranberry Meatballs | Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Stir all sauce ingredients in an oven-safe pot or 9x13-inch casserole dish. Stir and add frozen meatballs, stir to coat. Cover meatballs with foil or lid, baking for 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs are heated through. Larger meatballs may take longer to heat.Variations & Substitutions
Spicy Cranberry Meatballs | For Christmas meatballs with cranberry chili sauce, replace the BBQ sauce with the same amount of chili sauce.
Swap Out the Cranberry Sauce | To change it up, use a good preserve instead of cranberry sauce. Try grape, strawberry, raspberry, or your favorite flavor of jelly. Orange marmalade would also be delicious. Also while I prefer whole cranberry sauce to the jellied cranberry sauce it can also be used.
Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs | Add 1-2 minced jalapeño's for a nice kick! Or try a few shakes of red pepper flakes or ¼ cup of chili sauce to the recipe for a little more spice.
Storage TipsRefrigerate | Store cooled, leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.Freezer | These cranberry and barbecue meatballs freeze beautifully. Cool completely placing in an airtight container or baggie, up to three months.Reheat | Thaw overnight in fridge, rewarm in microwave, oven (350 covered for 25 minutes), stovetop (over low heat, until warmed through) or crockpot, adding a little water if needed.