Everyone LOVES meatball appetizers. This Cranberry Meatballs Recipe is perfect for any party and people will come back for seconds and thirds. The flavorful sauce is made with a handful of ingredients like cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice.

You can never go wrong with cranberry meatballs as a party appetizer! These couldn’t be easier to make, and the sweet and tangy sauce comes together with just a few ingredients like cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice.

BEST TYPE OF GROUND BEEF FOR CRANBERRY MEATBALLS

When making when making these meatballs, I recommend using slightly leaner beef so the meatballs don’t add a lot of grease to the sauce. Typically, we like to use beef for this recipe that’s either 85/15 or 90/10.

HOW TO USE MEATBALLS

There are so many different ways to use these meatballs! I often make a double batch so that I have extra meatballs to use for other meals. Here are some ideas for future meals:

Appetizer: Serve on a platter with toothpicks and sauce on the side for dipping. There are endless sauces to serve with like chimichurri sauce or this teriyaki sauce.
Pasta: Serve over spaghetti
Lasagna: Cut up meatballs and add them to marinara before layering with noodels and cheese
Sandwiches: Spook your meatballs into Italian hoagie rolls, top with mozzarella, broil until cheese is melted for a delicious Meatball sandwich

Cranberry Meatball Appetizer

Clover Meadows Beef

Everyone LOVES meatball appetizers. This Cranberry Meatball Appetizer is perfect for any party and people will come back for seconds and thirds.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Ingredients

For the meatballs

2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

For the sauce

1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce 14 ounces
1 bottle chili sauce 12 ounces
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° degrees. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on baking sheet; set aside.
Combine the meatball ingredients. Shape into 1-in. balls.Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 20 minutes. An instant read thermometer should read 160 °F.
Transfer meatballs to a 3-qt. slow cooker or chafing dish.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over meatballs. Serve warm.

OTHER FAVORITE APPETIZER RECIPES:

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Nice to Meet You!

We're Matt & Jessica, fifth-generation cattle farmers & the owners of Clover Meadows Beef. Good food starts with knowing where it comes from. On our blog, you'll find easy beef recipes, cooking tips, stories of how we raise our cattle, and how to buy farm-fresh beef locally. Our goal is to make cooking beef easy so you feel confident cooking any cut of beef in your home kitchen.