Inside: These ridiculously easy cranberry BBQ meatballs are made a handful of easy “dump and go” ingredients. Throw them all in a crockpot and have them ready to go for your next baby shower, potluck or party.
These meatballs are saucy, sweet, a little tangy, and totally addictive. The perfect easy appetizer to bring to baby shower, potluck or party!
Cranberry sauce and barbecue might sound like a weird combo at first, but once you try it, you get it.
The cranberry adds that subtle fruitiness that balances out the smoky BBQ flavor, and a splash of vinegar and Worcestershire ties it all together.
Plus, you don’t have to thaw the meatballs or brown anything. It’s literally a dump, stir, and go situation.
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Crockpot Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
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It seriously doesn’t get any easier than this.
If you have a programmable crockpot that shuts off and keeps warm after the prerequisite time, even better.
Bring these to your next event, and get ready for people to beg you for the recipe.
You don’t even need to remove them from the crockpot, in my opinion. Just remove the lid and keep the crockpot on “keep warm”.
Don’t forget the toothpicks!
P.S. While this is technically an appetizer, you could also serve these for dinner with rice or mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. YUM!
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Ingredients include…
Frozen Appetizer-Sized Meatballs
The star of the show, this recipe calls for a package with about 45 meatballs.
If you have a bigger crockpot, you could double the recipe.
BBQ Sauce
I’m partial to Sweet Baby Ray’s, but you can use whatever your go-to or on sale BBQ sauce is.
Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Oceanspray is good, but you could probably get away with store brand.
Apple Cider Vinegar + Worcestershire Sauce
These two together balance the rest of the ingredients for the perfect tangy sweet combo!
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Crockpot Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 Crockpot
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Spoon or Spatula
- Toothpicks for Serving
- Serving Platter (Optional) If you really really want to do more dishes…
Ingredients
- 1 Package Frozen Appetizer-Size Meatballs (About 45 Meatballs)
- 1 Cup Favorite BBQ Sauce
- 3/4 Cups Jellied Cranberry Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- Fresh Parsley, Minced (Optional for Garnish)
Instructions
- Add the meatballs to the crockpot. You don’t even need to thaw them. Just open the bag and pour them right in.
- Mix the sauce. In a small bowl (or directly in the crockpot) stir together the BBQ sauce, cranberry sauce, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce until everything is well combined.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Use a spatula or spoon to gently stir and coat the meatballs with that delicious cranberry BBQ mixture.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. You’ll know they’re ready when the sauce is bubbly and the meatballs are hot all the way through.
- Stir once more before serving. If you want to make it look fancy, sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley over the top for color.
Notes
- If you’re prepping ahead for a party or dinner, you can mix the sauce ingredients in a jar or airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- You can also assemble everything in the Crockpot insert and keep it in the fridge (covered) overnight, just pop it into the base in the morning and let it cook.
- The “keep warm” setting is your best friend here. Once cooked, these meatballs will stay warm and ready to serve for hours, just give them a little stir now and then so the sauce stays evenly distributed.
- Spicy twist: Add a few dashes of hot sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a bit of heat.
- Homemade meatballs: You can use homemade meatballs if you’ve got some on hand, just make sure they’re fully cooked before adding to the Crockpot.
- No cranberry? If you’re out of jellied cranberry sauce, you can sub in a cranberry jelly or even whole cranberry sauce. It’ll change the texture a little, but still taste great.
- Add some tang: A spoonful of Dijon mustard adds another layer of flavor if you want to experiment.
Owner of Growing Serendipity, June could talk to you all day about homeschooling, parenting, and minimalism, which she does at This Simple Balance. When she’s not homeschooling, decluttering, or blogging, she loves to enjoy perfect silence while sipping a hot cup of coffee and thinking uninterrupted thoughts—which, of course, with five kids, doesn’t happen very often.