This sweet and tangy cranberry meatball recipe is a great appetizer that uses up leftover or canned cranberry sauce. This easy recipe is made in the crockpot or slow cooker with frozen meatballs, bbq and chili sauce. Ready in about 3 hours.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time4 hourshrs
Total Time4 hourshrs5 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: appetizers, cocktail meatballs, party food
32ozpkg pre-cooked frozen cocktail meatballs, or homemade about 60 meatballs that are .5 oz each
1 to 2cupsleftover cranberry sauce or 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
12ozjar chili sauce
1cupbbq sauce
8ozcan crushed pineappleundrained or 1 cup fresh, chopped
Instructions
Spray the slow cooker insert with cooking spray. Toss frozen meatballs in.
Combine cranberry sauce, chili sauce, bbq sauce, and pineapple together. Pour over meatballs.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Garnish with sliced green onions or chopped parsley. Serve with toothpicks as an appetizer or over rice or pasta as a main dish.
Notes
This cranberry meatball recipe is versatile. No cranberry sauce? No problem. A small jar (12-20 ounces) of grape, strawberry, or (seedless) raspberry jam, will make a great substitute.
A spicy BBQ sauce will give this dish the most tang. However, you can use your favorite even if it’s more on the sweet side.
Crushed pineapple is optional, but I like the added sweetness it gives the dish. You can use ¼ cup brown sugar instead.
Add some water to the crockpot if the sauce is getting too thick. Start with about ⅛ of a cup and add more as necessary.