3-Ingredient Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
These easy, 3-ingredient Cranberry BBQ Meatballs are the perfect holiday appetizer! Your choice of frozen meatballs come together with a can of cranberry sauce and your favorite barbecue sauce for a sweet, sticky meatball recipe that would also work well over rice for dinner over the festive season. Even better? You can make them in the slow cooker or on the stovetop to suit your schedule!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- With your choice of tender meatball, coated in a sweet, savory, sticky glaze everyone will want the recipe. Which is totally fine, but you’ll then have to admit how easy they were to make!!
- These Cranberry BBQ Meatballs are the very definition of a dump-and-set appetizer. With just 3 ingredients they’re the perfect low-stress appetizer for the holidays. Pair them with other appetizers like Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms and this Cranberry Jalapeño Dip, plus a seasonal cocktail and you’ll be ready to get the party started!
- You don’t have to thaw the meatballs before making this recipe, making the stovetop version perfect for last-minute guests!
- Cranberry is a classic holiday flavor, but these meatballs will work for other occasions like Game Day or pot-lucks where you have the facility to keep them warm (they transport really well in the slow cooker!)
Chef’s Tips
- Frozen beef, turkey and chicken meatballs all work well in this recipe, and you can make them vegetarian or vegan-friendly by choosing your favorite brand of meatless meatballs. You can also make them gluten-free by choosing a gluten-free brand, and making sure that your bbq sauce is also compliant.
- Choose a spicy bbq sauce to add a bit of heat to these crockpot cranberry meatballs.
More Easy Holiday Recipes
- Easy Glazed Cranberry Cheesecake Recipe
- Sweet Potato Crunch Casserole Recipe
- Easy Southern Sweet Potato Cobbler
- Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe (Bone-In)
- Easy Crockpot Corn Casserole (with Creamed Corn)
- Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Honey Bun Cake Recipe
Sticky Cranberry BBQ Meatball Appetizer
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen fully cooked meatballs (approx 28 ounces, beef, turkey, or chicken)
- 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce (14 ounces)
- 1 bottle barbecue sauce (18 ounces)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce until smooth.
- Place frozen meatballs in a large saucepan. Pour sauce mixture over the top and stir to coat.
- Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, on medium-low for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Notes
Recipe costs provided are approximate. Actual cost per recipe & serving will vary by location, store, brand, etc. Approximate cost shown does not include costs for any optional ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used. To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
