These Cranberry Slow Cooker Meatballs are a sweet and tart holiday appetizer made with just four ingredients: frozen meatballs, jellied cranberry sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar.
Everything goes into the slow cooker together, and a few hours later you have a pot of glossy, saucy meatballs ready for the buffet table. They're hearty enough to hold everyone over until dinner, and they disappear fast at holiday parties.
I make these every year from Thanksgiving through New Year's, and they're usually the first thing I think of when someone asks me to bring an appetizer.
About five minutes of stirring is all it takes. Then I can get dressed, set the table, or work on the rest of the menu while they heat up. When it's time to leave, I unplug the slow cooker and carry it straight to the party.
What I love most is the flavor. These are a holiday twist on my classic Grape Jelly Meatballs, with jellied cranberry sauce replacing the jelly. The cranberry adds a tart edge, and the chili sauce keeps them from getting too sweet.
If you're wild about meatballs, you should also try my Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce and these Italian Meatballs.
Ingredients Needed
Frozen, fully cooked meatballs are what make this recipe so quick. I usually grab a bag of homestyle beef meatballs, but Italian-style, turkey, or chicken meatballs all work, so pick your favorite.
Jellied cranberry sauce melts into a smooth sauce, and this is a great way to use up leftover homemade cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving!
Heinz chili sauce comes in a glass bottle and is usually shelved near the ketchup. Don't confuse it with sweet chili sauce or sriracha, which are completely different. If you can't find it, barbecue sauce is an easy swap and gives the meatballs a smokier flavor.
If you're out of brown sugar, honey or white sugar will work instead. For a little heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the sauce. A can of drained pineapple chunks or tidbits stirred in near the end of the cook time adds even more sweetness.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs
Add everything to the slow cooker
Pour the frozen meatballs into the slow cooker, then spoon the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar over the top.
Fold it all together
Gently fold everything with a large spoon until the meatballs are mostly coated. The cranberry sauce will still be lumpy at this point, but it melts as it heats.
Cover and cook
Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. After about an hour to an hour and a half, give the meatballs a good stir. This moves the ones from the bottom to the top so everything heats evenly and gets coated in sauce.
Garnish and serve
Right before serving, top with chopped parsley, a handful of fresh cranberries, or some sliced jalapeños.
How to Serve
For a party, I leave the meatballs in the slow cooker on the warm setting with a cup of toothpicks next to it so people can help themselves. Be sure to stir them every so often so the sauce on the bottom doesn't scorch!
If you'd rather use a serving dish, a shallow bowl with extra sauce spooned over the top works well.
I like to put them out as part of a holiday appetizer spread alongside my Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce!
Equipment
I use a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe, which gives the meatballs enough room to heat evenly. A 4-quart slow cooker will hold a 32-ounce bag, but it will be pretty full, so stir more often to keep the meatballs from sticking to the bottom.
A slow cooker liner isn't the prettiest, but it's worth it so you don't have to scrub the pot when you're cleaning up. This is definitely the way to go if you're serving them on a platter or in a bowl!
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover meatballs and sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave until hot, stirring once or twice.
The meatballs and sauce freeze well for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely before freezing, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Pro Tips
- If the sauce gets too thick while it sits on warm or when you reheat leftovers, stir in a spoonful or two of water to loosen it up.
- Taste the sauce once the cranberry sauce has melted, and add a little more brown sugar if you like it sweeter or a squeeze of chili sauce if you want more tang.
- An instant-read thermometer is the easiest way to check doneness. The center of a meatball should read 165°F.
- Mini cocktail meatballs heat faster than larger homestyle ones, so start checking them early in the cook time.
FAQ
No. Store-bought frozen meatballs are already fully cooked, so they only need to heat through. The cook times in this recipe are written for adding them frozen.
Sure! Cook the meatballs completely, let them cool, and refrigerate them in their sauce for a day or two. Before the party, warm them in the slow cooker on LOW until they're hot all the way through, stirring occasionally.
When they're part of a spread with other appetizers, I plan on 4 to 5 meatballs per guest. If they're the main event, plan on closer to 6 to 8. The count in a 32-ounce bag varies by brand and size, so check the package before you shop.
More Appetizer Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Cranberry Slow Cooker Meatballs
Ingredients
- 32 oz frozen fully cooked meatballs
- 14 oz jellied cranberry sauce
- 12 oz Heinz chili sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- Fresh cranberries, chopped parsley, or sliced jalapeños for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place frozen meatballs in a slow cooker.
- Add cranberry sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar; fold gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW 3-4 hours or HIGH 2-3 hours.
- Stir once after 1-1 ½ hours.
- Continue cooking until meatballs reach 165°F and sauce is bubbling.
- Garnish however you like and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutritional information provided is an estimate. For specific dietary needs or concerns, we recommend consulting a nutrition calculator or a qualified expert.
Karen Kelly
Karen Kelly is a nationally syndicated food and travel writer, founder of Seasonal Cravings, and co-founder of The Roam Report. She develops approachable seasonal recipes and covers travel and lifestyle trends. Her work has appeared in numerous media outlets, including Yahoo, Taste of Home, Apple News, NBC, FOX, and other national and regional publications.
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