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Cranberry Meatballs

Cranberry meatballs are baked until browned, then simmered in a smooth, tangy cranberry-chili sauce. They make an easy appetizer with tender beef meatballs coated in a glossy sweet-and-savory sauce.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 485
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatballs
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 85% lean
  • 0.5 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg large
  • 0.25 cup yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Cranberry sauce
  • 1 can (14 oz) jellied cranberry sauce
  • 1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Equipment

  • 1 rimmed baking sheet
  • 1 3-quart saucepan

Method
 

Make the meatballs
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Gently mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, salt, and pepper just until combined, then shape into about 24 meatballs, each about 1 inch wide.
  3. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until browned and the centers reach 160°F.
Make the cranberry sauce
  1. While the meatballs bake, combine the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the cranberry sauce until smooth and simmering, about 8 minutes.
Combine and serve
  1. Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and gently stir to coat, then simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Gently mix the meatball ingredients just until combined to keep them tender. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.