Cranberry BBQ Crockpot Meatballs are a crowd-pleasing holiday appetizer, perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve or even football parties! Or serve them over rice or mashed potatoes for an easy dinner.
Are meatballs the best or are they the best?
If you’ve been following this blog for some time now, you’ll be aware of the fact that I could basically call this a meatball blog.
It all started with my Sticky BBQ Slow Cooker Meatballs.
Then I made a tutorial for homemade meatballs.
And about a million recipes to use them in – Pineapple BBQ Meatballs, Easy Italian Meatballs, Teriyaki Meatballs…
I also wrote about how to make Oven Baked Meatballs and How to Cook Meatballs on a Stove. Also, I have opinions on suggestions for sides for BBQ meatballs 😂
You see, I’m the queen of meatballs. And now I’m adding yet another member to the family:
Cranberry BBQ Crockpot Meatballs!
These have been a reader request for ages, a mash-up of my original BBQ meatballs and my 5 Ingredient Cranberry Glazed Crockpot Turkey Meatballs.
There’s basically nothing not to love about these. Juicy meatballs cook in a tangy cranberry BBQ sauce.
Perfect for your upcoming holiday parties, as an easy dinner or to bring to a football party. Just saying, these are all-around perfect 😉
- Easy to customize: You can use frozen meatballs or make your own. Turkey or beef. Use your favorite BBQ sauce, even a spicy one if you like! Just don’t tell my kids 😉
- Quick to prep: If you’re using frozen meatballs (or homemade frozen ones), there’s about 5 minutes of prep time. The crockpot does the rest!
- Feed a crowd: You can easily double or triple this recipe, as long as you use a large crockpot. Such an easy way to feed a crowd!
How to Make Crockpot Meatballs:
This is THE easiest appetizer recipe, ever.
Just add all ingredients for the sauce to your crockpot and whisk well (make sure to use a silicone whisk – I like this one (this is an affiliate link and I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase), it’s not the cheapest but I have yet to find one where the silicone casing holds up better!).
For a small 1 pound batch (eg to feed my family for dinner), I use my handy little 3 quart crockpot (this is an affiliate link and I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase).
Then simply add the meatballs, stir so they’re all coated, cover and cook. Doesn’t get any easier!
See, just another recipe to prove that meatballs are, indeed, the best thing to make with ground meat 😉
P.S: Here’s a step-by-step tutorial for how to make meatballs!
Get the printable recipe here:
Ingredients
- 1 cup cranberry-apple juice, I used unsweetened
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons cornstarch, if you prefer a thick sauce
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound bite-sized fully cooked meatballs, browned if freshly homemade, no need to defrost if frozen
Instructions
- Add juice, BBQ sauce, cornstarch (if using) and Worcestershire sauce to a 3-4 quart crockpot. Whisk well. Add the meatballs and stir to coat.
- Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, or until the meatballs are piping hot all the way through the middle, and the sauce is bubbly. If the sauce isn't thick enough / you want it more glaze-y, remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes uncovered.