Description
These cranberry chili meatballs are a sweet-tangy, crowd-pleasing holiday appetizer made with frozen meatballs, cranberry sauce, and chili sauce. They’re quick to prepare in a slow cooker and perfect for parties.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds frozen fully cooked meatballs (homestyle or Italian-style)
- 1 can (14 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 bottle (12 ounces) chili sauce (e.g., Heinz)
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes (if using) until fairly uniform.
- Place the frozen meatballs directly into a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Pour the sauce mixture over the meatballs and gently stir to coat evenly.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours. Halfway through, gently stir to redistribute the sauce. If the sauce is too thin near the end, remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to thicken.
- Switch the slow cooker to warm and let the meatballs rest for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon or cocktail picks.
Notes
Don’t skip the lemon juice—it balances the sweetness. Use Heinz chili sauce (not Asian chili sauce). Let meatballs rest before serving. Double the sauce if doubling the recipe. For a thicker sauce, remove lid during last 30 minutes or use a cornstarch slurry.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours (low) or 2 hours (high)
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 16
- Sodium: 580
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 12
Keywords: cranberry chili meatballs, holiday appetizer, slow cooker meatballs, party meatballs, easy appetizer