These are the party food I make when I want something hot on the table all night without being stuck in the kitchen. A bag of frozen meatballs, a can of cranberry sauce and a jar of chili sauce go into the slow cooker in the afternoon, and by the time the doorbell rings they’re glossy, sticky and ready. Leave a cup of toothpicks next to the pot and people serve themselves. They cost very little, they feed a crowd, and they’re still hot three hours later.
Why I Make These Every December
The first time I made these, I tipped the can of cranberry sauce in whole. An hour later it was sitting on top of the meatballs like a red hockey puck, with plain meatballs underneath. Now I whisk the sauce in the slow cooker before the meatballs go in. That one step makes every meatball come out properly glazed.
I’ll take these over the grape jelly version every time. The cranberry gives you sweet and sharp at once, and a little orange zest makes the whole thing taste like Christmas rather than a jar.
Ingredients
- 32 oz bag frozen fully cooked meatballs (homestyle, Italian or turkey)
- 14 oz can jellied cranberry sauce
- 12 oz jar chili sauce (the ketchup-style kind, like Heinz)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Zest of 1 orange, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Sliced green onions or chopped parsley, to finish
How to Make Them
- Make the sauce first. Put the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, Worcestershire, orange zest, orange juice and red pepper flakes straight into the slow cooker. Whisk until it’s mostly smooth. A few small cranberry lumps are fine, because they melt as it heats.
- Add the meatballs. Tip them in frozen and stir until every one is coated.
- Cook. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 to 2½ hours. Stir once after the first hour so the sauce coats evenly. They’re done when the meatballs are hot all the way through (165°F in the center) and the sauce is glossy.
- Hold and serve. Switch to the warm setting, scatter over the green onions, and put out toothpicks or small forks.
Feeding a Crowd
One 32 oz bag gives you roughly 60 to 64 meatballs, or about 16 people at four each. That’s assuming the meatballs are one of several appetizers. For 20 guests on a buffet, one batch is plenty. If the meatballs are the main hot thing on the table, double the recipe in a 6-quart slow cooker and add an extra hour on low.
On the warm setting they’ll hold happily for 2 to 3 hours. Give them a stir every so often so the top layer doesn’t dry out. If the sauce gets too thick, loosen it with a splash of orange juice or water.
Variations
Cranberry jalapeño meatballs. Leave out the red pepper flakes and add 1 or 2 finely diced jalapeños to the sauce. Keep the seeds in if you like real heat. They go very well next to my cranberry jalapeño whipped feta, which has the same flavors.
Cranberry BBQ meatballs. Swap the chili sauce for your favorite BBQ sauce. The result is smokier and a bit sweeter, so I’d add an extra squeeze of orange juice to sharpen it up.
Turkey cranberry meatballs. Use frozen turkey meatballs. They’re lighter and taste like a Christmas dinner on a stick.
Homemade meatballs. Bake raw meatballs at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes first, then add them to the sauce. Cook on low for 2 hours.
Stovetop. Whisk the sauce in a large pot over medium heat, add the frozen meatballs, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir often until hot through. This is useful if your slow cooker is already busy with a dip.
Make Ahead and Leftovers
You can cook them a day ahead, cool, and refrigerate in the sauce. Reheat in the slow cooker on low for about 2 hours, or on the stove. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. They also freeze well in their sauce for up to 3 months.
Leftovers make a good dinner the next day, spooned over rice or tucked into a sub roll with melted provolone.
What to Serve With Them
I like them with something cold and something bready so the table isn’t all one temperature. Ham and cheese sliders and deviled eggs are both good with them. If you’re feeding a big group on a budget, my budget grazing table fills the rest of the table for very little. For more party ideas, there’s my list of fancy-looking Christmas party foods that are secretly easy. And if someone asks what they can bring, send them to my easy potluck dishes.
Running two slow cookers? This also works for other crowd food, like my crockpot BBQ pulled chicken thighs.
Cranberry Meatball Questions
Can I use whole berry cranberry sauce?
Yes. The sauce is chunkier and a little less glossy, but it tastes just as good. Jellied sauce gives the smoothest glaze.
What kind of chili sauce do I need?
The tomato-based kind, like Heinz Chili Sauce, that sits next to the ketchup. Don’t use Thai sweet chili sauce or sriracha. If you can’t find it, use the same amount of ketchup with a pinch of chili powder and a dash of Worcestershire.
Do I need to thaw the meatballs first?
No, they go in frozen. Thawed meatballs cook faster, so check them after 2½ to 3 hours on low.
Can I use grape jelly instead?
You can, and that’s the classic version. The cranberry makes them taste less sweet and more festive.
How do I keep them warm at a party?
Leave them in the slow cooker on warm and stir every half hour or so. If you don’t have a slow cooker, an oven-safe dish in a 200°F oven works, topped up as the dish empties.
Timings and Servings Summary
| Prep | 5 minutes |
| Cook | 4 hours on low, or 2 to 2½ hours on high |
| Hold on warm | Up to 3 hours |
| Makes | About 60 to 64 meatballs |
| Serves | 16 as one of several appetizers; double it for 20+ if it’s the main hot dish |
| Make ahead | Up to 1 day; freezes for 3 months |
Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs for a Crowd
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Ingredients
Method
- Make the sauce first. Put the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, Worcestershire, orange zest, orange juice and red pepper flakes straight into the slow cooker. Whisk until it’s mostly smooth. A few small cranberry lumps are fine, because they melt as it heats.
- Add the meatballs. Tip them in frozen and stir until every one is coated.
- Cook. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 to 2½ hours. Stir once after the first hour so the sauce coats evenly. They’re done when the meatballs are hot all the way through (165°F in the center) and the sauce is glossy.
- Hold and serve. Switch to the warm setting, scatter over the green onions, and put out toothpicks or small forks.
Nutrition
Notes
Feeding a Crowd
One 32 oz bag gives you roughly 60 to 64 meatballs, or about 16 people at four each. That’s assuming the meatballs are one of several appetizers. For 20 guests on a buffet, one batch is plenty. If the meatballs are the main hot thing on the table, double the recipe in a 6-quart slow cooker and add an extra hour on low. On the warm setting they’ll hold happily for 2 to 3 hours. Give them a stir every so often so the top layer doesn’t dry out. If the sauce gets too thick, loosen it with a splash of orange juice or water.Tried this recipe?
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