Description
These sweet and savory Cranberry Meatballs combine juicy beef and pork with a glossy cranberry orange glaze. Perfect as an appetizer for holiday gatherings or served over mashed potatoes for a cozy family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the meatballs:
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef (80/20 blend for juiciness)
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (or panko)
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion (sweet or yellow)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
For the cranberry glaze:
- 12 ounces (1 can) jellied cranberry sauce
- ½ cup orange juice (fresh squeezed if you’ve got it)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or ½ tsp ground ginger)
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, for a little kick!)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in milk until they’re soft, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, and parsley.
- Pour the soaked breadcrumbs (milk and all) and the beaten egg into the meat mixture.
- With clean hands, gently fold until everything is just combined. Don’t overwork it or your meatballs will be tough.
- Scoop out heaping tablespoons of the mixture and roll into 1 ½-inch meatballs. You should end up with around 24–26 meatballs.
- Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake meatballs for 18–20 minutes until they’re cooked through and just lightly browned.
- While meatballs cook, combine cranberry sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a medium saucepan.
- Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and bubbling.
- Once meatballs are done, gently nestle them into the bubbling cranberry glaze.
- Simmer together over low heat for 5 minutes, spooning sauce over each meatball.
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with chopped parsley or orange zest if desired.
Notes
- For make-ahead: Prepare meatballs up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat in a slow cooker or covered dish in a 325°F oven.
- Freezing instructions: Freeze cooked meatballs and sauce separately for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
- Alternative cooking method: Brown meatballs in a skillet instead of baking for a crispier exterior.
- Slow cooker version: Add cooked meatballs and sauce to a slow cooker and keep warm on low setting for serving at parties.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 430mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: cranberry meatballs, holiday appetizers, sweet and savory meatballs, cranberry glaze, party food, festive meatballs, cranberry sauce meatballs