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Juicy beef cocktail meatballs cooked in a sweet and tangy cranberry sauce with chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar, perfect as an easy appetizer or served over rice for a main dish.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 26 ounces frozen bite-size meatballs
  • 14 ounces whole cranberry sauce
  • 12 ounces Heinz chili sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dark brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Place frozen bite-size meatballs evenly in the slow cooker insert and set slow cooker to LOW.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together whole cranberry sauce, Heinz chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and dark brown sugar until smooth and sugar mostly dissolves.
  3. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently toss to coat.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking and ensure even sauce coverage.
  5. During the last 30 minutes, optionally lift the lid and cook on HIGH to thicken the sauce, or whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir into hot sauce until thickened.
  6. When meatballs are heated through and the sauce looks glossy, switch the slow cooker to WARM.
  7. Garnish with chopped green onions or fresh parsley before serving.
  8. Optional stovetop method: combine cranberry sauce, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and warm until smooth, then pour over meatballs in the slow cooker.
  9. If not using a slow cooker, warm the sauce in a saucepan over medium, add cooked or thawed meatballs, and simmer 10–15 minutes until heated and sauce thickens slightly.
  10. If using raw homemade meatballs, brown them in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker or sauce and reduce the slow-cook time accordingly.
  11. Baking option: place meatballs and sauce in a baking dish and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes until bubbly and hot throughout.

Notes

Use fully cooked frozen meatballs to avoid undercooked centers; if using raw homemade meatballs, brown before cooking and reduce cook time., Stir gently during cooking to prevent clumping and ensure even sauce coverage., To thicken sauce, cook on HIGH uncovered during last 30 minutes or stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp cold water)., For a less sweet sauce, reduce brown sugar by half a tablespoon or use light brown sugar., Keep slow cooker on WARM while serving to maintain temperature without overcooking., Sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge., Leftovers keep up to 1 week refrigerated and reheat well on stove or microwave., Cooked meatballs and sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months, thaw overnight before reheating., Substitutions: turkey or chicken meatballs for lighter option; grape jelly instead of cranberry sauce; add sriracha or red pepper flakes for spice; add orange zest or juice for citrus twist; swap half chili sauce with barbecue sauce for BBQ flavor.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://margorecipes.com/crockpot-cranberry-meatballs/