Slow Cooker Cocktail Meatballs
These are the ultimate party meatballs. Make-ahead, freezer-friendly and so effortlessly made right in the crockpot! EASY!
I could not be more excited about Christmas. Not because of the the ugly Christmas sweaters. Or the presents. But because of this.
This glorious pot of slow cooked turkey meatballs, smothered in a heavenly cranberry BBQ maple sauce. You can serve this over rice and veggies, or simply as an hors d’oeuvre at your next holiday party with some fancy toothpicks.
The ingredient list is also super short if you decide to use pre-packaged frozen meatballs. I used homemade frozen meatballs I had previously made before, which becomes a real time-saver here.
But as always, you can use your favorite kind of meatballs because the true star is that BBQ sauce – it’s perfectly sweet, savory and smoky.
See, even the baby corgs can’t resist!
Slow Cooker Cocktail Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 cup cranberry sauce, homemade or store-bought
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 32-ounce package frozen, fully cooked, meatballs,
homemade or store-bought - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together cranberry sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire and cinnamon; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place meatballs into a 3-qt slow cooker. Stir in cranberry mixture.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours, or until bubbly and the meatballs are heated through.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.
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I adapted this from party food into a dinner! For 4, I browned 16 raw meatballs in a skillet, added 1/4 of your sauce recipe, added a splash of water to loosen the sauce a bit, and simmered until cooked through. Then I stirred in cooked spaghetti noodles. Yum yum–we all loved it!
I made this for my office potluck holiday party and it was a huge hit. I left out the Dijon mustard since I’m not a fan. I will definitely be making this again 🙂
Hi, Probably a dumb question, but is the nutritional information per serving, or the info for the entire pot of meatballs?
Thanks!
The nutritional information is per serving.
Trader Joe’s actually makes some pretty mean meatballs. I have some in the freezer now. Gonna have to give this recipe a try. Thank you!
Folks … I need something pretty flashy for an office type party where drinks will be served. Would anyone care to comment on adding brandy or burbon to this recipe?
Also, what do you think about adding orange zest?
I just love you and your recipes. With that said, what type of meatballs did you make for this recipe, Italian?
I used my favorite turkey meatballs. You can grab the recipe here.
Sounds amazing but allergic to cranberries, know of a possible substitute?
Amanda, you can try to omit the cranberry sauce altogether and keep this as a simple BBQ meatball recipe.
Try apricot jelly. I have a recipe for cocktail meatballs that uses apricot jelly and salsa. My family loves it and I have to make it when we have spaghetti.
You could also try grape jelly. That’s what I use and it turns out a crowd pleaser every time.
Can i cook this in normal pot instead of a slow cooker?
Yes, absolutely. You can combine the sauces in a large saucepan, add the meatballs, cover and cook for 15-30 minutes, or until the meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally.
for a straight out of the 50’s variation you can use a 12oz jar of Heinz chili sauce (near the ketchup) instead of BBQ sauce.. The 50’s sauce used a 12oz jar of grape jelly or a can of jellied cranberry sauce (plain or with berries) and Heinz chili sauce. mix together and add meatballs or lil smokies sausages