Description
Quick Christmas Cranberry Meatballs are a snap to make and taste like holiday comfort in one bite — sweet, tangy cranberry glazed meatballs that come together in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the sauce
- 1 (14 oz) can jellied cranberry sauce
- 1 (12 oz) bottle chili sauce
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- For the meatballs
- 1 (about 32 oz) bag frozen pre-cooked meatballs (beef or turkey)
Instructions
- Build the sauce. In a large skillet or medium saucepan combine the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder and black pepper. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy (about 4–6 minutes).
- Add the meatballs. Drop the frozen meatballs into the pan and stir so each one gets coated in the sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer 15–20 minutes until the meatballs are hot all the way through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Finish and serve. Spoon the meatballs into a serving bowl or transfer to a slow cooker set to Warm. Garnish with chopped parsley, rosemary, or a little orange zest if you like.
Notes
- Notes & tips
- No thawing needed — frozen meatballs go straight from bag to sauce.
- If using homemade meatballs, cook them first (bake or pan-fry) before adding to the sauce.
- Want extra brightness? Stir in 1–2 tablespoons orange juice or a teaspoon of Dijon mustard at the end.
- Keep warm in a slow cooker for parties so guests can graze all night.
- Leftovers improve overnight — store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
- Quick troubleshooting
- Sauce too thin? Simmer uncovered a few minutes more, or whisk 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and add a little at a time.
- Sauce scorching? Lower the heat and stir more frequently.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3–4 meatballs
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 470mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 35mg