Cranberry Meatballs
Beef meatballs baked and simmered in a sweet and tangy cranberry and chilli sauce.
Photograph credit: appetizer cranberry meatballs with sauce by Michael Wurm Jr · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr; photo for Shari’s Berries
Make Ahead and Storage
Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat gently in the sauce.
Cranberry Meatballs: The Method
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Heat the oven to 200°C / 390°F and line a tray. Mix the mince, breadcrumbs, egg and salt and shape into 24 balls.
-
Bake for 15 minutes until browned.
-
Warm the cranberry sauce, chilli sauce, sugar and soy sauce in a wide pan, stirring, until smooth.
-
Add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes, turning, until glossy.
Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.
A Few Pointers
- Handle the mixture lightly.
- Bake before simmering.
- If your oven runs hot, check at 12 minutes.
- Serve with cocktail sticks.
Why the Method Is What It Is
Bake the meatballs, then simmer them. That is the quick tip, and it saves frying 48 meatballs in batches.
Mix the mince with the breadcrumbs, egg and salt and shape into balls about 25 g each, which is a little bigger than a walnut. Handle the mixture lightly, since squeezing makes meatballs dense. Bake them at 200°C / 390°F for 15 minutes first. They brown in the oven, firm up and shed fat that would otherwise float in the sauce.
The sauce is three ingredients that happen to go together very well: whole berry cranberry sauce, chilli sauce and a spoon of brown sugar, with soy for depth. Warm it in a wide pan, stirring until the cranberry sauce has melted.
Tip the baked meatballs into the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, turning them once or twice, until they are glossy. If your oven runs hot, check the meatballs at 12 minutes. Serve with cocktail sticks, or over rice for a meal.
Serving Ideas
Rice · Mashed potato · Crusty bread · Green salad
Changing the Recipe
- Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More American cooking and holiday specials ideas from Weekly Delight.
Honey Garlic Meatballs
Beef and pork meatballs baked until browned and tossed in a sticky honey, garlic and soy glaze. Six servings in 45…
Grape Jelly Meatballs
Small beef meatballs baked and simmered in a sauce of grape jelly and chili sauce until glossy and sticky. The…
Cocktail Meatballs
Small baked beef meatballs simmered in a sweet and tangy sauce of grape jelly and chilli sauce, kept warm for a party.
Cranberry Brie Bites
Crisp mini filo shells filled with warm brie, cranberry sauce and a pecan, ready as a quick holiday starter.
BBQ Meatballs
Beef and pork meatballs baked until browned and tossed in a sticky barbecue sauce, served on cocktail sticks.
Popcorn Balls
Fresh popcorn bound with a hot marshmallow and butter syrup, shaped into balls while warm and left to set.