Cranberry Meatballs are sticky, sweet, and tangy. These delicious bites are the perfect appy to serve for the holidays, or a great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce after a holiday dinner. Whenever you decide to serve it, your family and friends will rave about them all year round!

Plus, Cranberry Sauce Meatballs are quick and easy to make with baked meatballs made from scratch (or easily substitute with pre-cooked meatballs!) that are tossed into a simple cranberry sauce based glaze. It's delicious and flavorful with the perfect combination of sweet and savory.

Why You'll Love these Cranberry Meatballs

• Quick and easy to make. These meatballs with cranberry sauce aren’t as complicated as they sound. This recipe takes just 40 minutes to make (20 minutes of which are spent in the oven). And if you decide to use frozen pre-cooked meatballs, then you can prepare these meatballs in half the time.
• A delicious way to use leftover cranberry sauce. We love finding new and creative ways to use up leftover cranberry sauce from a big holiday meal. So don't throw away that cranberry sauce! You can repurpose it into something new in these cranberry meatballs. See our most popular Leftover Cranberry Sauce Recipes for more inspo.
• Perfect as a holiday appetizer. Not only are these meatballs great to make the day after the holidays, you can serve them on the holidays as an appy. The cranberry sauce really dresses up the meatballs with festive winter flavors perfect the upcoming winter holidays. Serve it on Thanksgiving or Christmas — it’s a classic party hit every time.
• Great for meal prep. These holiday meatballs are also great for meal prep. Portion them out into meal prep containers, along with mashed potatoes (or rice) and veggies which will last for 3-4 days. That means you have weekday meals for the whole week just from this one recipe.
• Great for carry-ins and parties! ‘Tis the season for workplace parties and Friendsgivings! These leftover cranberry sauce meatballs may become your go-to. Keep the ingredients on hand and whip up a batch whenever you need something simple-yet-satisfying to impress friends and colleagues during the holiday season.

Ingredient Notes

To make these easy and delicious Cranberry Meatballs, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

• ground beef - if you don’t eat red meat, you can swap the ground beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
• onion
• garlic - you can use pre-minced garlic if you don’t have time to freshly mince some. Use 1 teaspoon of minced garlic for this recipe.
• breadcrumbs - toasted almond flour or a gluten-free breadcrumb blend works for those who have gluten intolerance or allergy.
• parmesan cheese - a similar cheese like Pecorino Romano or asiago can be substituted for the parmesan. If you’re lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy, then a parmesan-style vegan cheese alternative or nutritional yeast will work in its place instead.
• Worcestershire sauce - if you’re out of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or coconut aminos will do the trick in a pinch.
• egg - you can use one tablespoon of ground flaxseed plus three tablespoons of water as a binder in the meatballs instead of egg.
• cranberry sauce - you can use a store-bought sauce or a homemade version — either works! We love using our Easy Cranberry Sauce, made in minutes with just a handful of ingredients. Plus, it stores well in the fridge and months in the freezer.
• tomato paste - feel free to substitute with ketchup.
• honey - maple syrup, agave, or simple syrup can be used instead at a 1:1 ratio.
• salt and pepper

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, half sheet baking pan (if baking the meatballs), and large skillet (we used our cast-iron skillet).

How to Make the Best Cranberry Meatballs

1. Make meatball mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well until evenly combined. Set aside to marinate for 15-20 minutes.

2. Shape meatballs. Take 2 spoonfuls of the beef mixture at a time and use your hands to roll into meatballs (I recommend using disposable gloves for easy clean up).
3. Bake. Transfer the meatballs to a parchment paper lined half sheet baking pan. Bake in a 375F preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until fully cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165F, as read on a meat thermometer. Set aside on a plate.

1. Make sauce. While the meatballs are baking, add cranberry sauce, tomato paste, honey, and salt in a large skillet. Stir to combine and heat over low heat until smooth and warmed through, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Toss in meatballs. Add the cooked meatballs to the skillet and toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

How to Serve

Cranberry Meatballs are delicious served on their own as an appetizer, or paired with some sides for a complete meal. Try it with:

• Mashed potatoes: Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or Mashed Red Potatoes.
• Rice: Steamed Rice or Coconut Rice.
• Bread: Ciabatta Rolls, French Baguettes, or Potato Dinner Rolls.
• Vegetables: Crispy Leaf Potatoes, Mashed Cauliflower, or Mashed Butternut Squash.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Place Leftover Cranberry Sauce meatballs in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to four days.

How to Freeze

Freeze leftover meatballs (once cooled to room temperature) in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. I would recommend separating the meatballs into individual serving sizes or family servings and freeze in freezer bags. This way, you can easily defrost the exact portion that you want. When ready to eat, defrost the meatballs overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

How to Reheat

Reheat meatballs in a shallow saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through. You may need to add a little water if the sauce thickened up too much in the refrigerator. You can also reheat in the microwave until warm.

More Meatball Recipes

• 15 Best Meatball Recipes
• Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs
• Swedish Meatballs
• Teriyaki Meatballs
• Sweet and Sour Meatballs
• Italian Meatballs