Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs

Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs are an updated version of that timeless party favorite, cocktail meatballs. These meatballs are glazed with a sweet and spicy sauce and each meatball is coated with the flavor of tangy cranberries. It's a perfect party appetizer for the holidays, for game day, or any time you want a hearty snack to share alongside Charcuterie Cups or with dips like Simple Artichoke Parmesan Dip and Cauliflower Hummus.

Jump to:

• ⭐ Why You'll Love Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs
• 🌶 Ingredients to Have on Hand
• 📖 Substitutions
• 🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
• 💭 Recipe FAQs
• 🥘What to Serve with Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs
• 🥣 Leftovers and Storage
• 🍽 Other Appetizer Recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

⭐ Why You'll Love Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs

🌶 Ingredients to Have on Hand

One of the best things about Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs is they start with frozen, pre-cooked and lightly seasoned meatballs from the grocery store.

Frozen Meatballs: Use your favorite variety of fully cooked, frozen meatballs. Beef, pork or turkey are all excellent choices and pair beautifully with the tangy cranberry sauce.

Pro Tip: Read the frozen meatball label carefully to ensure the meatballs have a neutral or homestyle seasoning rather than Italian or Swedish meatballs which include distinctive spices.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce: Keep a 14-ounce can of jellied cranberry sauce in the pantry just for this recipe. You can also use canned whole-berry canned cranberry sauce, but the jellied version does the best job of creating a smooth glaze for the meatballs.

Chili Sauce: This is a spicy sauce that blends combines with the cranberry sauce. Chili sauce helps add a smooth texture and spicy taste. Scroll down to the Recipe FAQs for details on where to find chili sauce in the grocery store. If you enjoy spicy food, try Spicy Chicken Alfredo Sauce for another meal idea!

Jalapeño Jelly: Use either mild or spicy hot jalapeño jelly. Green jelly is typically more mild and red jelly is extra hot.

Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

📖 Substitutions

Jalapeño Peppers: Fresh jalapeños are definitely the best choice, just keep in mind the heat level of peppers can vary from crop to crop. If you have pickled jalapeños (from a can or jar) on hand, you can certainly make that substitution. Pickled jalapenos are not as spicy as fresh. About one tablespoon of pickled jalapeños equals one fresh 3-4 inch jalapeño pepper.

Meatballs: I love that this recipe uses frozen, store-bought meatballs! If you prefer to make meatballs from scratch, fully cook them before adding to the sauce. The cooking time in the slow cooker will be shorter since the meatballs are already cooked and hot.

Pro Tip: As an option, make the homemade meatballs a few days ahead, cool, then freeze them in a freezer-safe, air-tight container such as a zipped top freezer bag. When you're ready to serve, just follow the recipe and use frozen homemade meatballs in place of store bought.

🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Rinse the fresh jalapenos and slice them in half. (Photo #1)

Step 2: Dice the sliced jalapenos into very small chunks. Set aside about 1 tablespoon to sprinkle on top of the meatballs after cooking, for garnish. (Photo #2)

Note: Please be careful when handling jalapeno peppers, they are hot. Always avoid touching your eyes after chopping peppers.

Pro Tip: How spicy do you want the cranberry jalapeño sauce to be? Removing the seeds and ribs from the fresh jalapeño peppers as you dice them will make them more mild.

Step 3: Remove the jellied cranberry sauce from the can. (Photo #3)

Step 4: Place the sauce ingredients in a 7-quart slow cooker or Crockpot. (Photo #4)

Step 5: Stir or whisk to combine everything and create a smooth sauce. Cover the slow cooker and switch it to high, cook for 20 minutes. This helps the sauce ingredients melt and blend before adding the meatballs. (Photo #5)

Step 6: Add the frozen meatballs to the sauce. (Photo #6)

Step 7: Stir to coat all the frozen meatballs with the warmed sauce. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 2 hours, or until the meatballs and the sauce are thoroughly heated. (Photo #7)

💭 Recipe FAQs

🥘What to Serve with Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs

These meatballs are designed to be shared as an appetizer, but there are options for making this a main course.

Rice: Serve the meatballs over a bed of cooked rice. The grains of cooked rice will absorb the tangy sauce and give the dish a unique texture.

Mashed Potatoes: As an Idaho food blogger, I would be remiss not to offer potatoes as an option for serving these meatballs. Fluffy, homemade mashed potatoes go great with the sweet and tangy sauce.

Vegetable Stir-Fry: Slice some fresh veggies, and stir-fry them in a skillet with olive oil. The crunch of the vegetables will balance the richness of the meatballs.

Oven-Roasted Vegetables: Roasted vegetables, such as Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts, carrots, or baked sweet potatoes, will add a savory and caramelized flavor to the sauce and meatballs.

Rolls or Biscuits: Serve the Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs with freshly baked potato rolls or Four Ingredient Basic Biscuits to help soak up all the delicious, tangy sauce.

🥣 Leftovers and Storage

These meatballs store beautifully. Place any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy them within 3-5 days.

Warm up the meatballs for serving using the microwave or place them in a saucepan on the stove with a teaspoon of water and heat over medium-low heat until warm.

The added water helps create a little steam when reheating on the stove and ensures the meatballs don't scorch.

Cranberry Jalapeno Meatballs are a wonderful, festive appetizer for any party gathering or tailgate. Check out these additional appetizers for more ideas and inspiration.

If you tried Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.

Recipe