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Spicy Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

Spicy cranberry BBQ meatballs made in a slow cooker with frozen fully cooked meatballs for an easy, glossy sauce. A blend of jellied cranberry sauce, BBQ sauce, sriracha, vinegar, garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder creates a sweet-heat coating that thickens as it simmers.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 220
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Frozen fully cooked meatballs
  • 2 lb frozen fully cooked meatballs Use frozen for the fastest slow-cooker method.
Cranberry BBQ sauce
  • 1 can (14 oz) jellied cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 tbsp sriracha
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp chipotle chili powder
Garnish & serving
  • 1 jalapeno Thinly slice and use for garnish.
  • 1 fresh parsley Chopped, for garnish.
  • 1 toothpicks Serve meatballs with toothpicks.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the cranberry BBQ sauce
  1. In the slow cooker, whisk the jellied cranberry sauce, BBQ sauce, sriracha, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder until smooth and evenly combined.
Coat the meatballs
  1. Add the frozen fully cooked meatballs and stir until each meatball is coated with the sauce.
Slow cook
  1. Cover and cook on LOW 3-4 hours or HIGH 2 hours, stirring once halfway through so the sauce cooks evenly.
Thicken and finish
  1. Keep the lid on less often and continue until the sauce is thick and glossy, then stir to coat again right before serving.
Garnish and serve
  1. Top with thinly sliced jalapeno and chopped fresh parsley, keep the slow cooker on WARM, and serve with toothpicks.

Notes

For the best glossy texture, stir once at the halfway mark and again right at the end, so the thick cranberry-BBQ glaze clings to the meatballs. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; rewarm gently on LOW in the slow cooker. Freezing is not recommended because the jellied sauce can soften after thawing. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sugar cranberry sauce and a lower-sodium BBQ sauce.