This Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs recipe is a super easy recipe made with just five ingredients. Whether you serve it as an appetizer or main dish, it will serve a crowd!
Cranberry Meatballs are an easy appetizer or main dish made in the crockpot for about $10.91, which is just $0.46 per serving when served as an appetizer and $1.09 as the main dish.
Meatballs make the perfect appetizer for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, or any other gathering. For more appetizer ideas, be sure to look at our Cheesy Mexican Sausage Dip and our Pepperoni Pizza Rolls.
Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs
Do you need an easy appetizer that is low-stress, full of flavor, and only uses a few ingredients? Then our recipe for Cranberry Meatballs is definitely for you! The recipe calls for only FIVE ingredients.
You can throw this together in a matter of minutes. Dump the ingredients in the crockpot, walk away, then come a few hours later to some amazing Cranberry Meatballs. That’s it! This recipe makes your holiday entertaining just a little bit easier.
These meatballs are a little sweet, a lot savory, and incredibly juicy and tender. Everything we look for in a meatball. They are a crowd-pleaser every time at any Holiday Party, a big college game day, a Superbowl party, or a potluck.
You see where we are going with this. Cranberry meatballs can really be made and enjoyed year-round, not just at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Cooking the meatballs in the cranberry sauce is the BEST combo, which leaves you with melt-in-your-mouth goodness with each meatball. Just be careful not to get too full for dinner as it will be hard to resist having more than only a few of these at a time!
How long can meatballs stay in a crockpot?
What do I serve meatballs with?
If you are going to use these Cranberry Meatballs as the main dish, you can serve them with Jenna’s Naughty Mashed Potatoes, serve them over rice or egg noodles, and whip up some Instant Pot Corn on the Cob for a complete meal.
How much will this Crockpot Cranberry Meatball recipe cost to make:
RECIPE COST: $10.91
APPETIZER PRICE PER SERVING: $0.46
MAIN DISH PRICE PER SERVING: $1.09
- 2 pound frozen pre-cooked meatballs – $5.96
- 14 ounces smoked sausage rope – $2.98
- 2 (14 ounces) cans jellied cranberry sauce – $1.88
- 3 Tablespoons Sriracha – $0.06
- 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar – $0.03
To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
How to make Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs recipe:
STEP ONE: First, add the meatballs, sausage, cranberry sauce, Sriracha, and brown sugar to the slow cooker.
STEP TWO: Then cook on low for 4-5 hours. After 1 hour of cooking, stir the ingredients together (this will give the cranberry sauce time to melt).
STEP THREE: Finally, serve immediately as an appetizer or main dish.
Cook’s Tools:
The Flavor and Recipe Variations
If you don’t like smoked sausage, you can just leave them out.
Serve the cranberry meatballs over white rice or egg noodles when serving as a main dish.
How long is it good for:
Serve: As with most recipes, you shouldn’t leave these meatballs out for longer than 2 hours.
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze: This recipe comes together so quickly that there isn’t really a benefit to freezing it. With that said, you can freeze the cranberry meatballs. Just cool them down and then freeze in freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags.
How to get the kids involved with this recipe:
Ages 2-3: Let them pour the bag of meatballs into the slow cooker. They can practice counting how many meatballs they see.
Ages 4-5: Have your kiddo help measure and pour the ingredients into the slow cooker.
Ages 6-8: This is a great recipe to let your child try on their own. It is effortless with few ingredients and will build their cooking skills self-esteem immensely.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
More $10 recipes:
- 4th of July Poke Cake
- 20-Minute Thai Peanut Noodles
- BBQ Chicken Braid
- Cake Mix Peach Cobbler
- Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
- Cranberry Party Punch
- Easy Chana Masala
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts
- Homemade Sloppy Joes
- Inside Out Chicken Pot Pie
- Jenna’s Chicken Pillows
- Panda Express Orange Chicken Copycat
Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs with Smoked Sausage
Recipe Cost $10.91 Recipe Serving Cost $0.46Equipment
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- slow cooker
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 lb bag frozen pre-cooked meatballs we recommend turkey meatballs
- 14 ounces smoked sausage rope sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 2 (14 ounces cans) jellied cranberry sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Sriracha
- 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
FOR SERVING (optional):
- White rice
- Egg noodles
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Add meatballs, smoked sausage, cranberry sauce, Sriracha, and light brown to a slow cooker insert.
- Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours. Stir after 1 hour.
- Serve as an appetizer or over white rice or egg noodles for dinner.
Nellie Tracy
We love to have lots of different appetizers for Christmas Day food and this is definitely getting added to the list!
Jess Jankowski
That’s awesome Nellie. Enjoy!
Susan
This recipe couldn’t be easier. Simple to make when I have friends over!
Jess Jankowski
Susan, so happy you love it!
Tialyn
These are so so so good! Love how easy they are!!!
Jess Jankowski
My kids request them almost weekly!
Suzie
Just a quick note to let you know I appreciate the option to change the number of servings. Sure I could do it myself, but you provide it as a service to we who need to cook for a smaller number of family. :o)
Jess Jankowski
Suzie, thank you so much for your comment! Glad we can help in a small way!