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Spicy Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

Spicy cranberry BBQ meatballs simmered in a slow cooker until the sauce turns thick and glossy. Frozen, fully cooked meatballs are coated in a sweet-tangy cranberry sauce with sriracha and chipotle for a bold, drippy finish.
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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: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Frozen fully cooked meatballs
  • 2 lb frozen fully cooked meatballs
Cranberry BBQ sauce base
  • 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
  • 1 jalapeno thinly sliced, for garnish
  • 0.25 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Make the cranberry BBQ sauce
  1. Whisk jellied cranberry sauce, BBQ sauce, sriracha, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder in the slow cooker until smooth. Keep whisking until no cranberry lumps remain and the mixture looks evenly red.
  2. Add frozen fully cooked meatballs and stir to coat. Make sure the meatballs are submerged and the glaze clings to the surfaces.
Slow cook until thick and glossy
  1. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours. Stir once halfway through so the sauce stays smooth and evenly coats the meatballs.
  2. Stir until the sauce is thick and glossy. You should see a heavier coating on the meatballs rather than a loose, watery glaze.
Garnish and serve
  1. Top with thinly sliced jalapeno and chopped fresh parsley. Keep the slow cooker on WARM so the sauce stays hot and pourable.
  2. Serve the meatballs with toothpicks. Use the sauce from the slow cooker to get a glossy drip on each bite.

Notes

For best cling, stir once at the halfway mark so the frozen meatballs finish evenly coated. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days in a covered container; reheat gently in the microwave or on WARM in the slow cooker until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the cranberry sauce texture can thin after thawing. For a lower-spice option, use less sriracha and swap chipotle chili powder for a mild smoked paprika.