Description
Homemade Cranberry Meatballs bring festive Mediterranean flavors to your holiday table, blending savory ground beef with tangy cranberry glaze. Tender meat mingles with sweet-tart sauce, creating an irresistible appetizer that sparks conversation and delights guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 lb (454 grams) ground beef
Binders and Aromatics:
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Seasonings and Sauce:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can (14 ounces/396 grams) jellied cranberry sauce
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F and prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet for seamless cooking and cleanup.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, thoroughly blend ground beef with breadcrumbs, egg, diced onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until ingredients form a cohesive mixture.
- Craft uniform 1-inch meatballs using hands, carefully positioning them on the prepared baking sheet with adequate spacing to ensure even roasting.
- Roast meatballs in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and completely cooked through, verifying doneness by checking internal color.
- Simultaneously, construct the cranberry glaze by whisking jellied cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth and glossy.
- Transfer baked meatballs directly into the simmering sauce, gently coating each piece to absorb the sweet-tangy flavor profile.
- Allow meatballs to simmer in sauce for 5-10 minutes, intensifying taste and ensuring complete flavor integration.
- Plate the glazed meatballs while warm, optionally garnishing with fresh parsley for a vibrant presentation and additional aromatic touch.
Notes
- Ensure meat mixture isn’t overmixed to keep meatballs tender and prevent dense texture.
- Use lean ground beef around 85% lean for juicy meatballs without excessive greasiness.
- Create uniform meatball sizes by using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon measure for consistent cooking.
- Swap ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based alternatives for dietary preferences without compromising flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 327 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg