Cranberry Meatballs
Tender meatballs baked and coated in a sweet-tart cranberry sauce, perfect for holiday gatherings and party bites.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 pound ground pork
- 0.5 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 0.333 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sauce
- 2 teaspoons olive oil divided
- 0.667 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 bags frozen cranberries 12-ounce each
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon orange zest divided
- 0.75 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper; mix gently and shape into 1½-inch meatballs.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown meatballs on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
- Transfer meatballs to the baking sheet and bake for 12–15 minutes, until cooked through.
Sauce
- To the same skillet, add the remaining oil and sauté onion over medium-high until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add cranberries, brown sugar, cornstarch, half the orange zest, and salt; stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and sauce thickens, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining orange zest, add the meatballs back to the skillet, and gently toss to coat in sauce.
Notes
Chill shaped meatballs for 15 minutes before searing to maintain their shape.
Simmer the sauce on medium-low to prevent the sugar from scorching and achieve a glossy texture.
For make-ahead, freeze cooled meatballs and sauce in portions and reheat in a 325°F oven until warmed through.