Christmas Meatballs: Cranberry and Orange Slow Cooker Meatballs

These Christmas Meatballs are so simple to prepare for the holidays! Swimming in a spiced cranberry and orange sauce, they are perfectly festive for your holiday spread! And there’s virtually no “cooking” for this simple recipe, just set it and forget it!

It’s a non-negotiable to have a mini crockpot of either meatballs or mini smokies on our counter for every holiday, so I love to get creative with sauce flavors. Cranberry, orange, brown sugar, and cinnamon are a merry combination of flavors for this seasonal treat!

What ingredients are needed to prepare Christmas Meatballs?

• 1 lb Frozen Meatballs
• 1 14.5 oz can Jellied Cranberry Sauce
• 2 Oranges, juiced and zested
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• Dash of Kosher Salt

Is there any equipment necessary?

• I recommend a small crock pot for this!

How to Prepare Christmas Meatballs?

1. In the base of your slow cooker, combine the cranberry sauce, orange zest, juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
2. Pour in the frozen meatballs, stir to coat completely in the sauce and cook on LOW for 4 – 6 hours or HIGH for 2 – 3 hours. Switch crock pot to warm for your event.
3. How to Prepare Christmas Meatballs on the Stove:
4. Prepare the frozen meatballs as directed on the package, I recommend baking in the oven.
5. Then combine the cranberry sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and dash of salt in a pot and warm over medium high heat until warm, bubbly and slightly reduced (about 10 minutes). Pour over meatballs and garnish with orange zest.

Storage:

Store the Christmas Meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

I do not recommend reheating the meatballs in a crockpot. Reheat them quickly in the microwave or on the stove and then transfer them to a crockpot on the “keep warm” setting.

Looking for other recipes for entertaining this Christmas?

To grab everything in one go, subscribe to A Toasted Crumb to download the FULL ‘So You’re Having a Christmas Party’ E-Book for FREE! It’s packed full of 12 entertaining recipes for all of your holiday gatherings!

But if you’re just looking for more Christmas Appetizers, I recommend these others from the blog!

• Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Danish
• Whipped Feta and Cranberry Crostini
• Mini Mac and Cheese Bites

I hope you loved my Christmas Meatballs recipe! If you try it, be sure to leave a comment or tag me @atoastedcrumb on all socials! I’d love to see your work!

Christmas Meatballs: Cranberry and Orange Crockpot Meatballs

Recipe by Amber Bogardus

Course: Recipe Index, Appetizers, SnacksCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

3

hours 

Total time

3

hours 

10

minutes

Swimming in a spiced cranberry and orange sauce, these easy party meatballs are perfect for your Christmas party! And there’s virtually no “cooking” for this simple recipe, just set it and forget it!

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 1 lb Frozen Meatballs

• 1 can Jellied Cranberry Sauce

• 2 Oranges, juiced and zested

• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar

• 1 tsp Cinnamon

• Dash Kosher Salt

Directions

• Slow Cooker Method
• In the base of your slow cooker, combine the cranberry sauce, orange zest, juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
• Pour in the frozen meatballs, stir to coat completely in the sauce and cook on LOW for 4 – 6 hours or HIGH for 2 – 3 hours. Switch slow cooker to warm for your event.
• How to Prepare Christmas Meatballs on the Stove
• Prepare the frozen meatballs as directed on the package, I recommend baking in the oven.
• Then combine the cranberry sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and dash of salt in a pot and warm over medium high heat until warm, bubbly and slightly reduced (about 10 minutes). Pour over meatballs and garnish with orange zest.

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