These Cranberry Chicken Meatballs make a festive appetizer or meal perfect for those holiday gatherings! They come together in less than 30 minutes and are a great make-ahead option! Serve these homemade meatballs cocktail-style or along with preferred sides. {Gluten-free & paleo}
Table of Contents
Cranberry Chicken Meatballs
No holiday season is complete without some delicious finger food appetizers, and these cranberry chicken meatballs are always a hit! They’re super pretty to serve up with their ruby red hue and the vibrant green sprinkle of parsley makes them look so festive.
The cranberry sauce for these chicken cocktail meatballs is made completely from scratch with simple ingredients. It has a sweet and sour taste to it with a slight kick of heat, which complements the flavorful meatballs perfectly!
This cranberry meatballs appetizer is sweet, tangy and savory all at the same time, which will totally tantalize those taste buds!
For more healthy cranberry recipes, be sure to check out this Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Sauce and Cranberry Chicken Salad!
Why We Love this Chicken Meatballs Appetizer
- Less processed: Overall, this cranberry meatballs recipe is much healthier than buying store-bought frozen meatballs and a can of cranberry sauce because it isn’t full of processed ingredients and you can control exactly what goes into it.
- Suit a variety of dietary needs: These cocktail meatballs are gluten-free and paleo-friendly for those who may have dietary restrictions or intolerances.
- Perfect appetizer: They are a great make-ahead party appetizer and are freezer-friendly too. Perfect if you have leftovers!
Ingredient Notes
For the Appetizer Meatballs
- Ground chicken – Use extra lean ground chicken for this recipe. You can also use different ground meats like ground beef, turkey or pork if you prefer.
- Almond flour – The almond flour helps to bind the meatball mixture together. You can sub in panko, regular or gluten-free bread crumbs if desired.
- Herbs & seasonings – Onion powder, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and parsley are used to add plenty of flavor to the meatballs.
For the Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Orange juice and zest – I used a large orange for this recipe, but you could also use the zest and juice of tangerines or clementines if that’s what you have on hand. Use the juice from fresh oranges rather than store-bought orange juice for lots of zesty flavor.
- Honey – Used to naturally sweeten the sauce. You can also use maple syrup if desired.
- Cranberries – You can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make the sauce.
- Chili garlic sauce – For a slight kick of heat. You can also use some chili sauce and a touch of sriracha hot sauce if you can’t find the chili garlic sauce.
- Cinnamon – A little cinnamon complements the other flavors so nicely and adds a touch of sweetness and warmth to the sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Make Easy Cocktail Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together ground chicken, onion powder, almond flour, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and parsley in a large mixing bowl, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Form into small meatballs (about 1-inch balls) and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until meatballs are lightly browned and cooked through.
How to Make Cranberry Sauce for Meatballs
- While the meatballs are baking, whisk together orange juice and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat until the honey dissolves. Add cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes, until the berries soften, then reduce heat and add orange zest, cinnamon and chili garlic sauce, cooking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. You may wish to mash the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon to achieve a jam-like consistency.
- Remove cranberry sauce from heat and season with salt and pepper as needed. Toss sauce with cooked meatballs, garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Recipe Tips:
- Use extra lean or lean ground chicken for leaner meatballs with less saturated fat content. You can also sub in extra lean or lean ground turkey, beef or pork.
- If you find your meatballs are a bit dry, you can add an egg to the meat mixture. I’ve made the meatballs both with and without an egg and both times, the recipe turned out well. That being said, I found the meatballs easier to roll without the egg, so that’s why I chose to leave it out of the recipe.
- Don’t overwork the meatball mixture when combining the ingredients or the meatballs will be tough.
- Wet your hands before rolling the meat mixture into balls to prevent mixture from sticking to your hands. You can also use a small ice cream scoop to make the meatballs if you have one on hand.
- Don’t turn up the heat too high when cooking the cranberry sauce or the cranberries may pop and splash all over you and the kitchen. Instead, keep the saucepan over medium low heat to minimize any mess (and burns) and prevent the cranberry sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Adjust amount of chili garlic sauce depending on how much heat you like. I used two tablespoons and found that it offered just the right amount of heat without being overly spicy.
- For a thicker, less chunky cranberry sauce, mash the cranberries with the back of a spoon or fork when they’re all done cooking.
- If you like your meatballs extra saucy or plan to serve the meatballs up over rice, you may wish to double the cranberry sauce recipe. If you have sauce leftover, you can always freeze any extra sauce.
Recipe FAQs
They do have a bit of a kick to them, but I wouldn’t consider them to be overly spicy. If you don’t want as much heat, reduce the chili garlic sauce to one tablespoon instead of two.
I used this chili garlic sauce that I found in the international aisle. You could also sub in chili sauce and a bit of sriracha hot sauce if you can’t find chili garlic sauce.
Yes, you can whip up a batch of these meatballs in advance and then reheat them later. They reheat beautifully, which makes them a great party appetizer.
You can also prepare the meatballs and cranberry sauce in advance separately and then combine right before serving.
You can tell the doneness of a meatball when it registers 165°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the center. The outside should also be lightly golden and the juices should run clear.
How to Store
Refrigerate the leftover meatballs in an airtight container for up to four days.
Can You Freeze this Recipe?
Definitely, however, I would recommend freezing the meatballs and cranberry sauce separately.
To freeze the meatballs: Allow them to cool completely at room temperature. Transfer them to a freezer safe container and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To freeze the cranberry sauce: Freeze sauce separately in an air-tight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag.
How to Reheat
Microwave: Reheat the cranberry appetizer meatballs on full power for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
Crockpot: The slow cooker is a great way to reheat the meatballs in a large batch. Cook them on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 hours until heated through. You can then place the slow cooker on the warm setting until you are ready to serve.
If your meatballs are frozen, defrost them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
You could serve these cranberry chicken meatballs up as an appetizer in the form of cocktail meatballs with cute little forks or toothpicks. They would be great paired with this Christmas Wreath Veggie Tray or Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board!
Or you could make them more into a meal and serve them over brown, white rice or cauliflower rice and a green salad, or along with any of the following sides:
- Mashed Potatoes with Greek Yogurt
- Fresh Green Beans with Bacon
- Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Apples
- Green Beans with Cranberries and Almonds
- Christmas Wreath Salad
- Kale Beet Salad
- Green Beans with Red Peppers
- Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate
- Pomegranate Feta Salad
Recipe Variations
There are so many ways to adapt this cranberry meatballs appetizer based on your nutritional needs, and they’re just as tasty (if not more!) than store-bought.
- Watching your sugar intake? Reduce the honey used in the cranberry sauce.
- Watching your sodium levels? Reduce the salt used in the meatballs.
- Looking to reduce your saturated fat intake? Use an extra lean ground chicken, turkey or beef.
- For more spicy cranberry meatballs: Increase the amount of chili garlic sauce for an extra spicy sauce.
More Meatball Recipes
- Healthy Beef Meatballs
- Basil Chicken Meatballs
- Mexican Meatball Soup
- Chicken Quinoa Meatballs
- Asian Beef Meatballs
- Chicken Meatball Soup
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Cranberry Chicken Meatballs Appetizer
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 2 lbs extra lean ground chicken can also sub in ground beef or turkey
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup almond flour (can also sub in regular or gluten-free bread crumbs, if desired)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley finely minced (plus more for garnishing)
For the cranberry sauce:
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1.5 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together ground chicken, onion powder, almond flour, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and parsley in a large mixing bowl, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Form into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until meatballs are lightly browned and cooked through.
- While the meatballs are baking, whisk together orange juice and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat until the honey dissolves. Add cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes, until the berries soften, then reduce heat and add orange zest, cinnamon and chili garlic sauce, cooking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. You may wish to mash the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon to achieve a jam-like consistency.
- Remove cranberry sauce from heat and season with salt and pepper as needed. Toss sauce with baked meatballs, garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- Use extra lean or lean ground chicken for leaner meatballs with less saturated fat content. You can also sub in extra lean or lean ground turkey, beef or pork.
- If you find your meatballs are a bit dry, you can add an egg to the meat mixture. I’ve made the meatballs both with and without an egg and both times, the recipe turned out well. That being said, I found the meatballs easier to roll without the egg, so that’s why I chose to leave it out of the recipe.
- Don’t overwork the meatball mixture when combining the ingredients or the meatballs will be tough.
- Wet your hands before rolling the meat mixture into balls to prevent mixture from sticking to your hands. You can also use a small ice cream scoop to make the meatballs if you have one on hand.
- Don’t turn up the heat too high when cooking the cranberry sauce or the cranberries may pop and splash all over you and the kitchen. Instead, keep the saucepan over medium low heat to minimize any mess (and burns) and prevent the cranberry sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Adjust amount of chili garlic sauce depending on how much heat you like. I used two tablespoons and found that it offered just the right amount of heat without being overly spicy.
- For a thicker, less chunky cranberry sauce, mash the cranberries with the back of a spoon or fork when they’re all done cooking.
- If you like your meatballs extra saucy or plan to serve the meatballs up over rice, you may wish to double the cranberry sauce recipe. If you have sauce leftover, you can always freeze any extra sauce.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in December 2018 and was updated December 2023 to include more helpful tips.
It is juicy, also can keep in the freezer, when you are busy for cooking, just reheat for meal. Wonderful!
If you sub gluten free breadcrumbs would it also be 1/2 cup? Would gluten free flour work?
Yes, it would also be 1/2 cup for the gluten-free bread crumbs. I haven’t personally tried subbing in GF flour for the almond flour, but I think the bread crumbs would work better in this case. Hope that helps!
This cranberry meatballs looks delicious, nice content, good read and informative.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the recipe and post!