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    Allianna's Kitchen » Meals » Appetizers

    Published: Nov 30, 2020 · Modified: Mar 5, 2023 by Allianna Moximchalk · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

    Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

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    These Cranberry BBQ Meatballs are sweet and savory. They are the perfect post thanksgiving appetizer and snack. You can make them with any leftover cranberry sauce or also prep them with your traditional paleo thanksgiving meal. These meatballs can be made two ways, one with frozen meatballs or with meatballs from scratch. Both sets of instructions are included. With these meatballs only taking 5 minutes to prep, it is a no brainer to add them to your holiday menu.

    Paleo Cranberry BBQ Meatballs on a white serving dish with wooden toothpicks in them and garnished with citrus zest and bright green herbs and accompanied by a wooden bowl of greens in the background.

    These meatballs are a great way to get into the spirit of the holidays with all the flavors but without all the work and mess!

    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients:
    • Substitutions and Variations
    • Step By Step Instructions
    • Equipment
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Storage Instructions
    • Other Gluten Free Meatball Recipes You Will Love
    • Did you try this recipe?
    • Paleo Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

    Why You Will Love This Recipe

    • This recipe is simple to make with short cut options to make it even simpler.
    • This is a great recipe to help use up some of your Thanksgiving dinner.
    • Kids will love this recipe.
    • These meatballs are naturally paleo, dairy free, gluten free, soy free, refined sugar free, whole 30 friendly, nut free, and grain free.
    • This recipe has only four ingredients!
    • This is a perfect crockpot meal to use during the busy holiday season!
    • You can prepare this recipe in advance so that all you have to do is dump it into the crockpot and turn it on.
    • I love making this recipe with my Whole30 Cranberry Sauce.

    Ingredients:

    Paleo cranberry bbq meatball ingredients laid out in small glass bowls laid out on a tray.

    This recipe has two options. The first option is to use frozen store bought meatballs to help save on time. The second option is to make meatballs from scratch. I will be including both ingredient options below. 

    For The Frozen Meatball Recipe

    Frozen meatballs-Whole Foods has a lot of goods brands that are naturally dairy and gluten free. However, the one brand I did end up buying had soy in it, which normally is not ideal but I used these for a neighborhood get together so the soy was ok. 

    Cranberry sauce-I used the cranberry sauce from my leftover thanksgiving meal. You can find the recipe here. You can also buy the store bought canned version kind. Just make sure it does not have any added sugar, especially if you are doing the whole30.

    BBQ sauce-I love this brand. It is naturally paleo and whole30 friendly. 

    For The Scratch Made Meatball Recipe

    Ground pork-I prefer pork over ground beef because the texture is better.

    Almond flour-This acts as your binding agent. Not all gluten free flours are created equally, do not substitute. 

    Egg yolk-I use the egg yolk vs. the whole egg because the meatballs become too soft and will not hold up in the crock pot if there is too much liquid, so stick with the yolk only!

    Garlic, onion, pepper, and parsley-These ingredients are what gives this recipe the Italian meatball taste! You can substitute for your favorite Italian spices, these are just mine. 

    See the recipe card below for a full list ingredients and measurements.

    Substitutions and Variations

    • You can make this recipe using different cranberry sauce recipes and BBQ sauces to create different flavor combinations.
    • You can also add different herbs and citrus to change and enhance the flavors.

    This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations. If you try something else out please let me know how it turns out in the comments below!

    Step By Step Instructions

    Frozen meatballs, BBQ sauce, and cranberry sauce in a crock pot.
    First, put all ingredients into crockpot for 3 hours on low. Then, garnish with parsley and orange zest.

    Meatballs From Scratch

    First, mix all meatball ingredients in a bowl.

    Next, form 30 little small balls.

    Now,  cook the meatballs at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. 

    Keep in mind they do not need to be cooked all of the way through because they are going to cook a little more in the crockpot. 

    Lastly, add the sauces and meatballs to the crockpot and cook for 3 hours on low.

    Equipment

    • Crockpot
    • Measuring cups

    Expert Tips

    • Tip #1: Be sure to make sure to mix the meatballs before serving to ensure that the cranberry and BBQ sauces are mixed together in a cohesive sauce.
    • Tip #2: Making the meatballs from scratch allows you control of the ingredients and measurements of seasonings in the meat.
    • Tip #3: The best way to know if the meatballs are cooked through is if a meat thermometer shows that the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F.
    Paleo cranberry bbq meatballs in a salmon colored serving dish on a white marbled tabled and garnished with fresh green parsley.

    Recipe FAQs

    How can I reheat these meatballs?

    You can reheat them on the stovetop with all of the juices for 5 minutes OR you can reheat them in the crockpot on warm for 30 minutes.

    How can I serve these meatballs?

    You can serve these as an appetizer with toothpicks in the meatballs on a platter or you serve them all in a large serving bowl! Both are a Thanksgiving crowd pleaser.

    Is there additional prep I can do in advance?

    If you are making the meatballs from scratch, you can make the recipe in bulk in advance and freeze them. This way anytime you want scratch made meatballs you can grab the amount you need from the freezer!

    What Can I Serve This With?

    I love to serve these with my Whole30 Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Sweet Potato Mash, and Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Pomegranate.

    Paleo cranberry bbq meatballs on a white platter with a wooden toothpick in it and garnished with fresh green parsley.

    Storage Instructions

    • This recipe can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in an air tight container.

    Other Gluten Free Meatball Recipes You Will Love

    • Gluten free meatballs on a white plate covered in red sauce and parsley.
      The Best Gluten Free Meatballs
    • 1 1 scaled
      Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs (Paleo, Whole30)
    • buffalo chicken meatballs stacked on top of each other with whole30 ranch and parsley
      Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
    • close up of one meatball
      Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs (Paleo, Whole30)

    Did you try this recipe?

    Leave a star rating and review below.

    Be sure to tag me on Instagram
    Cranberry BBQ Meatballs 4

    Paleo Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 3 hours hours
    Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
    Servings 30 meatballs
    Author Allianna Moximchalk
    35kcal
    Cost $7
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Equipment

    • crockpot

    Ingredients

    For the meatballs:

    • 2 cups cranberry sauce If you are on the Whole30, be sure the sauce had no added sweeteners. This recipe is intended to be used for post thanksgiving leftover cranberry sauce OR canned, however, I do have a scratch cranberry sauce you can make. Click on the link for my cranberry recipe or see the text above.
    • 3 cups bbq sauce I like the noble made classic BBQ brand. It is naturally whole30 compliant.
    • 30 frozen meatballs This recipe is intended to be quick! If you would prefer to make your own meatballs, see the recipe below.

    To garnish:

    • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
    • orange zest

    For the fresh meatballs:

    • 1 pound ground pork
    • 1/2 cup diced onion
    • 1 yolk egg
    • 1/4 cup almond flour
    • 5 cloves garlic
    • 1 tsp black pepper
    • 1/2 cup fresh parsley

    Instructions

    For the pre made frozen meatballs:

    • Place all ingredients in a crockpot on low for 3 hours.

    For the fresh meatball version:

    • Preheat the oven to 400.
    • Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
    • Roll the meatballs into 30 little balls.
    • Bake for 15 minutes (remember they do not have to be cooked through because they will be going in the crockpot.)
    • Place the BBQ sauce and cranberry sauce in the crockpot on low for 3 hours.

    To garnish:

    • Garnish with orange zest or fresh parsley.

    Notes

    Storage: This recipe can be stored in an air tight glass container for 5 days in the refrigerator.
    Nutrition: The nutrition for this recipe is an estimate and the calorie count is not guaranteed.  It is based on six servings. 
    Servings: This recipe should yield approximately 6 servings.
    The perfect combination between sweet, spicy, and tart. These crowd pleasing meatballs are perfect for all of your holiday and hosting needs.
    Serving: 5meatballs | Calories: 35kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag me on instagram @alliannaskitchen!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lori says

      February 18, 2022 at 2:19 pm

      5 stars
      So good! I love the sweet and savory flavors. Such a good appetizer for a crowd

      Reply
      • Allianna Moximchalk says

        February 18, 2022 at 2:30 pm

        Thanks for your review!

        Reply
    2. Keith H says

      December 26, 2020 at 12:59 am

      5 stars
      Excellent Meatballs Allianna ! I wasn’t quite sure how good these would be but, once I tasted them, loved them ! Thank you for sharing !

      Reply
      • allianna says

        December 26, 2020 at 10:13 pm

        Thank you so much, Keith!

        Reply
    3. allianna says

      December 17, 2020 at 4:43 pm

      You are welcome!

      Reply
    4. Marissa says

      December 17, 2020 at 2:14 am

      5 stars
      These were so easy to make in the crockpot and everyone loved them! I will definitely make them again.

      Reply
      • allianna says

        December 17, 2020 at 4:43 pm

        Thank you so much Marissa! I am glad you enjoyed them.

        Reply
    5. joker says

      December 14, 2020 at 7:12 pm

      5 stars
      I think that is among the such a lot significant information for me. Trudi Arch Trabue

      Reply
    6. john wick says

      December 10, 2020 at 3:58 pm

      5 stars
      Great article! We are linking to this great post on our site. Keep up the great writing. Francene Ryon Sauer

      Reply
      • allianna says

        December 10, 2020 at 11:31 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Allianna! Allianna's Kitchen started by accident after battling an undiagnosed autoimmune disease for nearly my whole life.

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