Cranberry BBQ Meatballs (Paleo, Whole30)

These paleo 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.

What Do I Need To Make Paleo Cranberry BBQ Meatballs?

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 meatballs 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 made from scratch meatballs-
  • 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. 

How To Make These Paleo Cranberry BBQ Meatballs:

• There are two ways to make these meatballs: one with fresh meatballs and one with frozen. I like the frozen ones for parties and events but would probably choose the fresh ones if I was making them for meal prep simply because I have yet to find a frozen paleo meatball that is dairy, gluten and soy free. 
  • OPTION 1 frozen-
    • This is going to sound way too good to be true, but I swear this is how simple they are. First, put all ingredients in the crockpot for 3 hours, then garnish with fresh parsley and orange zest. That is it! Super simple.
  • OPTION 2 fresh-
    • 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.

How Can I Reheat These Meatballs?

• Yes! Absolutely! 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 Store Leftovers?

Super simple, I like to use an airtight glass container. You can store them in your fridge for up to 5 days.

If you like this recipe, you will LOVE:

• The Best Ever Paleo Italian Meatballs
• Chicken Curry Meatballs
• Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
• Whole30 Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs

Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword paleo bbw cranberry meatballs, paleo meatballs, paleo spicy meatballs, paleo thanksgiving recipes, whole30 appetizers, whole30 meatballs, whole30 snacks

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 5 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 how 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 throughout 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.
• ENJOY! If you make this recipe I would love it if you shared the link to this recipe with a friend, left a comment below or tagged me on instagram with a picture @alliannaskitchen

Notes

You can store the meatballs in the fridge for up to 5 days. When serving I like to use toothpicks. 

The perfect combination between sweet, spicy, and tart. These crowd pleasing meatballs are perfect for all of your holiday and hosting needs.

Serving: 1meatball | 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!