As the festive season approaches, we find our kitchens becoming the cheerful hub of all holiday preparations. We’re always searching for that one perfect party recipe—something that’s simple to whip up, can easily satisfy a gathering, and tastes absolutely wonderful. Allow us to introduce our truly special Christmas Cranberry Meatballs Recipe. These delightful morsels are the ultimate festive appetizer, perfectly balancing savoury, succulent meatballs with a tangy and sweet cranberry glaze that truly captures the spirit of Christmas. They are the ideal nibble to offer at a holiday party, and we guarantee they’ll vanish from the plate in no time, leaving your guests begging for the recipe. This year, let’s focus on simple, comforting, and utterly delicious food that gives us more precious time to spend with our friends and family.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Pure Festive Flavour: The glorious blend of rich pork and beef, aromatic herbs, and a shimmering, sweet-yet-tart cranberry and orange glaze offers the taste of the holidays in a single, perfect bite.
• Beautifully Easy to Prepare: This recipe is refreshingly straightforward. We guide you through simple steps, and you can even make the meatballs and sauce ahead of time, ensuring your party day is wonderfully stress-free.
• Uses Festive Pantry Staples: You’ll likely already have many of these ingredients, such as cranberry sauce and orange juice, in your kitchen during the Christmas period, which means no last-minute dash to the shops!
• Wonderfully Versatile: While they are a star appetizer, these meatballs are also fabulous served over creamy mashed potatoes for a cosy family dinner or with fluffy rice for a quick and satisfying meal.

The Perfect Party Food

What defines outstanding party food for us? It needs to meet three crucial criteria: it should be easy to eat while mingling, it must be suitable for making in advance, and above all, it has to be bursting with flavour. These cranberry meatballs meet every requirement with flying colours. They are a superb addition to any holiday buffet, fitting in perfectly next to cheese boards, sausage rolls, and other festive treats. We adore serving them directly from a slow cooker set to a warm setting, with a small pot of cocktail sticks nearby for effortless self-service. It’s a low-effort, high-reward method for feeding guests that we rely on every year.

Tips for the Juiciest Meatballs

The secret to an unforgettable meatball lies in its texture. We’re aiming for tender and moist, never tough or dry. We’ve made this recipe countless times to achieve perfection, and we’ve collected a few indispensable tips for you along the way.

• A Gentle Touch is Key: When combining your meatball ingredients, use your hands and mix only until everything is just incorporated. Overworking the mince can result in dense and tough meatballs.
• Choose Your Mince Wisely: We recommend a 50/50 mix of pork and beef mince. The pork adds essential fat and flavour, keeping the meatballs lovely and moist, while the beef provides a deep, savoury taste. Try to avoid overly lean mince.
• Dampen Your Hands: Keep a little bowl of water close by when you’re rolling the meatballs. Wet hands stop the mixture from sticking, helping you to form smooth, consistent balls with ease.
• Don’t Skip the Sear: Searing the meatballs in a hot pan before they meet the sauce is a vital step. It creates a beautiful brown crust that locks in moisture and adds a huge depth of flavour that you simply can’t get from baking.

Ingredients

• For the Meatballs:
• 250g pork mince (at least 10% fat)
• 250g beef mince (15-20% fat)
• 75g panko breadcrumbs
• 60ml whole milk
• 1 large free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 1 small onion, very finely grated or chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• A good pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for frying
• For the Cranberry Glaze:
• 300g smooth cranberry sauce
• 120ml fresh orange juice
• 2 tbsp light brown soft sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (we use a light soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes (optional, adjust to taste)

Making It in a Slow Cooker

This recipe is perfectly suited for the slow cooker, transforming it into the ultimate hands-off party dish. It frees up space on your hob and keeps the meatballs wonderfully warm for hours, allowing guests to serve themselves. The process couldn’t be simpler:

1. First, prepare and brown the meatballs in a frying pan as directed in the main recipe. We insist you don’t skip this step, as it’s crucial for developing flavour!
2. As the meatballs are browning, simply whisk all the cranberry glaze ingredients together directly in your slow cooker pot.
3. Once beautifully browned, carefully transfer the meatballs into the sauce. Give it all a gentle stir to make sure every meatball is coated.
4. Cook on the low setting for 3-4 hours or on high for 1.5-2 hours, until the sauce has thickened nicely and the meatballs are fully cooked.
5. Switch the slow cooker to its ‘keep warm’ setting for serving. It’s truly that easy!

This method is an absolute lifesaver for any holiday party, ensuring every single meatball served is perfectly hot and delicious.

Instructions

1. Create the Panade: In a small bowl, stir together the panko breadcrumbs and milk. Let this stand for 5 minutes so the breadcrumbs can soften. This simple step is our secret to wonderfully tender meatballs.
2. Combine the Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, add the pork and beef mince, the soaked breadcrumb mixture, beaten egg, grated onion, minced garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Using your hands, gently combine everything until it’s just mixed. Take care not to overwork it.
3. Shape the Meatballs: With slightly damp hands, roll the mixture into small, even-sized balls, roughly 1.5 inches in diameter. This should yield about 25-30 meatballs. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Brown the Meatballs: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches on all sides to avoid overcrowding the pan, which takes about 5-7 minutes per batch. They don’t need to be cooked through yet. Set the browned meatballs aside on a plate.
5. Craft the Cranberry Glaze: Turn the heat down to medium-low. If there’s a lot of fat left in the pan, carefully drain most of it, leaving about a tablespoon. Add all the glaze ingredients to the pan: cranberry sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and chilli flakes, if you’re using them. Whisk until the sauce is smooth.
6. Simmer and Combine: Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, stirring now and then. Let it bubble for 2-3 minutes to thicken up a little. Gently return the seared meatballs to the pan, turning them carefully to coat them in the luscious glaze.
7. Cook Through: Place a lid on the pan, reduce the heat to low, and allow the meatballs to simmer gently in the sauce for 15-20 minutes. They are ready when cooked through and the sauce is glossy and has thickened.
8. Serve and Garnish: Move the cranberry meatballs and all of that glorious sauce to a serving platter. Garnish with a little extra fresh parsley or a grating of fresh orange zest for a splash of colour. Serve hot with cocktail sticks for easy nibbling.

Serving Suggestions

While these make a flawless party appetizer, we encourage you not to stop there! We adore discovering new ways to enjoy them. For a comforting family meal, spoon them over a pile of creamy mashed potatoes or buttery egg noodles, allowing the incredible sauce to seep into every mouthful. They are also brilliant served with steamed rice and a simple green vegetable, like broccoli or green beans. For a more relaxed meal, you could even stuff them into a crusty roll to create a festive meatball sub. If you are curating a menu of crowd-pleasing bites for your party, these meatballs are a fantastic partner to our Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Tenders, creating a truly memorable spread.

Frequently Asked Questions

And there you have it – the most delicious Christmas cranberry meatballs, poised to be the highlight of your holiday festivities. They are wonderfully simple, full of festive spirit, and guaranteed to delight all of your guests. We are so thrilled for you to give this recipe a go and hope it becomes one of your own cherished traditions. It’s a dish that comes from our love of sharing wonderful food with special people during the most magical time of the year. If you’re seeking a sweet treat to complete your party menu, why not try our fantastically easy and tasty Biscoff Truffles? Happy cooking, and we wish you a very merry Christmas season! We’d love to hear how your meatballs turned out in the comments below!

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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• For the Meatballs:
• 250g pork mince (at least 10% fat)
• 250g beef mince (15-20% fat)
• 75g panko breadcrumbs
• 60ml whole milk
• 1 large free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 1 small onion, very finely grated or chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• A good pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for frying
• For the Cranberry Glaze:
• 300g smooth cranberry sauce
• 120ml fresh orange juice
• 2 tbsp light brown soft sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (we use a light soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes (optional, adjust to taste)

Instructions

1. Create the Panade: In a small bowl, stir together the panko breadcrumbs and milk. Let this stand for 5 minutes so the breadcrumbs can soften. This simple step is our secret to wonderfully tender meatballs.
2. Combine the Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, add the pork and beef mince, the soaked breadcrumb mixture, beaten egg, grated onion, minced garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Using your hands, gently combine everything until it’s just mixed. Take care not to overwork it.
3. Shape the Meatballs: With slightly damp hands, roll the mixture into small, even-sized balls, roughly 1.5 inches in diameter. This should yield about 25-30 meatballs. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Brown the Meatballs: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches on all sides to avoid overcrowding the pan, which takes about 5-7 minutes per batch. They don’t need to be cooked through yet. Set the browned meatballs aside on a plate.
5. Craft the Cranberry Glaze: Turn the heat down to medium-low. If there’s a lot of fat left in the pan, carefully drain most of it, leaving about a tablespoon. Add all the glaze ingredients to the pan: cranberry sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and chilli flakes, if you’re using them. Whisk until the sauce is smooth.
6. Simmer and Combine: Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, stirring now and then. Let it bubble for 2-3 minutes to thicken up a little. Gently return the seared meatballs to the pan, turning them carefully to coat them in the luscious glaze.
7. Cook Through: Place a lid on the pan, reduce the heat to low, and allow the meatballs to simmer gently in the sauce for 15-20 minutes. They are ready when cooked through and the sauce is glossy and has thickened.
8. Serve and Garnish: Move the cranberry meatballs and all of that glorious sauce to a serving platter. Garnish with a little extra fresh parsley or a grating of fresh orange zest for a splash of colour. Serve hot with cocktail sticks for easy nibbling.

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