Description
Delicious slow cooker sweet and spicy BBQ cranberry turkey meatballs made with lean ground turkey and a homemade cranberry BBQ sauce. These meatballs are browned on the stovetop before being simmered in a tangy, flavorful sauce in the slow cooker for tender and juicy results. Perfect for parties, appetizers, or a cozy family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
BBQ Cranberry Sauce
- 1 batch homemade cranberry sauce
- 1 ½ cups spicy BBQ sauce (or BBQ sauce of choice)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for a hint of spice)
Meatballs
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey (or ground chicken)
- 1 egg
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ tablespoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the BBQ Cranberry Sauce. In the bowl of a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker, combine the homemade cranberry sauce, spicy BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, water, and optional cayenne pepper. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are well mixed.
- Mix the Meatball Ingredients. In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, egg, minced garlic, panko breadcrumbs, ground sage, dried thyme, ground cumin, allspice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Use clean hands to gently mix everything until just combined without overworking the meat.
- Form Meatballs. Shape the mixture into approximately 20 evenly sized meatballs, about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter each.
- Brown the Meatballs. Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Place the meatballs in the skillet without overcrowding and brown them on all sides, turning gently every minute or so, for about 4-5 minutes total. Work in batches if needed.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker. Carefully transfer the browned meatballs into the slow cooker over the prepared sauce. Spoon some sauce over the meatballs to coat them well.
- Slow Cook the Meatballs. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 6-7 hours until the meatballs are cooked through and tender.
- Serve. When ready to serve, set the slow cooker to warm. Serve the meatballs hot with toothpicks as an appetizer or on plates as a main dish. This recipe yields about 20 meatballs, serving 10 people with 2 meatballs per serving.
Notes
- You can substitute ground chicken for turkey if preferred.
- If you don’t have homemade cranberry sauce, you can use store-bought, but homemade provides the best flavor.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper quantity or omit it based on your preferred spice level.
- For gluten-free, substitute panko breadcrumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- The browning step helps lock in flavor and improve texture but can be omitted for a quicker prep; however, the meatballs may be less caramelized.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and freeze well for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 meatballs (approximately 120 grams)
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
