Cranberry Meatballs with Spicy Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground turkey (or any ground meat)
• 1 small shallot, peeled and minced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons ketchup or tomato paste
• A dash of Worcestershire sauce

For the Cranberry Sauce

• 2 cups cranberry sauce (homemade or store-bought)
• ½ cup ketchup or your favorite BBQ sauce
• 3 tablespoons Thai chili sauce (Sambal Oelek or Sriracha)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prepare for baking the meatballs.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, minced shallot, grated garlic, egg, bread crumbs, chopped parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, ketchup (or tomato paste), and Worcestershire sauce. Mix everything well until evenly combined.
3. Roll the mixture into 1 to 1½ inch meatballs and place them in rows on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they don’t touch each other.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until meatballs are fully cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to check an internal temperature of 165°F for safety.
5. While the meatballs bake, combine cranberry sauce, ketchup or BBQ sauce, Thai chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan or skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces slightly.
6. Add the baked meatballs to the saucepan and stir gently to coat them well in the cranberry sauce. Continue cooking until meatballs are heated through.
7. Transfer meatballs to a serving dish, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve warm. Optionally, keep them warm in a slow cooker on low or keep warm setting.

Notes

• Store leftover meatballs in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and reheat gently before serving.
• Cooking time may vary depending on meatball size, oven differences, and altitude; always check internal temperature to avoid over- or under-cooking.
• To keep meatballs warm, place them with the cranberry sauce in a slow cooker on the KEEP WARM or LOW heat setting until ready to serve.
• For slow cooker preparation: bake meatballs for 8 minutes, then layer meatballs and sauce alternately in the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 2-4 hours until fully cooked, stirring gently once during cooking.