Description
These Slow Cooker Cranberry BBQ Meatballs combine tender ground turkey meatballs baked to perfection and simmered in a tangy, sweet cranberry barbecue sauce. Perfect as a hearty appetizer or a flavorful main dish, they meld the tartness of cranberries with savory spices for a comforting and festive meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1/2 cup finely ground almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce
- 2 cups bbq sauce
- 1 batch homemade cranberry sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, whisked egg, almond flour, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Use your hands to gently mix the ingredients until they are well incorporated but do not overwork the mixture to keep meatballs tender.
- Shape Meatballs: Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out the meat mixture and roll it into uniform meatballs. You should be able to form about 20 meatballs in total.
- Bake Meatballs: Drizzle olive oil over the prepared sheet pan, place the meatballs evenly spaced on it, and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating they are fully cooked.
- Make Sauce Mixture: While the meatballs are baking, whisk together the homemade cranberry sauce, bbq sauce, ground mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Combine Meatballs and Sauce: After baking, transfer the cooked meatballs to the base of your slow cooker. Pour the prepared sauce over the meatballs and gently toss to coat all meatballs in the sauce evenly.
- Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook the meatballs on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours to allow flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Serve: Serve the meatballs warm, optionally garnished with thinly sliced green onions. Provide toothpicks for easy serving as an appetizer or enjoy as a main dish.
Notes
- This recipe uses ground turkey for a leaner option, but ground beef or pork can also be substituted.
- Homemade cranberry sauce adds fantastic freshness and tartness; canned cranberry sauce can be used in a pinch but will alter flavor slightly.
- For extra flavor, consider adding finely chopped onions or herbs like parsley to the meatball mixture.
- Make sure the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F to ensure they are cooked through safely.
- The slow cooker step is essential to infuse the meatballs with the cranberry BBQ sauce flavor and keep them moist.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 62.4 g
- Sodium: 1218.6 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 87.3 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 21.3 g
- Cholesterol: 99.8 mg
