You only need four ingredients and a crock pot to make the best Cocktail Meatballs. They’re sweet and spicy and so easy to make you’ll want to make them for every holiday and party celebration! Just pop everything in the slow cooker, and a few hours later you have an irresistible appetizer everyone will love.
If you need an appetizer or snack for the holidays or parties, you have to try this cocktail meatball recipe. It’s simple, delicious, and easy to serve! Meatballs simmered in a sweet and spicy sauce is a great combination.
Like our BBQ meatballs, we’ve been making these cocktail meatballs for years. They’re so incredibly easy to make and almost impossible to resist.
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Best Cocktail Meatball Recipe
The sauce is made with cranberry sauce and chili sauce, so you get that great combination of spicy, sweet, and tart!
Using frozen meatballs makes this the easiest appetizer recipe ever. Choose your favorite brand!
Once everything is in the crock pot, leave it to do all the work. When the meatballs are hot and the sauce is bubbling, they’re ready to serve.
Cocktail meatballs are always a hit when we make them – they’re practically a requirement for our holiday parties!
Ingredients
- Frozen meatballs
- Cranberry sauce
- Chili sauce
- Brown sugar
Cocktail Meatball Sauce
To make the sauce, mix the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar until well combined.
You can do this in a bowl or mix it right in the slow cooker to save on dishes.
How to Cook Cocktail Meatballs in the Crock Pot
Add the frozen meatballs to the crock pot and stir to coat them in the sauce.
Cover and cook them on low for four to five hours or on high for two to three hours. The meatballs are ready when they are cooked through, and the sauce is hot.
Recipe and Serving Tips
You can serve the cocktail meatballs right from the slow cooker – it’s an easy way to keep them warm during a party. Just leave long toothpicks next to it so everyone can help themselves.
Or, transfer them to a serving dish, spoon the extra sauce into a smaller bowl and serve it as a dip for the meatballs.
Can you make them ahead?
You can mix the sauce a day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator. The next day combine it with the meatballs and simmer them in the crock pot until they’re ready.
Storage Tips
If you have leftover cocktail meatballs, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for three to four days.
To rewarm them, you can pop them in the microwave or heat them up on the stove in a saucepan.
Make a batch of the best cocktail meatballs for your next party, and I guarantee they will disappear fast! In fact, you might want to make a double batch just to be safe – no one can get enough of them when we make them. Enjoy!
Other Appetizers You’ll Enjoy
Cocktail Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 26 – 36 oz pkg frozen meatballs
- 2 cans of Cranberry Sauce Jelly or Whole Cranberries
- ⅛ C. Chili Sauce (add more or less depending on your desired spice level, this is on the lower end!)
- ¼ C. Brown Sugar
Instructions
- In a crock pot, add the cans of cranberry sauce, chili sauce and brown sugar. Set temp to low.
- With a whisk, break the cranberry sauce up. Mix all ingredients together.
- Add the frozen meatballs and coat well with the cranberry sauce.
- Cover and cook for 4-5 hrs until meatballs are thoroughly heated through. You can also set the temp to high and cook 2-3 hrs until meatballs are heated through.
- Serve excess sauce as a dip for the meatballs. Enjoy!
Recipe Nutrition
These Cocktail Meatballs are sweet and spicy and so easy to make you’ll want to make them for every holiday and party celebration!