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Cranberry Orange Meatballs

Cranberry orange meatballs bake until browned, then simmer in a tangy cranberry-orange sauce until lightly thickened. Serve these tender, saucy meatballs warm as an appetizer or party bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 33 minutes
Resting 2 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 300
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatballs
  • 0.5 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 0.25 cup milk
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 85% lean
  • 1 egg large
  • 0.25 cup yellow onion finely grated
  • 0.75 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Sauce
  • 1 can (14 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce
  • 0.5 cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest finely grated
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Equipment

  • 1 rimmed 18x13-inch baking sheet
  • 1 3-quart saucepan

Method
 

Shape and bake the meatballs
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Line a rimmed 18x13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, stir the plain breadcrumbs and milk together.
  4. Let the breadcrumb mixture stand for 2 minutes.
  5. Add the ground beef, egg, finely grated yellow onion, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  6. Mix gently just until combined.
  7. Shape the mixture into about 30 meatballs, each about 1 inch wide, and arrange them on the baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, until browned and the center of a meatball registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Make the sauce
  1. In a 3-quart saucepan, stir together the whole-berry cranberry sauce, orange juice, finely grated orange zest, packed light brown sugar, and Dijon mustard.
  2. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  3. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Finish and serve
  1. Add the baked meatballs to the sauce.
  2. Simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring carefully to coat them.
  3. Serve warm.

Notes

For even coating, stir the meatballs gently in the sauce. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version.