This easy recipe for gluten free slow cooker cranberry meatballs is a perfect holiday appetizer! They are cooked in your crockpot for 2-4 hours on low and then ready to serve hot. I used ground beef, but you could easily use ground turkey for these tangy meatballs with cranberries and chili sauce.
Gluten-free slow cooker cranberry meatballs are a delightful and savory addition to your holiday gatherings, making them an ideal appetizer for Christmas or Thanksgiving celebrations. This easy meatball recipe combines the richness of homemade meatballs with a sweet and tangy cranberry chili sauce, creating a dish that is sure to impress your guests.
Perfect as a cocktail meatball option for serving at parties, these bite-sized treats are both satisfying and easy to prepare, allowing you to enjoy time with your loved ones rather than spending all day in the kitchen.
For this recipe you can purchase whole cranberry sauce or you can make my recipe for gluten free cranberry jam. I like the convenience of purchasing cranberry sauce, but I also love to have extra of my cranberry jam for the holidays too.
If you are looking for more meatball recipes try my Gluten Free Slow Cooker Hawaiin Meatballs, my Gluten Free Slow Cooker Barbecue Meatballs, my Gluten Free Swedish Style Meatballs or my Gluten Free Slow Cooker Meatballs.
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Instructions
In a mixing bowl using your hands or a large spoon mix together the ground beef, gluten free bread crumbs, egg, parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley until well combined.
In a mixing bowl or large measuring cup whisk together the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, water and brown sugar until well combined.
Pour enough of the sauce mixture on the bottom of your slow cooker to coat it. Then roll the meatball mixture into golf ball sized balls and place them touching, but not on top of each other on the bottom of the slow cooker.
After all the meatballs are in the slow cooker pour the rest of the sauce on top of the meatballs.
Set your crockpot to low and and cook 2-4 hours until the internal temperature is a minimum of 165 degrees.
Move the meatballs to a plate and pour a bit of sauce over them to serve with toothpicks for an appetizer or over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles for a meal.
Supplies
Frequently Asked Questions
The key is gluten free breadcrumbs. There are several brands that have certified gluten free breadcrumbs. You can also use rice crumbs. I've used both and been happy with both options.
The gluten free bread or rice crumbs along with the egg will help the meatballs to hold their shape. Once the meatballs are in the crockpot I don't stir them until they are fully cooked so they don't fall apart.
I like to use these meatballs as an appetizer during the holidays and I serve them on their own with toothpicks. They are also delicious served with mashed potatoes or buttered pasta for a meal.
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
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Gluten Free Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 pounds meatballs 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy recipe for gluten free slow cooker cranberry meatballs is a perfect holiday appetizer! They are cooked in your crockpot for 2-4 hours on low and then ready to serve hot. I used ground beef, but you could easily use turkey for these tangy meatballs with cranberries and chili sauce.
Ingredients
Meatballs:
2 pounds Ground Beef
½ cup Gluten Free Bread Crumbs
1 large Egg
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
1 small Yellow Onion, grated
2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 ½ tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Coarse Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Dried Parsley
Sauce:
1 - 14 ounce can Whole Cranberry Sauce or my Cranberry Jam
1 - 6.57 ounce jar Chili Sauce
1 cup Water
½ cup Brown Sugar
Instructions
In a mixing bowl using your hands or a large spoon mix together the ground beef, gluten free bread crumbs, egg, parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley until well combined.
In a mixing bowl or large measuring cup whisk together the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, water and brown sugar until well combined.
Pour enough of the sauce mixture on the bottom of your slow cooker to coat it. Then roll the meatball mixture into golf ball sized balls and place them touching, but not on top of each other on the bottom of the slow cooker.
After all the meatballs are in the slow cooker pour the rest of the sauce on top of the meatballs.
Set your crockpot to low and and cook 2-4 hours until the internal temperature is a minimum of 165 degrees.
Move the meatballs to a plate and pour a bit of sauce over them to serve with toothpicks for an appetizer or over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles for a meal.
Notes
I used ground beef in this recipe, but you could also use ground turkey.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Meatballs
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
Top Tip
My favorite chili sauce is Thai Kitchen Red Chili Dipping Sauce. Their brand doesn't have any added artificial colors or flavoring. I checked several other brands and they all had artificial colors and added ingredients that I didn't want.
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