• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Collaborate
  • Contact
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
BlogLovin'
RSS

Valerie's Kitchen

Simple, seasonal home cooking

  • Recipe Box
  • Videos
  • The Cookbook
  • Beyond the Kitchen
Home » Appetizers » Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs

Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs

By Valerie · December 28, 2019 · Updated May 21, 2020 32 Comments

H Holidays A Appetizers
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs simmer away in a sweet and tangy sauce in your slow cooker and are ready to serve when your guests arrive. A truly classic party snack!

The party meatballs in a small white serving dish with a Crock-Pot in the background.

If you’ve been to enough parties, you’ve probably come across a variety of different cocktail meatballs.

This recipe is my take on this classic party fare.

Instead of the grape jelly you see in the ingredient list for many other party meatball recipes, I use a can of cranberry sauce which gives them a nice holiday vibe. It’s also a good way to use that stray can of cranberry sauce that may be lurking in your pantry at this time of year.

They are sweet and tangy with a bit of a kick and excellent with cocktails, beer, or wine. Perfect party food!

A closeup of a white bowl filled with meatballs with toothpicks sticking out of some of them.

You can use any fully-cooked meatballs that suit your fancy or you can make some meatballs from scratch. That being said, I highly recommend just picking up a bag of frozen meatballs. It makes this recipe incredibly fast and easy which means more time can be spent on the rest of the menu, or cleaning and rearranging the pantry, or organizing your sock drawer.

Enough about my exciting life, let’s make some Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs!

A bowl of glazed meatballs.

The Ingredient List

  • Refrigerated or frozen fully-cooked meatballs (2 to 3 pounds)
  • Jellied cranberry sauce
  • Chili sauce (not be confused with cocktail sauce. Heinz makes them both and they come in identical bottles so be sure you’ve got the right thing.
  • Dijon mustard
  • Brown sugar
  • Fresh lemon juice

How to Make Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs

You should start the meatballs about 2 to 3 hours before your party.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan and allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes to break down the cranberry sauce.

Cocktail Meatballs in a Crock-Pot shot from over the top.

Add the fully-cooked meatballs to your 6-quart slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top. Mix it up, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 hours on Low. Once warmed to your liking, switch your slow cooker to the Warm setting.

If you are using frozen meatballs there is no need to thaw them first. Just plan on it taking about an hour longer to cook. Remember, the meatballs are fully-cooked so it’s just a matter of cooking them until the sauce is nice and bubbly and the meatballs are warmed through to the center.

I like to spoon some of the cocktail meatballs into a small serving bowl and set it next to the slow cooker. The remainder will stay warm and ready for serving when you need them.

Cocktail meatballs in a white serving bowl with toothpicks inserted in the center.

I frequently include these on my party menus, not just at the holidays but all year long. Everyone loves ’em and they are so darn easy to make. Preparing them in your slow cooker means you’ve got one item checked off your list hours before your party starts and they will stay warm and tasty throughout the night.

I’m telling you – it doesn’t get any easier!

This post was originally published on December 28, 2011. It has been updated with new images.

A two image vertical collage of Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs with overlay text.

Valerie’s Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Glazed meatballs in a small white bowl with toothpicks in front of a slow cooker.

Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs

These Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs simmer away in a sweet and tangy sauce in your slow cooker and are ready to serve when your guests arrive. A truly classic party snack!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 20
Calories: 174kcal
Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 pounds fresh or frozen, fully-cooked meatballs
  • 14 ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
  • 12 ounce jar chili sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • In a saucepan mix together cranberry sauce, chili sauce, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Mix to combine and allow to simmer, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 10 minutes to allow cranberry sauce to break down.
  • Place meatballs in a 6-quart slow cooker, pour the sauce over, and mix well to combine. Set slow cooker to LOW, cover, and allow to cook for 2 hours before serving. If using frozen meatballs, allow them to cook for 3 hours before serving. When the meatballs are warmed through, switch slow cooker to the WARM setting to keep them warm for an hour or two.
  • Transfer meatballs to a serving dish or serve them directly from the slow cooker.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 190mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.5mg
LOVE MY RECIPES? GET THE COOKBOOK!
The Foolproof Family Slow Cooker and Other One-Pot Solutions

Categories: Appetizers, Holidays, New Year's Eve, Recipe

< Previous
Next >

You May Also Like...

A slow cooker insert filled with chicken meatballs, sauce, and red bell peppers. Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs
A hand dips a chip into a bowl of chicken enchilada dip. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Dip
Crock-Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage Crock Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage
A pretty tray full of sliced tortilla pinwheels with grape tomatoes and parsley. Holiday Tortilla Pinwheels

Reader Interactions

Latest Comments
Skip to Comment Form
  1. Shut Up & Cook | The Attainable Gourmet says

    December 28, 2012 at 8:47 pm

    I love crock pots…they are the perfect addition to any winter weekend. YUM!!

    Reply
  2. Mary Beth says

    December 22, 2012 at 9:41 am

    thanks for this awesome recipe. I found the meatballs at Costco and am making them for our Christmas Cocktail party tonight. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 22, 2012 at 10:12 am

      You’re very welcome Mary Beth. I hope everyone enjoys them as much as we do. Have a great time!

      Reply
  3. Gina Gaines says

    February 6, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    So easy and yummy! Thank you Val for this recipe; it made my Superbowl food preparations so much easier than they could have been. Next on my list your Butternut Squash Soup and your Chili Cornbread Bake:)

    Reply
  4. Wendy (The Weekend Gourmet) says

    December 31, 2011 at 10:07 am

    These look easy and yummy! I’m always looking for good finger foods/apps this time of year. Football playoffs and Oscar parties are on the horizon for me!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 31, 2011 at 10:26 am

      I am a HUGE fan of the Oscars! So looking forward to all the fun Oscar night recipes to come.

      Reply
  5. [email protected] says

    December 31, 2011 at 9:09 am

    Great recipe for entertaining and upcoming New Years celebrations! The ingredients tell me that this has just the right amount of sweet to spice ratio-yum! I could put away quite of few of these gems. Great post! Happy New year!

    Reply
  6. sarah says

    December 31, 2011 at 8:26 am

    These are always my favorite party treat!! Happy New Year!

    Reply
  7. Am says

    December 30, 2011 at 5:06 pm

    Looks delicious, thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
  8. [email protected] says

    December 29, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    I’ve literally been craaaving crockpot meatballs. These look great!

    Reply
  9. mjskit says

    December 29, 2011 at 3:30 pm

    What quick and tasty party food! I’ve never tried those meatballs but they certainly look good and that sauce – awesome! Happy New Year Valerie!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 29, 2011 at 4:18 pm

      Thanks and Happy New Year to you too!

      Reply
  10. Lauren says

    December 29, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    omg! LOVE LOVE LOVE bbq meatballs! The crockpot is a great idea for new years, for sure.

    Reply
  11. Kiri W. says

    December 29, 2011 at 2:52 am

    These look perfect for entertaining! 🙂 I really need to get on the crockpot bandwagon… if only I had time!

    Reply
  12. Simply Life says

    December 28, 2011 at 4:20 pm

    this is such a fantastic idea- thanks!

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Stay Connected with Valerie’s Kitchen

Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
BlogLovin'
RSS

Stay updated!

Subscribe by Email

Get the latest straight from my kitchen to your email inbox. You can choose to receive an email every time a new recipe is published or a weekly summary.

Click to Subscribe

Primary Sidebar

Browse the Recipes

by Category
CP Slow Cooker OP One Pot 30 30 Minute Meals SD Side Dish S Dessert H Holidays A Appetizers MD Main Dish
Valerie Brunmeier, founder and author of Valerie's Kitchen

MeetValerie Brunmeier

Hello and welcome to my online kitchen! My focus here is to provide simple, seasonal meal solutions for busy households. I hope you find some inspiration while you’re here and visit again soon!

...
More About Me

Looking for something?

Archives

Categories

Soups and Stews

A ladle scoops up beef stew from a pot.
Broccoli Cheese Soup in a round bread bowl topped with shredded cheddar cheese.
A close up, over the top image of Hamburger Stew in a Dutch oven.
A ladle scoops some beef stew from an Instant Pot.
A mug filled with ham and bean soup.

Holiday Favorites

A bowl of fruit salad with whipped cream.
Slices of ham and a small bowl of pineapple sauce on a white platter.
A tray of cheese, meats, nuts, and bacon jam in a small glass container.
Mashed potatoes in a white bowl topped with butter and chives
A sliced bundt cake on a cake plate.
A white bowl filed with crab dip with a spoon.

Reader Favorites

A white serving dish filled with shredded beef, carrots, and potatoes.
A white bowl filed with crab dip with a spoon.
A spatula scoops up a zucchini boat from a casserole dish.
Blackened Mahi Mahi
A close up of a cheesesteak sandwich with peppers and onions.
Slow Cooker Beef Tips with Gravey
As Featured On
Back to Top
  • Home
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Collaborate
  • Contact
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
BlogLovin'
RSS
Valerie's Kitchen
Copyright © 2011–2021 · Valerie's Kitchen

Valerie's Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.