Description
Christmas Cranberry Meatballs are tender, halal meatballs coated in a glossy cranberry glaze, perfect for festive holiday gatherings and easy to serve as an appetizer or main course.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey (halal)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (or gluten-free alternative)
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ small onion, finely grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup cranberry sauce (whole berry or jellied)
- ½ cup barbecue sauce (halal, no wine or alcohol ingredients)
- 2 tbsp honey or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional for a little heat)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together ground beef or turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, paprika, and parsley until just combined.
- Roll into small meatballs (about 1 inch each) and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes until fully cooked and lightly browned.
- While meatballs bake, prepare the cranberry glaze. In a saucepan, whisk together cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Heat over medium heat until smooth and bubbly.
- Add cooked meatballs to the sauce, stirring gently to coat. Simmer for 5 minutes for the flavors to meld.
- Serve warm as an appetizer or over rice for a festive meal!
Notes
- Gluten-free option: use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Make ahead: bake meatballs and refrigerate; reheat in sauce before serving.
- Adjust sweetness or heat by adding more honey or pepper flakes to taste.
- Use halal-certified meat and sauces for strict Halal compliance.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking; glaze and simmer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 4 meatballs)
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
Keywords: Christmas Cranberry Meatballs, cranberry glaze meatballs, halal meatballs, holiday appetizer, festive meatballs, cranberry sauce meatballs, easy Christmas recipe