BBQ Meatballs

An easy BBQ meatball recipe in a bowl ready to serve.

4.98 from 95 votes

This easy crockpot BBQ Meatballs recipe could not be more simple with homemade or store-bought meatballs in a simple sauce. They are sweet, tangy, and the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer!

Prep Time5

Cook Time2

Total Time2 5

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 262kcal

Author: Lauren Allen

Cost: 17

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

50-60 frozen meatballs (store bought or homemade)*
14 ounce whole cranberry sauce
12 ounces cocktail sauce , or homemade
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup water
1 cup BBQ sauce
green onion , finely chopped for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spray the bottom of your slow cooker lightly with cooking spray. Add frozen meatballs to the bottom of pot.
In a large bowl, stir together cranberry sauce, cocktail sauce, brown sugar, water, and barbecue sauce then pour over meatballs.
Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
Serve warm garnished with chopped green onions, if desired. You could also serve over rice.

Video

Notes

Nutritional label is based off of one serving of 4 meatballs.

Meatballs: I recommend pre-cooked frozen meatballs for this recipe. I like to make a big batch of my homemade meatballs and keep in the freezer to make this recipe anytime. If you want to use fresh uncooked meatballs, I recommend searing them on all sides first on the stove, and use a lean meat or else it will add extra grease to the sauce.

Stovetop BBQ Meatballs: Pour sauce ingredients into a saucepan, stirring until smooth. Add the meatballs and toss them in the sauce. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes if the meatballs are thawed, 14-16 minutes for frozen meatballs.

Store leftover crockpot bbq meatball leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

To Reheat: Add meatballs and sauce to a saucepan and reheat on the stove until warm.

Nutrition

Recipe Link

Recipe Video