Go Back

Cranberry Orange Meatballs

Cranberry orange meatballs bake until browned, then simmer in a 12-inch skillet with a gently bubbling cranberry-orange sauce. The tender meatballs are coated in a sweet-tart sauce brightened with orange zest and Dijon mustard.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 rimmed baking sheet
  • 1 12-inch skillet

Method
 

Bake the meatballs
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, onion, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, mixing gently just until combined.
  4. Shape the mixture into 24 meatballs and arrange them on the baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until browned and a meatball in the center reaches 160°F.
Make the sauce and finish
  1. Stir the cranberry sauce, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce together in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cranberry sauce has melted and the mixture is gently bubbling.
  2. Add the baked meatballs to the skillet.
  3. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, turning the meatballs in the sauce to coat.

Notes

Mix the meatball ingredients gently and stop as soon as they are combined to keep the meatballs tender. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free option.