Description
Slow Cooker Cranberry Jalapeno Meatballs are a festive and flavorful dish combining spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors. Tender ground beef meatballs infused with jalapeno cranberry sauce slowly cooked in a crockpot, perfect as an appetizer or a hearty main course for holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp Coconut Aminos
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
Sauce
- 1 pack Amy Lu Jalapeno Cranberry Meatballs
- 2 jars (13 oz each) BBQ sauce (The New Primal or Primal Kitchen recommended)
- 12 oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (adjust as desired for sweetness)
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, almond flour, coconut flour, sea salt, Coconut Aminos, dijon mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the meat mixture into evenly sized meatballs, about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter, to ensure even cooking.
- Combine Sauce Ingredients: In the slow cooker, add the BBQ sauce, fresh or frozen cranberries, water, and honey or maple syrup. Stir to combine the sauce base evenly.
- Add Meatballs to Slow Cooker: Carefully place the raw meatballs into the slow cooker over the sauce mixture. Gently spoon some sauce over the meatballs to coat them.
- Cook Low and Slow: Cover the slow cooker and cook the meatballs on low heat for 8 hours (480 minutes). This slow cooking will allow the flavors to meld and the meatballs to become tender and juicy.
- Serve: After cooking, gently stir the meatballs to coat evenly with the sauce, then serve warm. These meatballs make a perfect appetizer or a satisfying main course served with your preferred side dishes.
Notes
- Adjust honey or maple syrup quantity based on your preferred level of sweetness in the cranberry sauce.
- Using fresh cranberries will add a brighter tang, while frozen cranberries work well and are more convenient.
- Ground beef can be substituted with ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option.
- If you don't have a slow cooker, you can bake the meatballs in the oven at 350°F for about 25 minutes and then mix with the sauce warmed on the stovetop.
- The recipe yields approximately 60 meatballs, ideal for 10 people as an appetizer or fewer if serving as a main course.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 meatballs
- Calories: 246 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 42 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 49 mg
