For these skillet meatballs with cranberry sauce, tender mini beef meatballs are smothered in a sweet and tangy sauce. They're perfect for a casual dinner, potluck, or to make in your cast iron skillet at camp.
Whether you're looking for a sweet and tangy cranberry meatball recipe or you need an inventive way to use up some leftover cranberry sauce, these easy skillet meatballs are guaranteed to satisfy. They also make a great skillet meal if you're camping, and can be partially prepared in advance.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ground beef--I recommend using lean ground beef (85/15) for this recipe. It will give off a little bit of fat that will add plenty of flavor to the dish.
- Cranberry sauce--Canned whole berry or jellied cranberry sauce work best for this dish. You can substitute homemade cranberry sauce, but you may need to adjust the amount of hot sauce or stir in some sugar, depending on how sweet your cranberry sauce is.
- Panko--These are Japanese-style bread crumbs and are available in most large supermarkets. You can swap in regular dried breadcrumbs, if you prefer.
- Hot sauce--Use a vinegar-based hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot.
- Milk--Any type of milk is fine, including non-dairy.
How to Make Skillet Cranberry Meatballs
1. Soak the panko in milk for 5 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef, egg, 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, and pepper and mix well.
3. Roll the beef mixture into 1 ½-inch balls.
4. Stir the cranberry sauce, water, hot sauce, and remaining Worcestershire sauce together.
5. Brown the meatballs in oil in a cast iron skillet.
6. Pour in the cranberry sauce mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is smooth and the meatballs are cooked through.
FAQs
You can prepare and freeze the raw uncooked meatballs up to 3 months before cooking. Shape the meatballs and freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, pop them into a resealable bag and store in the freezer. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before proceeding with the recipe.
If you're heading out camping and want to get ahead, prep and freeze the meatballs as described above. You can also combine the sauce ingredients up to 4 days before cooking the meatballs. Store it in a sealed container in your fridge or cooler.
As with most meatball recipes, these are fantastic with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles. If you prefer to enjoy them as an appetizer or potluck dish, you can serve them on their own, with toothpicks for grabbing.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Roll your meatballs firmly enough that they stick together but don't pack them tightly, as this may cause them to become tough.
- If your sauce thickens too much before the meatballs are cooked through, stir in ¼ cup of water to thin the sauce.
- Store leftover meatballs and sauce in a sealed container in your fridge or cooler for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium low heat until warmed through.
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Recipe
Skillet Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 pound (454 g) lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce divided
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ cups cranberry sauce (1 can)
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the panko and milk. Soak for 5 minutes.
- Add the beef, egg, 1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and onion powder to the panko and mix well to combine.
- Gently shape the beef mixture into 1½-inch meatballs. You should get about 24 meatballs.
- In a measuring jug or medium bowl, stir the cranberry sauce, water, hot sauce, and remaining 1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce together. The sauce will be lumpy; that's ok. It will become smooth as it cooks.
- Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown all over, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the meatballs and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, stirring and turning the meatballs occasionally, until the sauce is smooth and the meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) on an instant read thermometer, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Get ahead--Roll and freeze the meatballs for up to 3 months before cooking. Mix the sauce together up to 4 days before cooking.
- Be gentle--Roll your meatballs firmly enough that they stick together but don't pack them tightly as this may cause them to become tough.
- Thinning the sauce--If your sauce thickens too much before the meatballs are cooked through, stir in ¼ cup of water to thin the sauce.
- Storage and reheating--Store leftover meatballs and sauce in a sealed container in your fridge or cooler for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium low heat until warmed through.
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