Slow Cooker Gluten Free Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce

Sweet and spicy, and topped with a festive cranberry sauce, these Slow Cooker Gluten Free Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce are made in the slow cooker for an easy recipe perfect for the holiday season. Serve them as tasty appetizers or as part of a main course for holiday parties, game days, and more! 

I’m Just Here for the Meatballs

I don’t know about you, but I love a good gluten free meatball recipe. Whether it’s Honey Sriracha Meatballs, Saucy 5 Spice BBQ Meatballs, or  Vegan Mushroom Meatballs in Pepper Sauce, they’re always delicious and serve as the perfect appetizers! So, with the holiday season upon us, I thought creating gluten free meatballs would be the perfect easy recipe for all your holiday parties and family gatherings! Plus, leftovers warm up for great game-day snacks. 

I didn’t want to create any old slow cooker meatball recipe, though. Oh no! Instead, I spiced things up (pun intended) with a combination of seasonings and jalapeno peppers. Then, I added just a dash of sweetness to balance out the heat, and topped them with a beautiful red cranberry sauce for a bit of festive flair! What resulted were the most delicious cranberry meatballs you’ll ever taste! Even better, they’re super versatile to fit all your dietary needs and can be made with several cooking options to keep meal prep simple. Keep reading to find everything you’ll need to make this gluten free meatball recipe!  

How to Make a Slow Cooker Meatball Recipe 

Making the meatballs themselves is super simple and will only take a few minutes! Then, the only hard part is deciding whether to make them in the slow cooker or air fryer. Take a look at the options below to determine which method is best for you! 

For the Meatballs

1. Combine. Place the meatball ingredients (except for the honey) in a bowl, and mix until they are well-combined. Then, add the honey if you choose to use it, and mix again. 
2. Shape. Using your hands, roll the meat into 1-inch balls, and place them on a prepared baking sheet. 
3. Broil. Place the baking sheet in the oven, and let the meatballs broil for 5-6 minutes.

For the Cranberry Sauce

1. Combine. Add the fresh cranberries, BBQ sauce, chipotle, honey, and spices in a food processor or high-speed blender, and pulse the ingredients until a smooth sauce is formed. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Baking Tips for Gluten Free Meatballs

I did my best to keep these cranberry meatballs as easy as possible. However, there are a few tips and tricks that can be used to make sure you get perfect meatballs every single time. Keep reading to learn more! 

To Keep Meatballs from Falling Apart: If your meatballs crumble, it’s likely due to an imbalance of ingredients. If they are too dry, try adding another egg or more honey. Or, if your meatballs are too wet, add a bit more almond flour or Parmesan until the meat mixture sticks together. 

To Keep Gluten Free Meatballs Moist: This slow cooker meatballs recipe works to lock in moisture, keeping your meatballs tender and moist even after they’re cooked. However, for even juicier meatballs, try implementing a few of the tricks below: 

1. Choose a Fattier Meat – Chicken, beef, and pork all work with this gluten free meatballs recipe. However, the leaner the cut of meat used, the drier your meatballs will be. 
2. Keep Ingredients Cold – Using cold ingredients will prevent the fat in the meat from breaking down before it is cooked.
3. Don’t Pack the Meatballs – When forming the meatball shape, be sure to pack the mixture loosely. Instead of packing it tightly like you would a snowball, you want to squeeze the meat together just enough for it to hold.

Cooking Methods

Slow Cooker – Place your prepared meatballs in your slow cooker, and pour the cranberry sauce on top, making sure they are well-coated. Then, add the lid, and cook your cranberry sauce meatballs on low for 2-3 hours or high for 60-90 minutes. 

Air Fryer – Place the meatballs in a prepared air fryer, and let them cook for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Just be sure to flip them over halfway through cooking! Then, add them to a saucepan with the cranberry sauce, and let them warm on medium-low heat. 

Meat Options for Cranberry Meatballs

Typically, ground beef is used for meatball recipes. However, for these cranberry sauce meatballs, feel free to get a little creative! You can use any ground meat you like including sausage, turkey, beef, chicken, and chorizo! Just keep in mind that the flavor will alter slightly depending on what you choose. 

Tips, Trick, and Reviews: See How Our Team Made Them! 

At Cotter Crunch, we’re dedicated to giving you the absolute best recipes. That means the members of our team all try, test, and taste each and every recipe to make sure they’re perfect before we give them to you. (It’s a hard job, but somebody has to do it.) For these gluten free meatballs, we all added our own spin, using ingredients we had on hand, resulting in several different delicious variations including: 

Ketchup Sauce: No BBQ? No worries! Shyanne, our editorial manager, ran out, too and used ketchup instead! The results? “Magical meatballs” according to her fiance and official taste-tester. Just replace the BBQ with equal parts ketchup for slightly less smoky flavored meatballs, perfect for a super kid-friendly option! 

Sriracha: No chipotle peppers? Use spices and a dash of sriracha instead! Lindsay tested this version, and they turned out just as tasty as the original. Just use ¼-½ teaspoons of smoked paprika and 2 Tablespoons of diced tomatoes instead. Then, mix with a few tablespoons of sriracha, and you’ll be good to go! 

Storage Tips

Once cooked, be sure not to let your meatballs sit at room temperature for any longer than 2 hours! Instead, store them in the fridge or freezer for tasty leftovers. 

Fridge: When stored properly, cooked meatballs will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days. For the best results, place them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly with aluminum foil. 

Freezer: Stored in the freezer, leftover meatballs will last up to 3-4 months. 

Reheat: For the best results, reheat leftover meatballs in the slow cooker, oven, or air fryer.

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Have you ever had cranberry sauce meatballs? I can’t get enough of them! What are your favorite type of meatballs? Let me know in the comments below! 

Cheers, 

LC