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Holiday Cranberry Orange Meatballs

Cozy, bright, and wonderfully simple, these meatballs burst with citrus and tang, perfect for holiday gatherings.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 meatballs
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 200
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Meatballs
  • 1.5 lbs frozen or homemade meatballs Use homemade meatballs for richer texture.
For the Sauce
  • 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce (14 oz) Whole-berry cranberry adds nice fruit texture.
  • 0.5 cup orange marmalade Orange marmalade adds bright citrus with peel.
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce Soy sauce adds umami, balance salt carefully.
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 zest of 1 orange For garnish.
  • fresh parsley, chopped

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Pour the cranberry sauce and orange marmalade into a large pot.
  2. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire, and garlic powder; stir until mixed.
  3. Heat over medium and watch; the sauce will loosen and start to bubble.
  4. Add the meatballs and gently turn them so the sauce coats each one.
  5. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.
  6. Check the sauce; when it clings to the back of a spoon and the meatballs are hot through, it’s done.
  7. Remove from heat and sprinkle orange zest and chopped parsley over the top before serving.

Notes

If using frozen meatballs, add them straight from the freezer and give an extra 5–7 minutes simmer time. Don’t rush the simmer; too-fast heat thins the sauce—lower the heat and stir until it thickens. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for gentle heat.