These Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Meatballs are topped with cranberry sauce for a sweet and savory festive dish! 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 meatball! Whether it’s Honey Sriracha Meatballs, Saucy Asian Meatballs, or Vegan 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!
I spiced things up 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!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is an overview of the ingredients and recipe. Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details and nutrition information.
For the Meatballs
- Ground meat – Typically, ground beef is used for meatballs, but get 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.
- Egg and almond flour – Helps bind ingredients! Almond flour is a gluten-free alterative to all-purpose flour or breadcrumbs.
- Grated parmesan – Use nutritional yeast for a dairy-free option.
- Diced jalapeño – Adds a nice kick of heat that helps balance out and pairs well with the sweetness of the cranberry sauce!
- Seasonings – Minced garlic, onion powder, kosher salt and black pepper, cayenne pepper, and dried oregano.
For The Sauce
- Cranberries – You can use fresh or defrosted frozen cranberries.
- BBQ sauce – Use your favorite gluten-free BBQ sauce of choice. No BBQ? No worries! Our editorial manager used ketchup! Just replace the BBQ with equal parts ketchup for a less smoky flavor—perfect for a kid-friendly option!
- Chipotle in adobo sauce – Substitute with ¼-½ teaspoons of smoked paprika, 2 Tablespoons of diced tomatoes, and few tablespoons of sriracha, depending on how spicy you want your sauce!
- Honey – A great all-natural sweetener, honey adds a layer of sweetness to this sauce.
- Seasonings – Salt and pepper to taste.
Tips for The Best Meatballs
- 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.
- Baking Tip: Don’t skip broiling your meatballs before adding them to the slow cooker. This step helps keep them from falling apart in the slow cooker!
- To Keep Gluten-Free Meatballs Moist: Cooking in the slow cooker helps to keep everything tender and moist. However, for even juicier meatballs, try implementing a few of the tricks below:
- Choose a Fattier Meat – Chicken, beef, and pork all work—however, the leaner the cut of meat used, the drier your meatballs will be.
- Keep Ingredients Cold – Using cold ingredients will prevent the fat in the meat from breaking down before it is cooked.
- Don’t Pack the Meatballs – When forming the meatballs, 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.
- For Uniform Meatballs – Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to form perfectly-sized meatballs with ease!
How to Make Cranberry Meatballs
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
- 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.
- Shape. Using your hands, roll the meat into 1-inch balls, and place them on a prepared baking sheet.
- Broil. Place the baking sheet in the oven, and let the meatballs broil for 5-6 minutes.
For the Cranberry Sauce
- 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.
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°F. 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.
Serving Suggestions
Far from your average meatball recipe, these gluten-free meatballs can be served a wide variety of ways including:
- On their own as an appetizer or snack
- With veggie noodles
- With rice
- With mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower
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.
Note: If thawed in the refrigerator, meatballs can be kept for 3-4 additional days upon thawing.
Common Questions
No, If you buy pre-made meatballs, they will be missing key ingredients and won’t have the sweet and spicy flavors we’re looking for with these cranberry meatballs!
Meatballs are fully cooked when the outside has browned and they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once cooked, the crock pot will switch to the “warm” mode and will keep your meatballs warm and safe to eat for up to 1 ½ hours.
Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Cranberry Meatballs
- Total Time: 3 hours, 5 minutes
- Yield: 18– 20 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The perfect combination of sweet and spicy, these Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce are a festive and kid-friendly recipe perfect for holiday parties, game days, and more!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground meat or sausage, pork, chicken, turkey, or chorizo
- ⅓ cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup grated parmesan (or nutritional yeast, see notes for substitutes)
- 1 large egg
- 2 small garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon cayenne (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon honey (optional), adjust to taste
- 2 Tablespoons diced jalapeño
Mix together and form into balls/patties (broil 5 minutes)
For the Sauce:
- 1 cup fresh or previously frozen cranberries + extra for pot/slow cooker
- 1 ¼ cup BBQ sauce (gluten-free) *
- 1 Tablespoon + diced chipotle in adobo sauce. *(Don’t have chipotle? See notes for substitutes)
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- In the Slow Cooker:
- 1 handful of fresh cranberries
- Chipotle cranberry sauce (above)
- Meatballs (above)
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler, and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Place the ground meat, almond flour, parmesan, egg, garlic, spices, oregano, and jalapeño in a bowl. Mix the ingredients until they are well-combined. Add the optional honey, and mix again.
- Shape the meat into 1 inch meatballs, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Broil the meatballs for 5-6 minutes or until they are browned but not cooked all the way through. Set them aside.
- To make the cranberry sauce combine the fresh cranberries, BBQ sauce, chipotle, honey, and spices in a food processor or high speed blender. Pulse the ingredients until they are smooth and a sauce is formed. Add salt and pepper to taste, and adjust as needed.
- Place the prepared meatballs in the slow cooker, and pour the cranberry sauce evenly on top of the meatballs.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker, and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours or HIGH for 60-90 minutes, making sure to stir twice. Check for doneness after 45 minutes. The cranberry sauce will thicken during the cooking process.
Notes
Substitutes: Replace the BBQ with honey sweetened ketchup if desired. Just note that the taste will not be as smokey. Replace the chipotle pepper in adobo sauce with ¼-½ teaspoon smoked paprika + 2 Tablespoons of diced tomato.
Ingredient Tip – If using ground chicken or turkey, you may need to add an extra ⅓ cup of parmesan to compensate for the leaner texture of the meat.
Air Fryer Option: Air fry the meatballs (minus the sauce) at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Then, add them to the prepared cranberry sauce in a large sauce pot on medium-low heat, and toss to coat.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 93
- Sugar: 3.8 g
- Sodium: 189.6 mg
- Fat: 2.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.5 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 6.3 g
- Cholesterol: 29.3 mg
Can I sub GF panko bread crumbs for the almond flour?
Hi Leigha! Sure, that should work! Are you using my gluten-free Panko recipe or is it another one? Is it already seasoned? That may be the only issue I see is just adjusting the spices if needed. Let me know if that makes sense.
Is there any possible way to substitute the egg?
Hi Abigail! I have plenty of other meatball recipes that don’t use eggs. You could try one of those and simply add jalapeño or pair it with this sauce. Let me know if you’d like me to send them your way! You could also try swapping the egg for a flax egg, though I haven’t tested that yet. Just let me know which option works best for you, and I’ll be happy to help!
Hi can the meatballs be made the day before?
Sure! That shouldn’t be a problem. Let me know how it turns out Julia!
The cranberry adds so much flavor! Love this recipe so much!