Growing up, my grandma always made Christmas meatballs for the holidays.
She’d serve them potluck-style in a Crock Pot, and we’d eat them as appetizers or as part of our Christmas feast.
But these aren’t just any old meatballs. There’s no Italian seasoning or tomato sauce in sight. And they aren’t done with gravy and potatoes either.
Instead, these are sweet, salty, and incredibly addictive. Seriously, they’re so good that you’ll want to eat them right out of the pot!
Better yet, you can cook them on the stove or in the slow cooker. The choice is yours. Enjoy!
Why You’ll Love These Christmas Meatballs
Great All Year: While these are my Christmas go-to, they’re just as yummy in spring or summer. In fact, they are the perfect addition to any potluck, gameday, or holiday fête.
Crowd-Pleasers: I guarantee that if you bring them somewhere once, you’ll be asked to bring them again—because they are really that good!
Incredible Taste & Texture: Each little ball is super juicy and seriously flavorful, with a lightly crispy crust. And then, there’s the sauce. It has a dreamy balance between sweet and savory. All those factors combine into what I like to call Meatball Crack.
Simple Instructions: They do require a bit of time and effort… but they’re not complicated at all. And every second is totally worth it!
Ingredients
- Ground Beef Chuck: Use 80-85% lean beef as it tastes better and is more moist.
- Evaporated Milk: Helps the meatballs stay moist, which is vital as they undergo a double cooking process.
- Breadcrumbs: The glue that keeps the meatballs together. They also help the meatballs retain moisture and add flavor, too.
- Worcestershire Sauce: To enhance that rich, meaty flavor. You’ll use Worcestershire sauce in both the meatballs and the sauce.
- Onion Soup Mix: In lieu of other seasonings, onion soup mix brings all the flavor! It’s flipping yummy. Use whatever brand you like.
- Ketchup: Ketchup is the main component of the sauce. Its natural sweetness plays into the sweet-savory, almost barbecue flavors of this dish.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and richness to the sauce. It also helps it thicken and turn sticky.
- Sweet Red Wine: This recipe calls for Port wine but you can use any sweet red you like. Wine adds acid that balances the sauce, so don’t skip it.
- Fresh Cranberries: For festive flair.
How To Make Christmas Meatballs
This Christmas meatballs recipe is as easy as mix, portion, and cook.
However, the meat mixture needs time to rest, so you’ll need to factor that in before you start!
Here are the steps:
1. MIX: Combine the ground beef, evaporated milk, breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and onion soup mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. PREHEAT: Move an oven rack to the highest level, about 6 inches from the top. Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
3. FORM: Portion the meat mixture into approximately 36 small meatballs. Place them on the lined baking sheet(s).
4. BROIL: Broil the meatballs for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. Remove from the oven.
5. SAUCE: Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, wine, and remaining Worcestershire sauce over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
6. SLOW COOKER METHOD: Transfer the broiled meatballs to the slow cooker with the sauce. Cook on HIGH for about 1 hour.
7. DUTCH OVEN METHOD: Make the sauce in the Dutch oven, stir in the meatballs, and cook on medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes.
Tips for the Best Christmas Meatballs
The best thing about these Christmas meatballs is that you can easily make them ahead.
I like to broil, cool, then store them in the fridge for a day or two. Then add the sauce and cook when I need them.
You can even freeze them if you need to!
But before we get to that, here’s a few tips:
- Switch up the meat! Use ground pork or a mix of beef and pork. You can even use ground chicken or turkey.
- Meatball consistency: Don’t overmix the meatball mixture. Gently stir the ingredients until just combined to keep the meatballs tender.
- Even sizing: Use a small cookie scoop to portion the meatballs evenly. This ensures they cook at the same rate.
- Broiling: Keep a close eye on the meatballs while broiling. They can go from browned to burned quickly, so check after the first 2 minutes.
- Thickening the sauce: If the sauce is too thin after cooking, leave the lid slightly ajar during the final 10 minutes of cooking to help it reduce and thicken.
- Cranberry variation: If you’re using fresh cranberries, stir them in during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking so they maintain a bit of their texture and tangy flavor.
- Substitute wine: If you don’t have port or sweet red wine, substitute with grape juice and a splash of balsamic vinegar for a similar rich sweetness.
- Serving suggestion: These meatballs pair wonderfully with mashed potatoes, crusty bread, or even served as appetizers with toothpicks for parties.
Make-Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
As promised, you can make these ahead and freeze them. Here’s how:
To Make-Ahead: Follow the recipe through broiling the meatballs and preparing the sauce. When cool, transfer them to separate airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
To Store: Place cooked and cooled meatballs with the sauce in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To Freeze: Flash-freeze raw or broiled and cooled meatballs on a parchment-lined baking tray. Transfer to a freezer bag for 2-3 months. Freeze the sauce in a separate bag, with space in the top for expansion.
To Reheat: Thaw the sauce and frozen meatballs in the fridge overnight. Cook the raw ones as instructed below. Reheat cooled meatballs with the sauce in a skillet or Dutch oven on medium-low heat.
More Holiday Recipes You Have to Try
White Christmas Margarita
Christmas Crack
Easy Christmas Fruit Salad
Christmas Coffee Cake
Christmas Meatballs
12
servings25
minutes1
hour10
minutes442
kcalThese sweet and savory Christmas meatballs, made with ground beef, port wine, and a rich sauce, are just what you need for your next holiday party!
Ingredients
3 pounds ground beef chuck
1 (14-ounce) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
1 (1 ounce) packet onion soup mix
2 cups ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup port wine or other sweet red wine
1 cup fresh cranberries, optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, evaporated milk, breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and onion soup mix. Stir until the mixture just comes together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Move the oven rack to the highest level, about 6 inches from the top. Preheat the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
- Portion the meat mixture into approximately 36 small meatballs. Place them on the lined baking sheet(s) with space between each meatball.
- Broil the meatballs for 2-3 minutes until they begin to brown. Turn the meatballs, then broil for another 2 minutes on the other side. Repeat if necessary for multiple trays. Remove from the oven.
- Dutch Oven Method: In the Dutch oven, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, wine, and remaining Worcestershire sauce. Simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth. Add the broiled meatballs, cover, and simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes until the meatballs reach 160°F and the sauce thickens.
- Slow Cooker Method: Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, wine, and remaining Worcestershire sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
- Transfer the broiled meatballs to a slow cooker, pour the sauce over, and cook on HIGH for 1 hour until the meatballs reach 160°F and the sauce thickens.
- Serving: If using fresh cranberries, stir them in about 5 minutes before serving. Keep the Dutch oven covered on low or turn the slow cooker to LOW until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t overmix the meatball mixture. Gently stir the ingredients until just combined to keep the meatballs tender.
- Use a small cookie scoop or your hands to portion the meatballs evenly. This ensures they cook at the same rate.
Wondering what you could use for the “red pop” instead of cranberries as a family member is allergic to cranberries?
Hi, Cheryl!
So, you could, of course, just leave out the cranberries. They are optional anyway, so leaving them out won’t change much about the dish. But since you said you’re wanting to keep the red color…. maybe pomegranate arils? I think they’d look quite pretty in the sauce. Their taste should complement the sauce ingredients pretty well, too.
I see no way to save the recipe.
Hi, Deanna!
We are currently experiencing a glitch with the website provider, and it’s caused that feature to disappear. We are working on it and trying to get it back up and running ASAP. In the meantime, you can jump down to the recipe card. There’s a “print” button in the lower right-hand corner of the image above the ingredients. Hit that, but instead of printing, change the settings to “save as pdf.”
I know it’s a little more work, but that’ll give you a way to save the recipes until we get the email feature back up. *fingers crossed* Hopefully, we’ll have the normal way back soon.
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Three to 4 days in the fridge or 2 to 3 months in the freezer. 🙂
Do you serve it with mashed potatoes or rice?
Personally, I serve with mashed potatoes because I LOVE mashed potatoes. 🙂
This meatball recipe looks divine and I am making it this weekend for guests coming over! Is this where I can get the recipe emailed to me for keeps sake?
Hi, Devinn! I’ve sent the recipe to your email!