This recipe for Honey Sriracha Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce is a quick, super easy and a crazy delicious party appetizer. Ready in just 30 minutes, using just 5 ingredients, you’re going to love these party meatballs and your party crowd will go wild.
Want more easy party meatball recipes? We love this one for Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. They’ll WOW your crowd.
What You Can Expect From This Recipe
- You can expect a fun new appetizer recipe and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
- The sweet, savory, spicy flavor combination is truly a treat.
- And making this recipe couldn’t be easier. 30 Minutes, 5 Ingredients.
- These meatballs with cranberry sauce are a perfect appetizer for that holiday table.
Looking for an easy, crowd-pleasing party appetizer? These Honey Sriracha Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce are sweet, spicy, and irresistibly sticky. Think classic Italian meatballs coated in a bold, tangy glaze made from honey, Sriracha, and an unexpected star—canned cranberry sauce.
This recipe is perfect for last-minute gatherings or game-day spreads. No need to wait for the holidays to use that pantry-staple cranberry sauce—these meatballs come together fast and disappear even faster. I make them often, and they’re always a hit.
After all, glazed meatballs never go out of style!
Ingredients You’ll Need
What a timely recipe, as we’re right in the middle of appetizer season. Football parties, tailgating parties and soon the Holiday invitations will come pouring in. And cranberry sauce for meatballs is so “holiday”.
Let’s keep it easy, and here’s how:
- Italian Meatballs: I purchase pre-made, but not pre-cooked Italian meatballs from King Soopers. Their Kroeger brand has a great flavor and cook up nice and tight. Tight enough so they don’t fall apart in this thick sauce.
- Pantry Items: And don’t we always have a bottle of Sriracha sauce on hand? And brown sugar and honey in the pantry?
- Cranberry Sauce: Straight off the grocery shelf. Stock up next time you’re at the store, because you’ll want to make these Honey Sriracha Meatballs often.
Ingredient Swaps
- Can I Use Frozen Meatballs? Yes, I’ve used frozen Italian meatballs for this recipe. Just cook according to package instructions and then gently toss in the sweet Sriracha sauce.
- Can I use Homemade Italian Meatballs? Yes, and Homemade Italian Meatballs are easy enough to make and sturdy enough to hold up in the sauce and serve as an appetizer. Again, cook according to recipe instructions and add to the sauce.
- Feel free to use turkey, chicken, or beef meatballs. You can also make this vegetarian by using a vegetarian meat base for meatballs.
- Maple Syrup: Switch out the honey for maple syrup.
Step By Step Instructions, It’s Easy
Honey Sriracha Meatballs are super easy to make, a great appetizer in a jiff.
- Step 1: Place the Italian Meatballs on a baking sheet, lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Such as PAM. Bake according to package instructions. In this case, it was at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, turn the meatballs and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Step 2: Prepare the honey sriracha sauce. In the meantime, place the cranberry sauce, sriracha sauce, brown sugar and honey in a Dutch oven. Cook on medium heat stirring to combine until smooth. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium low, to thicken the sauce a bit.
- Step 3: Add the baked meatballs to the sriracha honey sauce and using a large spoon, gently turn and stir the meatballs to coat them well with the sauce. Transfer them to your favorite serving bowl and enjoy.
Variations
- My favorite way to use it is for a glaze for Italian Meatballs, but it would also work great for chicken wings.
- Use this honey sriracha sauce for cooked shrimp.
- Roasted Cauliflower: The cauliflower idea came from a local upscale restaurant, where roasted cauliflower is tossed in this sauce.
Ways To Serve
This is a perfect appetizer recipe, but if you’re looking for other ways to serve:
- Turn these meatballs into a rice bowl. Just scoop some of the meatballs over cooked rice.
- I love a good lettuce wrap, and these meatballs would be delicious tucked into a leaf of iceberg lettuce.
- Got a small baguette or Banh Mi bun? These meatballs would make a great little sandwich.
FAQ’s
I’ve used both jellied sauce (shown above) and sauce that contains chunks of cranberries. Both work very well.
I’ve made this recipe in the crockpot using frozen cooked meatballs and didn’t like the final result. Slow cooking releases moisture from the meatballs, thinning the sauce. I like this recipe better as a stove-top thick rich glazed end result.
It can, but it’s so easy it’s not really necessary. If you do want to make ahead, cook according to instructions and then store in a microwave safe dish. To re-heat, heat in the microwave for 1 minute increments, gently stirring each time to distribute heat and the sauce.
I find this sauce a perfect combination of sweet and spicy. With a medium spice level that can be adjusted to your liking. Want it sweeter? Simply increase the honey and decrease the Sriracha. Want it spicier? Add a couple pinches of New Mexico Chile Powder or Cayenne.
There are lots of great frozen pre-cooked meatballs available for purchase. Yes, they will work fine for this recipe. Just cook according to package instructions.
Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days. I like to reheat them in the microwave in 15 second increments. Your 50% power feature is your best friend here. Gentle reheating will keep these meatballs moist and tender.
- These meatballs will freeze very nicely in a freezer safe container for up to three months. I like to use a zip-lock style freezer bag. Squeeze the air out and lay them flat to optimize freezer space.
In Conclusion
Having an appetizer recipe that easy to make and ready to go in a jiff can be a party lifesaver. And these honey sriracha meatballs with cranberry sauce are just the ticket.
If You’re As Crazy About Party Meatballs As We Are:
And if you’re looking for more appetizer recipes, don’t miss my Appetizer Category. You’ll find lots of fun finger food recipes, including the most popular meatball recipe on my site for Smoky Chipotle Bison Meatballs. Check it out.
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Honey Sriracha Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 36 Italian meatballs
- ⅓ cup Sriracha Sauce
- 14 ½ ounce cranberry sauce canned, jellied or with chunks of cranberries
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup honey
Instructions
- Purchase fresh pre-made Italian meatballs from the store, or frozen. Bake according to package instructions.
- In the meantime, combine the ingredients for the Honey Sriracha Sauce in a Dutch Oven and cook over medium heat until well heated and flavors are combined. Let cook over medium low for about 15 minutes or until it has thickened just a bit.
- When meatballs are done scoop them into the same pot as the sauce. With a large spoon, gently stir and combine sauce and meatballs.
- Transfer to the serving bowl or platter of your choice. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Honey Sriracha Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce … It’s Whats for an Appetizer
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
These sound fabulous and I want to make them for New Year’s. Have you ever make these with regular meatballs? Or a chicken or turkey meatball? Is there something about Italian meatballs that makes it better or would be missing if I used regular instead of Italian? Everything in me is rebelling at the idea of the Italian seasonings combining with the sriracha, honey and cranberry. My mind doesn’t want to process those flavor profiles together, lol.
Good Morning Stacey
Absolutely, use regular flavored meatballs. I can’t remember why I used Italian, but the end flavor was so good I kept it that way.
Enjoy that NYE celebration and let me know if you have any more questions.
I want to take these to a party but want them warm. Do you think I could cook them on the stove but put them in a crock pot on warm without a lid?
I have taken these meatballs to many parties, and have used a crockpot to transport and keep warm.
Once cooked, just transfer them to a crockpot and plug it in on warm temperature. With lid on. Once you’re ready to leave, just transport them in the crockpot and then plug the crockpot in once you arrive at your destination. (again on warm temp)
Keeping them warm this way is just fine. We just don’t want them to be on high temperature and cook more. The texture of the sauce will be compromised. It will become runny.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Sweet and spicy pair so well together! This is fun — neat way to use cranberries. And who can resist a meatball? Nice dish — thanks so much.
Wow! It makes my mouth water!
Cool Kitchen Utensils
Made these for a holiday party and they were a crowd favorite! So delicious, with the perfect balance of sweet to spice. Will definitely be one of my “go-to” appetizer recipes. Thanks for the recipe!!!
You’re so welcome Cauleen. Thanks for letting me know. And so glad your crowd loved thee meatballs.
Oooh, love the sweet and spicy sauce! Perfect for my book club. Pinning!!
They look delicious and couldn’t be easier