Slow Cooker BBQ Cranberry Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long to heat meatballs in crockpot on high? ›

Cover the slow cooker and cook the meatballs on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through (slice one in half to check). With a spoon, gently turn the meatballs to coat them in the sauce and distribute the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle additional Parmesan and parsley on top, to taste.

Well, if you're planning to use the slow cooker to heat frozen meatballs, it's safest to work with fully cooked and frozen meatballs. That's because you want to keep food at adequately hot temperatures to avoid the “danger zone,” or the temperature range of 40°F to 140°F where bacteria grow most rapidly.

To sauce the meatballs in a slow cooker:

Add frozen meatballs to crockpot. Add chili sauce and grape jelly. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours on HIGH or 4 to 6 hours on LOW, until the sauce is hot. Serve directly from the crockpot with a serving spoon or toothpicks, or transfer to a serving dish.

Just brown them in the oven under broil and then set the crockpot on low and cook them overnight in the sauce. They'll be perfectly done, perfectly safe, and delicious in the morning. A few extra hours won't hurt them at all and then you won't have to worry about time, temperature and food safety.

Mashed potatoes are a classic pairing for meatballs, like these Grape Jelly Meatballs. Photo by Jennifer Stevens. For a change from the usual plain rice or noodles, give this rice pilaf a try on the side of some Lamb Meatballs and Sauce.

Crusty bread, marinara and mozzerella cheese. Buttered egg noodles (or spaetzle) or alternately buttered and parsleyed boiled potatoes, steamed green beans. Or go with mashed potatoes, green peas and lingonberry jam. Rice and tomato sauce, white asparagus.

I find that baking them and then finishing them in the sauce is the best method. Baking them ensures even cooking and browning as well as good flavor development. Throwing them into the sauce for a few minutes before serving flavors the sauce and keeps the meatballs moist and delicious.

It is best to thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Frozen pieces will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature and could possibly result in foodborne illness. Frozen or partially frozen foods can also cool everything else in the slow cooker.

Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on for 12 hours? Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it. Many slow cookers do have an automatic shutoff after 24 hours.

The internal temperature of the ground beef meatballs should be 160º when completely cooked. Do you thaw meatballs before putting them in a crockpot? Nope! The frozen meatballs can go straight from the freezer and into the crockpot.

Can I reheat cooked meatballs in crockpot? ›

Reheating leftovers in a slow cooker is not recommended. Cooked food should be reheated on the stove, in a microwave, or in a conventional oven until it reaches 165 °F. Then the hot food can be placed in a preheated slow cooker to keep it hot for serving—at least 140 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

Preheat. To minimize the risk of food becoming unsafe by remaining in the temperature danger zone for too long, preheat your empty slow cooker on the highest setting for approximately 1 hour. Use the time to prepare your ingredients.

Place the pot on medium heat and bring it to a slow boil. After it comes to a boil turn the heat down to low. This is a really gentle way to reheat your meatballs. You can let the meatballs cook slowly for 30 minutes or until the meatballs are completely reheated.

Combine the meatballs and sauce in a pan and cook over low heat until the meatballs are warmed through. The timing is dependent on how many meatballs you're heating. If it's just a few, it should take about 10 minutes, with more meatballs adding more cook time.