You can make Sweet and Tangy Meatballs in just 30 minutes. They’re perfect as an appetizer or quick dinner that your family will enjoy.
These saucy barbecue meatballs primarily require barbecue sauce, but their sweetness comes from orange marmalade. They’ll have everyone licking their fingers clean and asking for seconds.
To make these tangy treats, all you need to do is mix up the ingredients, shape them into balls, and bake in the oven until cooked through. Then all that’s left is to pour on the sauce!
My family loves my Gigi’s recipe for homemade Italian meatballs. Madden always requests meatballs and always clarifies that he wants the homemade ones, not the ones from Costco.
They all love barbecue sauce in addition to meatballs. However, we need to monitor the amount of barbecue sauce and ketchup our daughter Jersey adds to her plate or food (obsessed). The second most favored sauce is the one used in my orange chicken. This affection for these two sauces was the motivation behind creating these barbecue meatballs.
These barbecue meatballs are versatile and enjoyable! They make a fantastic dinner when served over rice and steamed vegetables, and they can also be served as a stunning appetizer. They are both easy to make and delicious.
These barbecue meatballs rank in our top 10 appetizers. These Sweet & Tangy Barbecue Meatballs are so easy to throw together. With only 4 ingredients and 25 minutes baking time, you are 30 minutes away from meatball heaven.
Every holiday or party it is pretty much a guarantee that at every party, there are meatballs and mini-hot dogs, right? I always feel that the meatballs are lacking and just need a little more pzazz. And the addition of the orange marmalade in this recipe does exactly that. I love the hint of sweetness.
If you wanted to make this a slow cooker meal, making it easy to transport and keep warm just toss all of the ingredients into a slow cooker, stir to combine and the cook on low for a few hours. Your guest will love this either way, and these little meatballs are dressed to impress. I mean just take a look at that sauce, yum! I love to use the extra sauce to drizzle over my rice, and if serving as an appetizer just leave the meatballs in the sauce so they don’t dry out.
While I am not the biggest meatball fan, unless they are homemade I couldn’t stop eating this at 2 pm in the afternoon, spoiling my dinner not because I overate but because I already ate my portion…and I know there will not be any leftovers. So whether you are looking for an easy dinner or a gorgeous holiday appetizer, these Barbecue Meatballs will become a crowd favorite.
How do you make barbecue meatballs?
In a large cooking pot add the barbecue sauce, orange marmalade and whole cranberry sauce, stir to combine.
Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a slow boil.
Add meatballs and stir to coat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cover pot.
Cook for 15 minutes.
Keeping the meatballs over the heat, remove the lid and stir sauce and meatballs.
Cook for another 10 minutes to allow sauce to thicken over the meatballs.
Remove from heat and serve.
Don’t forget to pin these Sweet & Tangy Barbecue Meatballs to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Sweet & Tangy Barbecue Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
- 1/2 orange marmalade
- 14 ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 32 ounce package frozen meatballs 64 count (1/2 ounce size)
Instructions
- In a large cooking pot add the barbecue sauce, orange marmalade and whole cranberry sauce, stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a slow boil.
- Add meatballs and stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover pot. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Keeping the meatballs over the heat, remove the lid and stir sauce and meatballs. Cook for another 10 minutes to allow sauce to thicken over the meatballs.
- Remove from heat and serve.
- I love to serve these as an appetizer, but if serving as a meal serve with rice and cilantro as a garnish.
Notes
Please clarify the amount of orange marmalade! Thanks!
1/2 cup
I think I’m going to make these to take to our Thanksgiving dinner!! Soo looking forward to eating these.. they look scrumptious!! Thank you for sharing!!
The orange marmalade is such a great idea! Going to a pot-luck at church this weekend, and I am taking these!
These meatballs look so juicy!
My family loves meatballs, and these look so good! Can’t wait to try them!
These are seriously one of my favorite kinds of meatballs!!
Love how easy and quick these come together. So many options.
These would be as a party appetizer or quick dinner! Such a great flavor combination!
I’m going to make these on Saturday so we have subs to make all weekend. So delicious!
This looks amazing! I will definately give it a try!
I hope I will manage as I am not a great cook!
These would be as a party appetizer or quick dinner! Such a great flavor combination!
wow, it looks delicious and attractive. thank you for posting
Hope you enjoy!
good idea.I agree with you
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I really like visiting your site because I think your posts are amazing. Thanks a lot for sharing them.
Thank you for reading!
The sweet meatballs you make are delicious and delicious. I really like this meatballs.
I made these for a birthday party and everyone raved about them! I bought a 64 oz. bag of meatballs and used most of it, adding an additional half measure of each of the sauce ingredients. I had to adjust the cook time for the meatballs due to the stove I have. The sauce was sweet and tangy, exactly as the name suggests. I will definitely be making this again!
Yes until now I know.
wow, the cake looks so delicious and so interesting I love eating it
Your visitor will adore this whichever way and these little meatballs are dressed to dazzle.
It is the best appetizer I ever taken.
Thank you!
I made these for a birthday party and everyone raved about them! I bought a 64 oz. bag of meatballs and used most of it, adding an additional half measure of each of the sauce ingredients.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing!
delicious! Thanks for sharing post
Enjoy!
I like barbecue! Thanks for the post.
Thank you!
Lovely post! I like your recipe!
Thank you!
Sweet & Tangy meatballs are delicious and delicious. I really like this dish. I will save the recipe to learn how to make this dish.
I hope you enjoy!
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Keep Sharing.
Thank you!
So great! Both delicious, beautiful, and not too difficult to make, especially this cake surprised my husband with his cooking skills! Thank you!
Sweet & Tangy meatballs are delicious and delicious. I really like this dish. I will save the recipe to learn how to make this dish.
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Wow! Thanks for sharing another wonderful recipe idea. I like all of your other DIY and recipe idea.
I love barbecue flavor in almost everything I eat, especially during the wintertime! Thanks for sharing another wonderful recipe idea among us. By profession, I like to try new recipe ideas. I hope my other family members will enjoy the recipe as well.
The flavors are really good. Nice receipe.
I love these delicious recipes. I can’t say that I am a magical chef, but when I see such recipes, I immediately want to run to the kitchen and cook something.
amazing and great recipes really loved it keep rocking you guys
good post
Thanks for sharing this with us.
Glad to see this amazing recipe. Keep it up.
A delicious and family favorite, I’ll be filling Sweet & Tangy Meatballs in my favorite Pinterest boards!
The cranberry sauce is what really makes this recipe pop for me. I made this and served it over Stovetop Stuffing (because of the cranberry element). Holy. Moly. It’s so good!
These were the perfect flavor combination to go with meatballs. I will be making again very soon!
Looks beyond delicious! I’m excited to make this!
I am making these meatballs for my family! Love this flavor!
The combination of sweet and tangy barbecue sauce perfectly complements the juicy meatballs. They’re the ultimate party appetizer or a delicious addition to any meal.
Wow, delicious meatballs
Definitely adding this to my go-to party food list. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
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