Hearty meatballs speckled with wild rice and dried cranberries and glazed with a cranberry BBQ sauce. It’s the perfect appetizer for any holiday gathering!
Fun fact of the day: Wild rice is the state grain of Minnesota. I grew up eating wild rice nearly every week. I remember many a dinners in which wild rice was the side dish. My mom always served it plain, and I can’t believe I absolutely loved it, given the ways I love to eat it nowadays. I guess the nutty flavor and chewy texture was enough to make me fall in love.
Its hearty texture and unique flavor is exactly what makes it such a wonderful addition to casseroles (“hotdish” for us Minnesotans), soups, or salads.
I bet you’ve never thought to stuff wild rice into meatballs though! While the combination may seem a little out there, hear me out! These tender turkey meatballs are seasoned with garlic, onion, and rosemary and packed with wild rice and dried cranberries. Then, they’re slathered in a mixture of cranberry sauce and BBQ sauce for the most festive, sweet-and-savory flavored cocktail meatball!
At a work potluck years ago, someone brought a cranberry-less version of these to share. After one bite, I totally staked out my spot right by the crock pot, sneaking meatball after meatball when no one was looking.
I knew I had to recreate them one day, but I decided to add dried cranberries for a unique seasonal twist. Similar to this cranberry chicken curry, the dried cranberries add a pleasant pop of tangy sweetness to these hearty meatballs.
The sauce for these cranberry wild rice meatballs is simply a mixture of BBQ sauce and cranberry sauce. I’ve used both regular canned sauce and homemade sauce for these meatballs, but I highly recommend homemade. Typically, homemade recipes contain orange zest and added spices and it makes for one dynamite cranberry BBQ sauce.
Once you’ve formed the meatballs, pop them in the oven to bake until golden brown and cooked through. Add them to a slow cooker (a small, 2-quart slow cooker will do. I found mine at Target), pour in the sauce and gently toss to coat the meatballs. Then, simply let the meatballs hang out in the slow cooker until your guests arrive.
The standard potluck slow cooker meatballs have gotten a major upgrade! Just look at all the flavor and texture in this perfect little meatball. You must make these for your next holiday gathering. It will definitely be a hit!
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Cranberry Wild Rice Meatballs
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
Hearty meatballs speckled with wild rice and dried cranberries and glazed with a cranberry BBQ sauce. It’s the perfect appetizer for any holiday gathering!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 cup cooked wild rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 can (14 ounces) or 1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Form into small balls. Place on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the meatballs. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Transfer the meatballs to the slow cooker. Whisk the BBQ sauce and cranberry sauce together and pour over the meatballs. Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours to heat the sauce and keep the meatballs warm.
Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! 
Krista – You have gone and did it again! I am always drawn to your food. I spend a lot of time on the internet looking at what people are doing food wise, and so much of it I just skim on by. You on the other hand always catch my attention. Some day I’d love to cook with you!
You are so sweet! I’m absolutely flattered that my recipes catch your eye. I would love to cook with you too! Our cooking philosophies seem to jive 🙂 Best of luck to you on your rebrand –Can’t wait for the reveal!
Can these meatballs be made ahead and frozen? Then defrost and add sauce?
Hi Sheri, I haven’t tried freezing the meatballs, but I’m sure it will work just fine!
Am trying this for about 50 people in FL….brought wild rice from WI visit
I’m currently prepping wild rice and this recipe sounds delicious but I’m at a little unease about the descriptor “small” for the meatballs. Is that ping-pong ball size? Smaller? (TBH, serving size means not much to me as a gourmand. Hahahaha)
If you would be so kind as to provide clarification, please? I would be grateful. I doubt you’ll have it to me in time but I’ll then know for future times I try this recipe. I just want to avoid overcooking/undercooking.
Thanks for the comment, Steph! I like to use a cookie scoop to measure out my meatballs, and it ends up being around 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons. I’d say a little smaller than a ping pong ball.