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These cranberry apple chicken meatballs are hands down one of our favorite holiday recipes! Ella and I seriously can’t get enough of them! Packed with sweet dried cranberries and juicy apple bits, these meatballs are bursting with flavor in every bite.
Honestly, we can’t even decide on our favorite way to serve them! They’re perfect as a holiday appetizer for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or New Year’s, as a tasty side dish, or even as a main dish.
You can dip them in cranberry sauce or gravy for extra holiday flavor! No matter how you enjoy them, I promise you’ll love these meatballs. They’re cozy, flavorful, and just the kind of recipe that makes your holidays feel extra special!
If you love holiday meatballs, don’t miss our viral turkey stuffing meatballs, another favorite that’s perfect for your holiday table!
Why You Will Love These Cranberry Chicken Meatballs
- Flavorful: These meatballs are packed with the delicious flavors of sweet cranberries and fresh apples. Every bite tastes amazing!
- High-Protein: They are a delicious, protein-packed option that keeps you satisfied.
- Easy to Make: Simply combine the ingredients, roll the mixture into meatballs, bake them, and serve.
- Holiday-Friendly: They make the perfect appetizer or meal for the holidays, and you can top them with gravy or cranberry sauce for a delicious and festive touch.
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Chicken: Ground chicken is the base of these meatballs and keeps them light and tender.
- Apple: Grated apple adds incredible flavor, natural sweetness, and moisture.
- Cranberries: Roughly chopped dried cranberries add an incredible burst of flavor to each bite.
- Egg: One whisked egg helps keep the meatballs moist and holds everything together.
- Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs help bind the mixture without making the meatballs heavy.
- Worcestershire Sauce: A splash of Worcestershire sauce adds rich, savory umami flavor.
- Seasonings: Season these meatballs with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to enhance the flavor.
Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions & Variations
- Protein Options: You can swap the ground chicken in this recipe with ground chicken breast, ground turkey breast, or lean ground turkey.
- Larger Meatballs: Use a large cookie scoop and bake the meatballs for 22 to 26 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Apple Prep Options: Grate the apple using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grating disc. Make sure to shred, not blend. If you don’t want to grate the apple, finely chop it.
- Apples to Use: We love using Pink Lady apples, but Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp apples will also work.
- Onion Swap: Omit the onion powder and use 1/4 cup of sautéed onion for extra depth of flavor. White, sweet, or brown onions all work.
- Breadcrumb Options: If you don’t have panko breadcrumbs, substitute them with unseasoned breadcrumbs.
- Gluten-Free Option: To make these meatballs gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs and a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
How To Make Cranberry Apple Chicken Meatballs
Step 1: Roughly chop the dried cranberries so their flavor is evenly distributed throughout the meatballs.
Step 2: Peel the apple and grate it using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grating disc. Make sure to grate, not blend, so the texture stays just right.
Step 3: Add the ground chicken, grated apple, dried cranberries, whisked egg, panko breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.
Step 4: Mix everything together until it is well combined.
Step 5: Use a 2-teaspoon cookie scoop to portion the mixture, then roll each scoop into a ball. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 6: Bake the cranberry apple chicken meatballs at 400°F for 17-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Step 7: Let the meatballs cool, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These cranberry apple chicken meatballs make an amazing holiday appetizer, side dish, or even a main course. They are so versatile and easy to serve. We love topping them with cranberry sauce or gravy, or making a simple sauce by mixing 1/3 cup of cranberry sauce with 1/4 cup of chicken broth.
Spoon the sauce over the meatballs and serve extra on the side for dipping.
We love serving these meatballs with cozy holiday sides like creamy mashed potatoes, slow cooker mashed potatoes, air fryer green beans, small-batch stuffing, and easy boxed stuffing. They also pair beautifully with Jiffy corn casserole, healthy cornbread, parmesan-crusted Brussels sprouts, or a fresh kale pomegranate salad. Any of these will make it a delicious holiday meal!
Shawna’s Expert Tips
- Chop the Cranberries: Make sure to roughly chop the dried cranberries so their flavor is evenly distributed throughout the meatballs.
- Don’t Over-Mix: Mix the ingredients until just combined. Over-mixing can make the meatballs dense.
- Use a Cookie Scoop: Scoop the mixture with a cookie scoop to keep the meatballs the same size. Evenly sized meatballs cook more evenly and stay juicy.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover cranberry apple chicken meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Or, you can freeze them in a freezer-safe container for 1-2 months.
More Meatball Recipes to Try!
- Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
- Turkey Stuffing Meatballs
- Gluten-Free Turkey Meatballs
- Turkey Pesto Meatballs
If you try this recipe, please be sure to leave us a comment and star rating, ★★★★★, letting us know how it turns out for you.
Cranberry Apple Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup grated apple, about one medium apple
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- 1 egg, whisked
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Roughly chop the dried cranberries so their flavor is evenly distributed throughout the meatballs.
- Peel the apple and grate it using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grating disc. Make sure to grate, not blend, so the texture stays just right.
- Add the ground chicken, grated apple, dried cranberries, whisked egg, panko breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.
- Mix everything together until it is well combined.
- Use a 2-teaspoon cookie scoop to portion the mixture, then roll each scoop into a ball. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the meatballs at 400°F for 17-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Let the meatballs cool, top with optional cranberry sauce or gravy, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Cranberry Sauce & Gravy: You can top the meatballs with cranberry sauce or gravy, or make a simple sauce by mixing 1/3 cup of cranberry sauce with 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Spoon it over the meatballs and serve extra on the side for dipping.
- Protein Options: You can swap the ground chicken in this recipe with ground chicken breast, ground turkey breast, or lean ground turkey.
- Larger Meatballs: Use a large cookie scoop and bake the meatballs for 22 to 26 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Apple Prep Options: If you don’t want to grate the apple, finely chop it.
- Apples to Use: We love using Pink Lady apples, but Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp apples will also work.
- Onion Swap: Omit the onion powder and use 1/4 cup of sautéed onion for extra depth of flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We absolutely love these Cranberry Apple Chicken Meatballs and make them every holiday season without fail. They’re juicy, cozy, and full of sweet-savory flavor, and no matter how we serve them, they disappear fast every single time.