Zesty Cranberry Outlaw BBQ Meatballs
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Sweet meets tangy with a rebellious twist. Saucy Beard BBQ’s Zesty Cranberry Outlaw turns simple meatballs into a bold appetizer or main dish — juicy, smoky, and loaded with cranberry zing. Perfect for game days, parties, or holiday spreads when you want to stand out from the pack.
🛒 Ingredients (Serves 6–8 as appetizer, 4 as main)
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2 lbs ground beef (or beef/pork mix)
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1 cup breadcrumbs
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2 eggs
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½ cup onion, finely diced
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tsp kosher salt
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½ tsp black pepper
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½ tsp smoked paprika
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1 tbsp olive oil (for browning)
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1 ½ cups Zesty Cranberry Outlaw BBQ Sauce (plus extra for serving)
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Fresh parsley or chopped green onion (optional garnish)
🔥 Instructions
1. Make the Meatballs (or skip this step)
From Scratch: In a large bowl, combine ground meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Roll into 1-inch meatballs.
Shortcut: Use frozen, fully cooked store-bought meatballs.
2. Brown (skip if using store-bought)
Heat olive oil in a skillet. Brown homemade meatballs on all sides (they don’t need to cook through yet).
3. Simmer in Sauce
Add meatballs (homemade or store-bought) to a slow cooker or large pot. Pour in Zesty Cranberry Outlaw BBQ Sauce.
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Slow Cooker: Cook on low 2–3 hours.
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Stovetop: Simmer gently 25–30 minutes until heated through and coated.
4. Serve
Garnish with parsley or green onion. Serve with toothpicks for an appetizer, or over rice/mashed potatoes as a main dish.
⚡ Saucy Beard Tips
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🎉 Perfect for parties — keep warm in a slow cooker with extra sauce for easy serving.
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Want more tang? Stir in a handful of dried cranberries during the last 10 minutes.
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🥩 Swap beef for turkey or chicken for a leaner twist.
👉 Get the Sauce
Turn ordinary into outlaw.
👉 Grab a bottle of Zesty Cranberry Outlaw BBQ Sauce and bring sweet-tart rebellion to your table.
🔥 Cooked up in Colorado by Saucy Beard BBQ. Where sweet meets heat, and Beard meets BBQ. 🔥