These Cranberry Grapefruit Meatballs are the perfect holiday appetizer for either thanksgiving or Christmas!

Tis the season of eating and meatballs are officially and appetizer – in case you didn’t know! I love a meatball with a good sauce around it so it was a no brainer to make a sauce with cranberries right?  And what takes cranberries to the next level? CITRUS!! I love me some grapefruit and these Winter Sweetz Grapefruits from Texas are the perfect combo of sweet and tart.  With the combo of cranberries, grapefruit juice, honey and a few spices, I put together the tastiest sauce to coat a subtly spiced beef meatball!  The best part about this recipe around the holidays is that you can totally make the meatballs ahead of time and the sauce ahead of time and combine them just in time for the party! Make ahead is such a crucial component when planning out a holiday dinner or party.

I love having a healthy appetizer option and meatballs do the trick so well! They also get you a bit more full than that cracker might – which helps make it so you don’t go back for that 4th helping of sweet potato casserole!  What are you hacks for healthy holidays?  Mine is to try and remember, it’s just another day and another meal so there is no need to eat in excess.  Oh and my most important rule is to also treat yo self!  Healthy apps means we can indulge a bit more in dessert right?? What are your healthy holiday hacks?

These Cranberry Grapefruit Meatballs are the perfect holiday appetizer for either thanksgiving or Christmas!

This post was sponsored by Winter Sweetz but the views are 100% my own.  Thank you for supporting Little Bits Of!

Here are a few more dishes to add to the Thanksgiving Table,

Grain Free Bacon Herb Stuffing

Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Creamy Cashew Potato Casserole {Whole30}

Maple Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes

These Cranberry Grapefruit Meatballs are the perfect holiday appetizer for either thanksgiving or Christmas!

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These Cranberry Grapefruit Meatballs are the perfect holiday appetizer for either thanksgiving or Christmas!

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These Cranberry Grapefruit Meatballs are the perfect holiday appetizer for either thanksgiving or Christmas!

Cranberry Grapefruit Meatballs


  • Author: Kelsey

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs:

  • 1 pounds ground beef
  • ¼ cup almond flour
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground fennel
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce:

  • 12 oz cranberries
  • ⅓ cup raw honey
  • 1 cup+3 tablespoons grapefruit juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ cup water
  • Salt and pepper  

Instructions

  • In a bowl combine ground beef, almond flour, egg, salt, ground fennel and cinnamon until well combined.  Scoop into 2 tablespoon sized meatballs and roll into balls
  • Place a large skillet over medium heat and add oil to the pan.  Place meatballs in the pan and cook, flipping occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.
  • To make the sauce, combine cranberries, honey, grapefruit juice, cinnamon and ginger in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let simmer, covered, until all of the cranberries have popped, stirring occasionally (about 5-7 minutes).
  • Once the sauce has cooked down, add it to a blender with 1/4 cup of water and blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on how much liquid came out while cooking you may need to blend in another couple tablespoons of water until it has reached a consistency you like on meatballs.
  • Pour the sauce over the cooked meatballs and serve on toothpicks!