Venison Meatballs with Cranberry BBQ Sauce

Venison Meatballs with Cranberry BBQ Sauce are tangy, savory, and scrumptious. These meatballs are made with Ground Venison and Pork and jazzed up with a Homemade Cranberry BBQ Sauce. These will become a new holiday favorite for your friends and family.

Allergy-Friendly

Ground Venison Meatballs are a super versatile meal and are hypoallergenic. These meatballs are bound together with Gluten-Free Panko Bread Crumbs (you could also grind up day-old Sourdough Bread and use that instead) and Dijon mustard. NO eggs, I repeat, no eggs, are anywhere in these meatballs.

Disclaimer: This particular recipe does include Parmesan cheese within the meatballs because I honestly needed to use it before it expired, but you could easily discard this ingredient to make it dairy free, too.

In addition, the ingredients in the Cranberry BBQ Sauce that glaze these meatballs are free of the top allergens. The Cranberry BBQ Sauce can be made using fresh or frozen Cranberries, or you can incorporate leftover Cranberry Sauce into it.

Ground Venison Meatball Ingredients

• Ground Venison
• Ground Pork
• Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs (or you can use day-old Sourdough Bread, grind it up, and toss it in)
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Dijon Mustard
• Fresh or Dried Parsley
• Garlic Powder
• Grated Parmesan Cheese (you can eliminate for dairy-free)
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Mixing Together the Meatballs

1. First, in a large glass bowl, combine all of the ingredients together.
2. Using your hands, mix together the meat mixture until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
3. Then, cover the meat mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes (this allows all the flavors to mellow together).
4. Next, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Take out a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet (or another oven-safe skillet or baking tray).
6. Then, using a cookie scoop, measure out a scoop of the meat mixture and place it into the skillet. Continue this step until the skillet is full or the meat mixture is gone.
   • I had to bake my Ground Venison Meatballs in two batches.
7. Next, place the Cast Iron Skillet in the oven for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
8. Finally, once the meatballs are fully cooked, remove them from the skillet onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess fat and cool.
   • If you’re immediately needing to use the Ground Venison Meatballs, toss them into a pot.
   • If you’re wanting to store these Ground Venison Meatballs to use at a later date, place them into an airtight container and either refrigerate them for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.

Cranberry BBQ Sauce

Cranberry BBQ Sauce Ingredients

• Bag of Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
• Water
• Brown Sugar (can substitute for Coconut Sugar or Maple Syrup)
• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
• Organic Ketchup or 1, 8-oz Can of Organic Tomato Sauce
• Organic Dijon Mustard
• Granulated Garlic (or 2 cloves fresh minced Garlic)
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Mixing Together the Cranberry BBQ Sauce

1. First, in a medium-sized pot over medium heat, combine all of the ingredients.
2. Then, bring the mixture to a boil. Pop a lid over the top of the pot.
3. Next, let the mixture simmer for about 15-20 minutes on low heat.
4. Then, turn the heat off and let the mixture cool slightly.
5. Next, pour the mixture into a blender and puree until desired consistency.
   • Because this is a BBQ Sauce, I pureed it until it was pretty smooth with no chunks.
6. Finally, either immediately use the Cranberry BBQ Sauce or store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Combine the Cranberry BBQ Sauce Ingredients

Bring the Cranberry BBQ Sauce to a Boil

Putting It All Together

1. First, place the Venison Meatballs in a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Then, pour the Cranberry BBQ Sauce over the top of the meatballs.
3. Next, allow the Cranberry BBQ Sauce and Venison Meatballs to heat for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Finally, serve with your favorite side, and enjoy!

Suggestions for Ways to Serve

• Roast Delicata Squash rounds in the oven for 20-25 minutes, and then place a Venison Meatball with Cranberry BBQ Sauce in the middle of the round,

• Create Venison Meatballs with Cranberry BBQ Sauce Sliders,
• Serve alongside your favorite roasted root vegetable, and
• More!

Recommended Products

Venison Meatballs with Cranberry BBQ Sauce

Yield: 24 Meatballs

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Venison Meatballs with Cranberry BBQ Sauce are tangy, savory, and scrumptious. These meatballs are made with Ground Venison and Pork and jazzed up with a homemade Cranberry BBQ Sauce. These will become a new holiday favorite for your friends and family.

Print

Ingredients

Ground Venison Meatballs

• 2 lbs. Ground Venison
• 2 lbs. Ground Pork
• 1 c. Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp. Fresh or Dried Parsley
• 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 c. Grated Parmesan Cheese (eliminate for Dairy-Free)

Cranberry BBQ Sauce

• 1, 12-oz Bag Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
• 1 1/2 c. Water
• 1 c. Brown Sugar
• 1/3 c. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2/3 c. Organic Ketchup
• 2 tsp. Granulated Garlic (or 2 cloves, minced)
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions

For the Venison Meatballs

1. First, in a large glass bowl, combine all of the ingredients together.

1. Using your hands, mix together the meat mixture until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
2. Then, cover the meat mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes (this allows all the flavors to mellow together).
3. Next, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Take out a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet (or another oven-safe skillet or baking tray).
5. Then, using a cookie scoop, measure out a scoop of the meat mixture and place it into the skillet. Continue this step until the skillet is full or the meat mixture is gone.
6. I had to bake my Ground Venison Meatballs in two batches.
7. Next, place the Cast Iron Skillet in the oven for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
8. Finally, once the meatballs are fully cooked, remove them from the skillet onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess fat and cool.
9. If you're immediately needing to use the Ground Venison Meatballs, toss them into a pot.
10. If you're wanting to store these Ground Venison Meatballs to use at a later date, place them into an airtight container and either refrigerate them for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.

For the Cranberry BBQ Sauce

1. First, in a medium-sized pot over medium heat, combine all of the ingredients.
2. Then, bring the mixture to a boil. Pop a lid over the top of the pot.
3. Next, let the mixture simmer for about 15-20 minutes on low heat.
4. Then, turn the heat off and let the mixture cool slightly.
5. Next, pour the mixture in a blender and puree until desired consistency. Because this is a BBQ Sauce, I pureed it until it was pretty smooth with no chunks.
6. Finally, either immediately use the Cranberry BBQ Sauce or store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Putting it All Together

1. First, place the Venison Meatballs in a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Then, pour the Cranberry BBQ Sauce over the top of the meatballs.
3. Next, allow the Cranberry BBQ Sauce and Venison Meatballs to heat for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Finally, serve with your favorite side, and enjoy!

Notes

My husband processes our Venison, but you can also find Venison at local Butcher Stores, Sprouts, Wild Fork Foods, and Force of Nature.