Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs {Copycat Recipe}
Can’t find the Amylu cranberry jalapeño meatballs at Costco? Make this easy copycat recipe with ground chicken, dried cranberries, and fresh jalapeño.
Take a peek in my freezer at any point in the year and you’re going to spot several flavors of prepared chicken meatballs waiting to be turned into a quick and easy family dinner like my popular pineapple teriyaki meatball stir fry.
Around November, I start stalking the aisles at Costco so I can grab my favorite cranberry jalapeño chicken meatballs as soon as they arrive.
I love this seasonal flavor with saucy pastas and easy rice bowls.
However, if you don’t have a membership to Costco, I didn’t want you to miss out on this handy shortcut. I’ve shared a copycat recipe at the bottom of the post so you can make a batch and freeze them yourself.
Why This is the Best Recipe
Delicious cranberry jalapeño meatballs are only available at Costco as a seasonal item. This is the best cranberry jalapeño meatball recipe because:
- Any Time of Year: Just like Costco meatballs, you can prep and freeze my homemade version for using any time of year.
- Sweet and Spicy: While the meatballs have some kick, they are not too spicy for my kids. The just add a bit of oomph to the recipes I use them in.
- Pair Well for Easy Dinners: I have so many great suggestions for how to make an easy dinner using this recipe, be sure to see all the suggestions here.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I snag a couple packages of the Amylu cranberry & jalapeño chicken meatballs as soon as I see them at the store and pop them in my freezer at home.
However, if you want to make the copycat recipe, you will need to buy:
- Ground Chicken: You could also use ground turkey if you prefer.
- Breadcrumbs: I recommend a traditional style breadcrumb, not the Panko style for this recipe.
- Chili Sauce
- Jalapeño Pepper
- Dried Cranberries: Fresh cranberries would add too much moisture to this dish and the meatballs would fall apart.
- Lemon
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Paprika
- Minced Garlic
Prep the Meatball Mix
Making homemade meatballs is easy peasy. Simply add all the ingredients for the meatballs to a large mixing bowl and gently fluff it together with a fork until well combined.
Break off portions of meatball mix and roll with your hands into 1-inch sized meatballs.
Line them up in a clean baking dish or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Brown the Meatballs
Cooking the meatballs is the same whether you made them from scratch or are using the store bought variety.
Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high.
Add the meatballs and brown, turning them over every minute or so until they are golden on all sides.
NOTE: Homemade meatballs are significantly more delicate than the prepared kind and may require a spatula to flip. Be sure to let the meatballs brown thoroughly before turning.
How to Freeze Homemade Meatballs
If you want to freeze your from-scratch meatballs, line them up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you roll them.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for one hour. This flash freezes the meatballs so they don’t stick together.
You can then transfer them to a storage bag or container and freeze for up to 6 months.
To use the frozen meatballs, cook as directed above. No need to thaw them first. You’ll just need a little more cooking time to warm them through completely.
Alternatively, you could brown the meatballs first, let them cool, and then freeze the fully-cooked meatballs if you prefer.
How to Use Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs
Now the fun part! Once you’ve cooked your meatballs through, it’s time to serve them for dinner.
For once, I had SO many ideas for you that I couldn’t fit them all in on this one page. Instead, I wrote an entire dinner guide for what to do with cranberry jalapeño meatballs here.
What to Serve with Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs
If you just want a quick place to start, you could pair the browned meatballs with a simple starchy side and your favorite veggie.
The sweet and spicy flavor combo always pairs nicely with my sweet potato casserole but I also love the crispy texture of this easy roasted gnocchi dish.
If you’re more into hands-off side dishes, my crockpot mashed potatoes are always a classic but this Instant pot herb butter rice comes together really quickly.
Cranberry Jalapeño Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeds removed and minced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
Instructions Start Cooking
- Add all the meatball ingredients from ground chicken through minced garlic to a large mixing bowl. Gently knead everything together with a fork until well combined.1 pound ground chicken, 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons chili sauce, 1 jalapeño pepper, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Break off portions of meatball mix and roll into 1-inch meatballs.
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the meatballs to the pan and cook. Turn the meatballs gently and brown on all sides. Continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F with an instant probe thermometer.
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About Tiffany
Tiffany is a home-cooking enthusiast, three-time cookbook author, and creator of the sites Peanut Blossom, Peanut Blossom Book Club, and Don’t Just Fly. She believes that family dinner can be manageable, fun, and — most importantly — tasty. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two daughters and can often be found baking a loaf of bread with her beloved bread machine, reading a good book, or planning her family’s next adventure.
I loved this! I did alter a couple minor things, I added an egg for more binding, this resulted in needing more breadcrumbs. I also added salt and pepper because the soy sauce and worcestershire was not enough salt for that amount of meat. I baked them in the oven at 400° F until they read 165° F, I prefer this to pan frying because they stay together better. These are going on my meal prep rotation for sure. I paired it with goat cheese pasta and it was great
Thanks for sharing your tweaks, Kaitlin. I love roasting meatballs in the oven, too.
Tiffany
Took forever to cook, even after pan frying I put them in the oven in fear I’d be feeding my family raw meat. Meat texture just wasn’t right. Nobody in my family liked these very much and we tossed the rest. We love the ones from Costco and was hoping to have a recipe for the off season, but this just didn’t cut it. Also seems like there should be some more seasoning for the meat (salt/pepper?). Thanks anyway 🙂