These Whole30 Cocktail Meatballs with a BBQ Cranberry Glaze are an easy Whole30 appetizer that can double as a meal when served with cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash.

Need a last-minute Whole30 appetizer? No problem! Need one that’s gluten-free, Low-Carb, Paleo, and/or Whole30 approved? I’ve got you covered!!!

These little meatballs are full of flavor, can be prepared in only 30 minutes with a few simple ingredients, and are a perfect appetizer for any shower or party.

They can also double as dinner! Simply serve them with some cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or a simple salad and dinner is covered 🙂  

For the sweetener

Any keto sweetener will work. However, erythritol tends to crystallize and doesn’t dissolve as well as other sweeteners.

So if you use an erythritol-based sweetener, make sure it’s powdered.

For Paleo & Whole30, use 1/2 cup of orange juice with 1/2 cup of finely chopped dates.

Keto, paleo, & whole30 appetizer meatballs

For the meatballs, I used my Keto Meatball Recipe. To see all of my tips and tricks for perfect, juicy meatballs, please refer to the post.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the egg, crushed pork rinds, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. 

For the coconut milk, I recommend Sprouts, Thai Kitchen, or Native Forest brands because other brands may lend an aftertaste. Don’t store the coconut milk in the fridge, otherwise, it will separate. 

If it does separate, though, simply heat it over low heat until combined.

If you’re not dairy-free or Whole30, feel free to use heavy cream instead of coconut cream.

By adding all the ingredients except the beef first, this allows time for the pork rinds to soak up the milk and make the meatballs juicy!

Then, add the beef and mix by hand, being sure not to overmix!

Roll the mixture into small meatballs and place on a greased broiler pan. Be careful not to roll them too tightly or they’ll be tough!

Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes, or until just cooked through. Then, turn the oven to broil and broil 2-3 minutes, or until the tops have some caramelization.

While they’re cooking make the sauce…

Cocktail sauce

In a large dutch oven or stockpot, add 1 1/2 cups of BBQ sauce, cranberry sauce, salt, Worcestershire sauce (can be omitted for Whole30), and water to thin as needed.

Cranberry sauce: For homemade cranberry sauce, simply add 12 oz. of fresh or frozen cranberries, sweetener, orange essential oil or orange zest, and water to the pot along with the other ingredients.

For the BBQ sauce, my favorite is Noble Made Classic BBQ. However, Tessamae’s and Primal Kitchen have good whole30 BBQ sauce as well and are a bit lower carb if that’s what you’re looking for.

Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes.

Then, blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and blend until desired consistency.

Then, add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and serve!

Now that you’ve seen how easy they are, it’s time to party! Go ahead and accept that last-minute invite or invite guests over and connect over these perfect cocktail meatballs.

💭 Top tips

• For the coconut milk, I recommend Sprouts, Thai Kitchen, or Native Forest brands because other brands may lend an aftertaste. Don’t store the coconut milk in the fridge, otherwise, it will separate. If it does separate, though, simply heat it over low heat until combined.
• If you’re not dairy-free or Whole30, feel free to use heavy cream instead of coconut cream.
• To crush the pork rinds, I prefer to place them in a large, resealable baggie and crush with a rolling pin.
• By adding all the ingredients except the beef first, this allows time for the pork rinds to soak up the milk and make the meatballs juicy!
• For the BBQ sauce, my favorite is Noble Made Classic BBQ. However, Tessamae’s and Primal Kitchen have good whole30 BBQ sauce as well and are a bit lower-carb if that’s what you’re looking for.
• Meatballs can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept covered in the fridge.
• Meatballs can be frozen for up to 3-6 months without sauce. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• To reheat for a party, consider adding them to a slow cooker (on low or high) with the sauce until heated through.
• For the sweetener, any keto sweetener will work. However, erythritol tends to crystallize and doesn’t dissolve as well as other sweeteners. So if you use an erythritol-based sweetener, make sure it’s powdered. For Paleo & Whole30, use 1/2 cup of orange juice with 1/2 cup of finely chopped dates.

Looking for more recipes? 

Keto, Paleo, & Whole30 Meatball Soup

Homemade Whole30 No-Fail Mayo

Keto, Paleo, & Whole30 Stuffed Bell Peppers

Keto Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Or this Easy Spinach Dip from Gluten-Free Palate looks pretty amazing too!

If you’ve tried these Whole30 Appetizer Cocktail Meatballs or any other recipe on the blog please let me know in the comments below!

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📖 Recipe

Whole30 Cocktail Meatballs {Low-Carb, Paleo, & Gluten Free}

These Whole30 Cocktail Meatballs are an easy appetizer that doubles as a meal when served with cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, dairy free, Dinner, gluten free, keto, paleo, whole30

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 18 meatballs

Calories: 100kcal

Author: Cassidy Stauffer

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 Lb. Ground Beef or 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground pork
• 2 Tbsp Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk or heavy cream (see notes below)
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/3 Cup Pork Rinds, very finely crushed or blanched almond flour
• 2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. Dried Parsley
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Celery Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Pepper

Cocktail Sauce:

• 14 oz Cranberry Sauce can use store-bought or the recipe below
• 1 1/2 Cup Sam Noble BBQ Sauce see notes below for other options
• 1 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce omit for Whole30
• 1 pinch Sea Salt

Homemade Low-Carb, Paleo, or Whole30 Cranberry Sauce:

• 12 oz Fresh Or Frozen Cranberries
• 1 Cup Keto Sweetener, see notes below OR FOR WHOLE30 USE 1/2 Cup Orange Juice and 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Pitted Dates
• 3-4 Drops Orange Essential Oil, use therapeutic grade for consumption or 1 Tbsp. Orange Zest (can omit for Whole30 version since we used orange juice)
• 1/2 - 3/4 Cup Purified Water or as needed to thin

Instructions

Meatballs:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mix together the coconut milk, egg, pork rinds, and seasonings. Allow mixture to sit for a minute or two.
• Then, add the beef and mix by hand, being careful not to overmix!
• Roll into 1 1/2-inch sized meatballs and place on a greased broiler pan. Be careful not to roll the meatballs too tightly or they'll be tough. If you don't have a broiler pan, you can place a greased cooling rack over a lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 1round18 minutes or until just cooked through. Then, turn the oven up to broil and broil 2-3 minutes, or until the tops are nicely browned. Set aside.

Cocktail Sauce:

• In a large pot, mix together all of the cocktail sauce ingredients. If making the homemade cranberry sauce, add those ingredients as well.
• Simmer 15-20 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and blend until desired consistency. Taste and add additional sweetener or seasonings as needed.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat.

Notes

• Nutritional Info uses low carb options and a heaping amount of sauce per meatball
• For the coconut milk, I recommend Sprouts, Thai Kitchen, or Native Forest brands because other brands may lend an aftertaste. Don't store the coconut milk in the fridge, otherwise, it will separate. If it does separate, though, simply heat it over low heat until combined.
• If you're not dairy-free or Whole30, feel free to use heavy cream instead of coconut cream.
• To crush the pork rinds, I prefer to place them in a large, resealable baggie and crush with a rolling pin.
• By adding all the ingredients except the beef first, this allows time for the pork rinds to soak up the milk and make the meatballs juicy!
• For the BBQ sauce, my favorite is Noble Made Classic BBQ. However, Tessamae's and Primal Kitchen have good whole30 BBQ sauce as well and are a bit lower-carb if that's what you're looking for.
• Meatballs can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept covered in the fridge.
• Meatballs can be frozen for up to 3-6 months without sauce. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• To reheat for a party, consider adding them to a slow cooker (on low or high) with the sauce until heated through
• For the sweetener, any keto sweetener will work. However, erythritol tends to crystallize and doesn’t dissolve as well as other sweeteners. So if you use an erythritol-based sweetener, make sure it’s powdered. For Paleo & Whole30, use 1/2 cup of orange juice with 1/2 cup of finely chopped dates.

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is approximate and may vary.

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