Sweet and Spicy Smoked Cranberry Meatballs

Meatball Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups broth, divided
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
2 dashes hot sauce

Sauce Ingredients
3 cups cranberries
1 tsp fresh or 1/4 tsp dried orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
2 dashes hot sauce

Directions

1. In a medium bowl mix together the ground beef, oats, onion powder, 1/2 cup of broth, Worcestershire sauce, egg and 2 dashes of hot sauce. Take about 2 Tbsp worth and roll into a ball or use an ice cream scoop to form meatballs. Place on a sheet pan and freeze for about 30 minutes. 

2. Put the meatballs into an aluminum pan and pour the extra cup of broth over the top. Preheat the smoker to 220°F and make sure there is a pan of water inside to create extra moisture. This is the smoker I use. 
4. Place the aluminum pan with meatballs into the smoker and put a temperature probe into one of the meatballs. Smoke the meatballs until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. It took about 2 1/2 hours to reach that point, but that time will vary slightly depending on the exact size of the meatballs.
5. About 15 minutes before ready to serve, place sauce ingredients into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until simmering and then turn heat to low. Simmer for about 12 minutes or until thickened.
6. Serve meatballs with sauce as a main dish or as a side. Enjoy!

Prep time: 30 min Smoke time: 2 1/2-3 hrs Total time: 3 hrs 30 min