Name: Cherry Bison Meatballs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb bison; 1/3 cup finely diced onion; 1/3 cup quick oats; 1/3 cup diced Graceland Fruit dried cherries; 1 egg; 1 tbsp worsterchire sauce; 1 tsp garlic powder; dash of salt; 1/2 cup chili sauce; 1/2 cup cherry juice; 2 tsp brown sugar

Meatballs are one of my go-to recipes. They’re a super simple dinner for busy weeknights, but they’re also pretty impressive and make a great party dish. These cherry bison meatballs are no exception!

Why Bison Meatballs?

Bison is kind of an unusual meal, but it has actually been making a comeback recently and I am here for it! Bison is pretty comparable to other ground meats and, honestly, you could really use whatever sort of ground meat you like for these meatballs. However there are a few differences:

it’s typically more lean
has a bit more protein
is said to be more eco friendly

Overall, I chose to use bison because switching up your meat choice can be just a darn fun way to shake things up! And pretty easy to do. Swapping different ingredients like this can prevent flavor fatigue and getting bored with meals, but also give your body those different nutrients. Win-win!

Take a second and pin this recipe to your Pinterest board. Then, share it with your BFFs for recipe inspo for your next party! They’ll be a total hit.

How To Serve Bison Meatballs

Like I said, these cherry meatballs can be served as part of a weeknight dinner or as a fancy party appetizer. When I am serving these for dinner I will pair them with pasta and a veggie, like whole wheat spaghetti and steamed broccoli. Such a delicious, comforting, and satisfying meal!

If I am serving them as an appetizer I’ll get out a serving tray and use either toothpicks of bamboo appetizer picks (These bamboo appetizer picks are less than $8 bucks!) So impressive but more importantly SO EASY!

Why Add Dried Cherries?

There is nothing like a good sweet and savory combo, which is exactly what these cherry bison meatballs delivers! I use Graceland Fruit dried montmorency cherries. I SWEAR by these dried cherries. They have so much flavor and are the only kind I use. Plus, be sure to check out their new 4lb packs! 2lbs of cranberries and 2 lbs of cherries!! You can find them at Meijer if you’re in the Michigan like me!

I haven’t even mentioned how FAST these cherry bison meatballs are. They take a total of 30 minutes to whip together. Yup. 30 minutes.

Cherry Bison Meatballs

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

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Ingredients

1 lb bison
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1/3 cup quick oats
1/3 cup diced Graceland Fruit dried cherries
1 egg
1 tbsp worsterchire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
dash of salt
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup cherry juice
2 tsp brown sugar

Instructions

In a large bowl combine bison, onion, oats, dried cherries, egg, worsterschire sauce, garlic powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.
Form about 2 tbsp of bison mixture into a ball, this will make about 24 balls.
In a large saucepan combine chili sauce, cherry juice, and brown sugar. Mix well, bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.
Gently add in meatballs to the sauce, cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
As meatballs are booking carefully shake the pan to coat them every few minutes.
Remove lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve warm!