This Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe is a family favorite with simple ingredients to complement almost any main dish! The best part is with only three ingredients, this is one of our go-to easy appetizers to make for holiday get-togethers or tailgating parties. As a bonus, these are always a hit with the kids at the get-together, and almost always the favorite appetizer.
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When planning gatherings, simple dump-and-cook recipes are my go-to. Everyone is always shocked that the secret ingredient in these slow cooker meatballs is grape jelly paired with barbecue sauce! It only takes minutes of prep time when using store-bought meatballs instead of homemade meatballs. But as odd as meatballs with grape jelly and bbq sauce sound, they are amazing!
Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs Ingredients:
- Mini Meatballs-For this, the best-frozen meatballs are mini or cocktail meatballs; they work out perfectly on toothpicks and are tender meatballs cooked in the crock pot. You could make mini meatballs at home to fit this in, but grocery stores have good meatballs that don’t require much work.
- Bbq Sauce- A spicy sauce for bbq could be used on this, but when serving kids, honey bbq sauce or plain bbq sauce makes this a great family recipe; you could do a batch of half each.
- Sweet Grape Jelly-Red currant and apple jelly are substitutes if you don’t have grape jelly sauce. Combining grape jelly with bbq sauce is the best for this slow cooker recipe.
How To Make Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs:
Spray your slow cooker with a nonstick spray or line with a crockpot bag. I did use a smaller 4-quart crockpot to make this, you can use a larger crockpot to make this easy recipe but the cooking time will change.
10 Quart Crockpot
8 Quart Crockpot6 Quart Crockpot
Mix your grape jelly and bbq sauce in the crock pot.
After the jelly and bbq sauce are mixed, mix in your frozen meatballs or your own meatballs if you are doing homemade.
Start the crockpot on either a low heat or medium heat.
I set a timer for 30 minutes to stir the crockpot and then a time for an hour later. I did stir the crockpot while cooking to help keep the sugar from burning and sticking to the edges of the crock.
*If you are using raw meatballs that are homemade, the cooking time will differ on this*
Cook until done; for the frozen meatballs on low, my cook time was about 4 1/2 hours.
Be sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure they have cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Serve!!! We ate ours on toothpicks was a huge hit.
What perfect appetizer do you make for your family and friends at get-togethers?
How To Store LEftover Grape Jelly Meatballs:
- Leftover crockpot grape jelly meatballs can be frozen into a freezer bag. Pour extra sauce from the crock on top of the meatballs before storage.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Pour extra sauce from the crock on top of the meatballs before storage.
To reheat leftover meatballs, you can do so in a crockpot or a microwave on medium-low heat.
Storing leftovers properly requires the right tools! My preferred storage method is if the leftovers can be sealed in a food saver. If not, then an air-tight container or Ziploc bag for the fridge is the way I go. The air-tight container and a freezer Ziploc bag are the next best bet for freezing the leftovers. I also use a food scale to often measure leftovers into serving sizes.
Freezable storage ContainersFood SealerFreezer BagsFood Scale
What To Serve With Grape Jelly Meatballs
- As a main dish in a meatball sandwich, over mashed potatoes, or with white rice for a simple dinner using savory meatballs.
- Alongside other Crockpot Tailgating recipes, it is a superb stand-alone dish that goes alongside anything else for tailgating or parties!
OTHER ADD-INS FOR Grape Jelly Meatball Recipe:
- Chili Paste
- Sweet Chili Sauce or Heinz Chili Sauce
- Apple Jelly
- Cranberry Sauce
- Sweet Jelly
- Sriracha
- Smoked Kielbasa
favorite meatball recipes
- Grape Jelly Meatballs – Use your crockpot to make these easy meatballs for an appetizer with only two ingredients.
- Meatball Tater Tot Casserole– Use meatballs to make a classic tater tot casserole with a new twist
- Meatball Biscuit Casserole– An easy weeknight dinner that is easy to make for dinner and the kids will love it. Perfect for a school night and perfect for kids to make as well.
- Homemade Meatballs– It is easy to make meatballs at home that are frozen for later use.
- Crockpot Meatball Subs-An easy recipe perfect for tailgating on game days! These also double for an easy In addition to being perfect for tailgating; these are also easy to make for weeknight dinners!
- Instant Pot Meatballs and Pasta-Perfect for weeknight dinners with busy schedules and a frugal dinner. Just dump in all the ingredients and let it cook for a perfect weeknight dinner that requires no effort at all.
Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
Ingredients
- 64 Each Meatballs
- 28 ounce Bbq sauce
- 30 ounce Grape jelly
Instructions
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Spray your slow cooker with a nonstick spray or line with a crockpot bag.
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Put in your grape jelly and your bbq sauce in the crock pot and mix it together.
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After the jelly and bbq sauce are mixed, mix in your frozen meatballs or your own meatballs if you are doing homemade.
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Then put in your meat balls and stir it all together
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Turn the crockpot on low heat or medium heat will work as well.
-
I set a timer for 30 minutes to stir the crockpot and then a time for an hour later. Stirring while cooking helps to keep the sugar from burning and sticking to the edges of the crock.
-
Cook until done, for the frozen meatballs on low my cook time was about 4 1/2 hours.
-
Be sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure they have cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
-
Serve!!! We ate ours on toothpicks was a huge hit.
seattle art commune says
looks so yummy
Ali B says
I remember having these once at a get together and meant to get the recipe. Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to make these for our New Years get together.
Connie Reed says
Do you use regular meatballs or Italian frozen meatballs???
Jenny says
You could use either. I use the smaller sizes just to make sure they cook properly.
DeeAnn says
So frozen meatballs are good to use? What about fresh ground beef meatballs, has anyone tried it that way, if so how did it come out?
Jenny says
I haven’t tried it that way but you would want to make sure they are packed good and the cooking time would be reduced as well.
Marie says
I want to make turkey meatballs. Reduce time to 3 hours?
Dee says
In the 70’s I made with a jar of chili sauce and a bag of Frozen Hawaiian vegetables. Serve over rice.
Jenny says
That sounds so good!! Thanks for the suggestion!
Nicole Elliott ~ Client says
Yumm!! I love slow cooker meatballs at parties, they’re always one of my favorites!
CakePants says
I’ve never heard of pairing grape jelly with meatballs, but this looks delicious! What a simple recipe!
Lynn says
I’ve been doing something similar for years. Still use the grape jelly but instead of BBQ sauce I use a full bottle of Heinz chili sauce. So yummy.
Barb S says
Ohhhh that sounds yummy! Thx for the tip!
Dorothy Miller says
Yes I use the chili sauce also, with meatball or little smokies! Delicious with either!
Christine says
Jenny I am so going to try this. It looks wonderful and so easy to make.
MZ says
These are really good I add a good squirt of mustard too …good on a hot dog bun also
Jill says
I use 2 bottles of cocktail sauce and 1 jar grape jelly big hit at office xmas party
Peggy says
I have been making these for years, except use the chili sauce, and add a package of little smokies along with the meatballs! ALWAYS a party/gathering favorite. I will try them with the BBQ sauce to see which we prefer. Thanks for sharing.
Christine says
Seems like a recipe I would like. Don’t understand spraying pot and then adding jelly and barbecue sauce and stirring. Purpose of spray being defeated. After spraying pot it seems as though jelly and barbecue sauce should be mixed together before putting them in pot
Jenny says
I spray the pot so that sugar in them doesn’t stick to the crock pot. You could mix them together in another bowl if you want, I just like to save on dishes so that’s why I do it this way. When I make it at like potlucks and it cooks there its just easier to be able to dump and stir in one dish.
Melissa says
Crock pot liners are a plus with this too. No mess.
Joanne says
Replace the meatballs with Little smokies hotdogs or any other brand of cocktail hotdogs. They are just as delicious as the meatballs.
Jenny says
That sounds amazing! I am going to have to try this out!
Kfetz says
Can these be used as meatball hoagies as well
Jenny says
I don’t see why not it would be tasty!!!
Bobbi says
Sorry so ignorant but here goes At first glance I thought this wS a quick appetizer but you have to make the meatballs first, right – I don’t buy pa kaged meatballs due to all the salt ?
Jenny says
I use packaged meatballs. I have a girlfriend who batch cooks her meatballs to freeze them so recipes like this are still easy for her to do. I need to learn to make meatballs but I haven’t been brave enough yet
Crystal says
I just use same ingredients that I use to make meatloaf and form each meatball. I like to use the Lipton Beefy Onion soup mix it has meatloaf recipe on back of box.
Barbie harris says
I have used plum jelly and ketchup. Worked great. So yummy!
Dan says
Do you cook the meat ball before you mix the jelly in
Jenny says
No I put them in frozen and let it cook. I just stir every so often to make sure everything gets blended together.
BARBARA ALLEN says
What kind of meatballs are good to use..A Brand Name and where you can get them
Jenny says
Cooked Perfect® Homestyle Meatballs are good meatballs I get them at Safeway or Winco. Hope that helps!
Kathy says
So the meatballs are cooked first before going in crock pot?
Jenny says
I buy precooked frozen meatballs and just drop them in
Becky says
I use chili instead of BBQ sauce!
Carol Baugh says
I use the “meatless” balls with the jelly & chili sauce. So many of friends & family are vegetarian and they are great!
Kathy says
I mix grape jelly, crushed ginger snap cookies and ketchup… makes a great sauce
Karla says
I have used Hormel Chili (no beans) instead of the BBQ sauce.
Jenny says
That sounds tasty!!
MaryAnn Conners says
My daughter uses a can of jellied cranberry sauce and jar of chili sauce along with frozen Swedish meatballs….her children love them!