Crockpot Meatballs with Grape Jelly Sauce

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The easiest party appetizer on the planet is also the most delicious. Crockpot Meatballs with Grape Jelly Sauce is a lifesaver for hungry crowds and cocktail parties, so make a double batch!

Crockpot meatballs with grape jelly sauce in a silver bowl.

To those who’ve never tasted the miracle of crockpot meatballs, the ingredients might sound unusual, but trust the recipe and the generations of hostesses who adore it. Plain old-fashioned grape jelly and Heinz chili sauce are the secret to tangy, smoky, unstoppable meatballs.

All you have to do is throw everything together and turn on the slow cooker. If you’re using frozen meatballs, add them to the crockpot right out of the freezer. And if you’re making your own, (bless you) there’s a great recipe down below for you to follow.

The all important sauce:

The two ingredients for this genius meatball sauce are super easy to find in most grocery stores.

  • Chili sauce. Heinz chili sauce is what you want for this recipe. It’s not spicy, and in fact there’s not much difference between ketchup and chili sauce. You can also use sweet chili sauce, in a pinch.
    If you don’t have it or can’t find chili sauce, use ketchup with a little chili powder, or use your favorite tomato-based barbecue sauce for meatballs.
  • Grape jelly. Smuckers, Welch’s, or generic jam or jelly is ideal. If you’re in a country where grape jelly isn’t readily available, look for some kind of fruit jam that has a smooth consistency that will melt down and sweeten the meatballs.
    The easiest party appetizer on the planet is also the most delicious. Crockpot Meatballs with Grape Jelly Sauce is a lifesaver for hungry crowds and cocktail parties, so make a double batch! 

Let’s talk meatballs:

The real truth of the matter is this: frozen meatballs work just as fabulously as from scratch in this recipe. No judgement. However, making homemade meatballs is a great option, especially if you’re trying to avoid processed food. You can also keep things lean and try this recipe with turkey meatballs.

If you’re looking for the best frozen meatball to buy, well, maybe it’s time to do some taste testing. Costco, Farm Rich, Pineland Farms, or Trader Joe’s sells bags of frozen meatballs that taste pretty darn good, according to the reviews. Stow a couple extra bags in the freezer when you’re short on dinner ideas; meatballs always come in handy.

The easiest party appetizer on the planet is also the most delicious. Crockpot Meatballs with Grape Jelly Sauce is a lifesaver for hungry crowds and cocktail parties, so make a double batch! 

How to make homemade meatballs:

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, onion, milk, Worcestershire, and egg. Then add the salt and pepper. A big wooden spoon or spatula does the trick, but you can use your hands, too.
  2. Then roll the meatballs by hand into 1-inch balls. The goal is to make them bite-sized, but they will shrink a little when they cook.
  3. You need to cook the meatballs before adding them to the crockpot. You can do this by pan-frying them or baking them in the oven.

To fry the meatballs, heat some vegetable shortening in a large shallow skillet over medium-high heat.

Fry the meatballs in batches, being careful not to crowd them. This should take about 5 to 7 minutes per batch; they should be browned on all sides. Double-check their internal temperature before removing them from the pan; they should be 165 degrees on the inside when a food thermometer is inserted inside the meatball.

Baking meatballs is easy and requires less stove time. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

First, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment. Set a baking rack over the sheet pan and arrange the meatballs on the rack.

Bake the meatballs until they’re browned and have crispy edges—about 20 minutes. Use a thermometer to double-check their internal temperature before removing them from the pan; the thermometer should read 165 degrees for 15 seconds.

Freezing meatballs:

To make meatballs from scratch and freeze for later, let the cooked meatballs cool completely before putting them in the freezer.

Once cool, arrange the meatballs on a sheet tray and pop the tray in the freezer. When the meatballs are frozen solid in a few hours, you can transfer the meatballs to a freezer-safe bag and store them.

How to make Crockpot Meatballs with Grape Jelly:

  1. Once you browned all the meatballs you made, add them to the crockpot with a jar of chili sauce and a jar of grape jelly. Give everything a gentle stir. If you’re using frozen meatballs, just add the frozen meatballs directly to the crockpot. There is no need to thaw them out beforehand. That’s it!
    Meatballs, chili sauce, and grape jelly in a black slow cooker.
  2. Cover the crockpot and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. The sauce should be hot.
    Crockpot meatballs with grape jelly sauce in a black slow cooker.

How to make meatballs with grape jelly on the stove:

Cooking up some stovetop meatballs is easy, too! Add the meatballs to a saucepan that’s large enough to accommodate everything. Stir in the chili sauce and grape jelly. Cover the pot and simmer over medium heat until the sauce is hot, about 10 minutes.

Crockpot meatballs with grape jelly sauce in a silver skillet.

Make ahead crockpot meatballs:

If you just want to make the meatballs the night before, you can make these easy Crockpot Meatballs ahead, too! Just reheat them in the slow cooker, or on the stove if you’re in a rush (and transfer to the slow cooker to keep warm).

Slow Cooker Meatball Variations:

  • Cranberry sauce. Some meatball devotées use canned cranberry sauce (yes, the smooth type!) in their party meatballs. It ups the tangy factor a little and tastes just as good.
  • Grape jelly and BBQ sauce. Barbecue sauce is a great substitute for chili sauce. Instead of chili sauce, your favorite tomato-based barbecue sauce gives a little extra smoky taste to every bite.
  • Meatballs with grape jelly and mustard. Basic yellow mustard and grape jelly, which some people use as baked ham sauce, is pretty wonderful on crockpot meatballs.
  • Swedish meatballs. The Best Swedish Meatballs are delicious, creamy sauce and all.
  • Other fruit jelly for meatballs. Some cooks like using apple jelly or even elderberry jelly as a grape jelly substitute. That’s fine! They will be delicious with either.

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A metal pie pan filled with crockpot meatballs.

Crockpot Meatballs with Grape Jelly Sauce

The easiest party appetizer on the planet is also the most delicious. Crockpot Meatballs with Grape Jelly Sauce is a lifesaver for hungry crowds and cocktail parties, so make a double batch! 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings 16 servings
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Calories 220
5 from 3869 votes

Equipment

Ingredients 

Instructions 

To sauce the meatballs in a slow cooker:

  • Add frozen meatballs to crockpot. Add chili sauce and grape jelly. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours on HIGH or 4 to 6 hours on LOW, until the sauce is hot. Serve directly from the crockpot with a serving spoon or toothpicks, or transfer to a serving dish.

To sauce the meatballs on the stovetop:

  • Add meatballs to saucepan. Add chili sauce and grape jelly. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the sauce is hot, about 10 minutes. 

Recipe Video

Notes

To make the meatballs from scratch:
Ingredients:
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 2/3 cup finely minced onion
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (for frying the meatballs)
Instructions
To make the meatballs:
  1. In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  2. Using a strong spatula or your hands (I like to wear latex gloves), mix well. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls (you should have around 48 total).
To fry the meatballs:
  1. Heat vegetable shortening in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs in batches until browned on all sides and the meatballs are cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch (an internal thermometer should read 165 degrees for 15 seconds). Add more shortening between batches if the skillet looks dry.
To bake the meatballs:
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a rack on top. Arrange meatballs on rack and bake until browned with crispy edges, about 20 minutes (an internal thermometer should read 165 degrees for 15 seconds).

Additional notes:

  1. Sweet chili sauce may be substituted for regular chili sauce. The flavor will be a little different but still delicious!
  2. Adapted from "Appetizer Meat Balls" in the Calico Capers Go To Cookbook.

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 10gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 322mgPotassium: 255mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 149IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. I have been making these for years. It’s great for a church potluck! Try them by substituting the grape jelly for Orange Marmalade… they are delish!!!!

    1. Yum! I have done strawberry jelly, but not orange marmalade! Thanks for the tip! -Meggan

    1. No, these aren’t! I have made them for tons of parties, and they are a huge hit with the toddlers! :) -Meggan

  2. Can the frozen meatball recipe be doubled for a bigger crowd I didn’t know if you would double it exactly or if there would be a different ratio of ingredients thank you. I did try them for a smaller family get together and they were delicious.

    1. Hi Kim! I would double the recipe exactly, and it’s good to ask because you might not know for sure. So yes, just double everything. Thank you! I’m so glad you like the recipe and I hope you have a wonderful week. :) -Meggan

  3. Have you ever tried these as a sandwich. I really like the recipe, but was wondering how the flavors would pair with provolone on a sub roll.

    Thank you!

    1. Hi Nick! I have NOT, but I’ve always wanted to. The provolone would be my choice, probably smoked provolone for me. I think it would be epic. I haven’t done it, but I definitely want to. I’ve even thought of just like, the mini Hawaiian rolls, one meatball per roll, done. I think it would be perfect. I wouldn’t add anything else besides the provolone. You, sir, have a great palette! -Meggan

  4. Do I have to use frozen meatballs? What if I don’t have time to freeze them? Can place freshly cooked meatballs from oven into the crockpot? Or do I place freshly cooked meatballs from oven to stovetop?

    1. Hi Laney, thanks for your question! You don’t have to use frozen, freshly baked sound great! You can put them directly in the crockpot or on the stove top. You’ll want to make sure they reach 165 again on a digital thermometer and have some time to absorb the flavors of the sauce. I hope you love them! – Meggan

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