Love appetizers? I do! These Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs are tasty, easy and fun for parties, game days and pretty much any other occasion.
Meatballs are delicious in any way, shape, or form. I will admit that right off the bat. They are one of those recipes, especially in appetizer form that I’m drawn to.
I love a good appetizer and these Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs are such a classic one that everyone seems to enjoy, we do.
The difference here is that my meatballs are homemade instead of using frozen! Making homemade meatballs for this recipe is super easy and results in more flavor.
This is one of those recipes that you will want to keep around, because you know you’ll be making it because everyone who tries it will ask for it.
That is usually what happens in our case, so these Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs are one of our most made recipes for any gathering.
Some of our other favorite appetizers that we have on our site include: Easy Deviled Eggs, Cheeseburger Sliders and Sausage Dip Pinwheels.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- With easy-to-find ingredients, this recipe is a breeze to make.
- You can cook on high or low depending on how much of a hurry you are in.
- If you want to make these faster you CAN use frozen meatballs.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):
Eggs
Panko breadcrumbs
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Ground beef
Ground pork
Grape jelly
Chili sauce
Parsley, optional
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet tray with foil, set aside.
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl, stir in the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Add the meat and mix to combine, I like to do this by hand.
- Take 1 ½ tablespoons of the meat mixture (I like to use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop for this) and roll it into a ball.
- Place it on the sheet tray, make sure they are not touching. Repeat with the remaining meat.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Add the meatballs to the slow cooker, drain off any excess fat.
- Add the grape jelly and chili sauce to the slow cooker and stir everything until coated. If the grape jelly doesn’t mix in all the way that’s okay.
- Slow cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low, stirring every 30 minutes or so to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn.
- They are ready when the sauce is thickened, you can set it on warm for up to three hours, stirring occasionally.
- Garnish with parsley, optional.
DO I HAVE TO USE GROUND BEEF AND PORK?
We use this combination of meat for a lot of our meatballs as it creates great flavor but you do not have to use both. If you want to use just beef you can.
You also can just use pork as well, or even ground chicken would work for these too!
CAN I USE FROZEN MEATBALLS?
You can, we like making homemade because we can control the flavor of the meatballs themselves and it is totally worth the extra step.
But I can see if you are in a hurry and want to just pop it in the crockpot you can use frozen, I would use homestyle for this recipe and not Italian flavored.
CAN I USE SOMETHING OTHER THAN CHILI SAUCE?
You can, while chili sauce is the traditional ingredient used in these meatballs you can substitute it with ketchup or bbq sauce as well.
We have done this when we didn’t have chili sauce on hand and it still tastes great, so don’t worry if you can’t find it or do not enjoy it.
HOW TO STORE:
If you have leftovers you can place them in an airtight container or ziptop bag with sauce and store them in the refrigerator, these should keep for up to 3-4 days.
These can also be frozen, cool your meatballs and sauce. Once cooled place in a freezer bag and place in the freezer where they will keep for up to 3 months.
To reheat, remove to the refrigerator overnight and you can reheat them in a saucepan on the stovetop until your meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 F.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- You can use frozen meatballs if you do not want to make homemade. I recommend using homestyle.
- Ketchup or bbq sauce can be substituted for chili sauce.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
- If you don’t want to use 2 types of meat you can use one of the other.
- Make sure you are using lean ground beef (we like 85/15) so it doesn’t produce as much grease.
- These can be cooked on low for 2-3 hours or high 4-5.
- This can be doubled, make sure that you use an 8qt crockpot if you are doing that.
If you want that perfect homemade appetizer that is a classic and everyone asks for, then you need to make my Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried these CROCK POT GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 20 ounces grape jelly
- 12 ounces chili sauce
- chopped parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet tray with foil, set aside.
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl, stir in the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Add the meat and mix to combine, I like to do this by hand.
- Take 1 ½ tablespoons of the meat mixture (I like to use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop for this) and roll it into a ball.
- Place it on the sheet tray, make sure they are not touching. Repeat with the remaining meat.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Add the meatballs to the slow cooker, drain off any excess fat.
- Add the grape jelly and chili sauce to the slow cooker and stir everything until coated. If the grape jelly doesn’t mix in all the way that’s okay.
- Slow cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low, stirring every 30 minutes or so to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn.
- They are ready when the sauce is thickened, you can set it on warm for up to three hours, stirring occasionally.
- Garnish with parsley, optional.
Notes
- You can use frozen meatballs if you do not wan't to make homemade. I recommend using homestyle.
- Ketchup or bbq sauce can be substituted for chili sauce.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
- If you don't want to use 2 meats you can use one of the other.
- Make sure you are using a lean ground beef (we like 85/15) so it doesn't produce as much grease.
- These can be cooked on low for 2-3 hours or high 4-5.
- This can be doubled, make sure that you use an 8qt crock pot if you are doing that.
Leave A Reply!