Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe (2024)

These juicy Grape Jelly Meatballs are the best appetizer recipe. Tender and juicy meatballs smothered in a sweet and spicy sauce and slow-cooked to perfection. The sauce has just three ingredients and you’ll love how easy it is.

Grape Jelly Meatballs are perfect for New Year’s parties or any gathering. If you are looking for a crowd-pleasing appetizer, these are always a hit, along with our Jalapeno Poppers or the Easy Cheese Ball.

Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe (1)

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Grape Jelly Meatballs

These delicious grape jelly meatballs are loved by everyone. Meatballs tossed together with grape jelly, bbq sauce, and garlic chili sauce then slow cooked until tender, saucy and flavorful.

We love serving these during the holidays, game nights, or even for a simple dinner over fluffy white rice.

Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe (2)

Ingredients for Grape Jelly Meatballs

With just 4 basic ingredients you can have this amazing appetizer thrown together and allow the crockpot to do the rest of the work.

  • Meatballs – For this recipe we use frozen meatballs made of pork, beef, and chicken from the local grocery store. You can use any of your favorite frozen meatballs for this recipe.
  • Grape Jelly – Any grape jelly will work, we prefer using Smucker’s grape jelly.
  • Chili Sauce – You can also adjust the amount for the level of heat you prefer. Any chili sauce will work for this recipe, we love Huey Fong Chili Sauce (the same sauce we use in Shrimp co*cktail Sauce and Springroll Dipping Sauce).
  • Barbecue Sauce – We love Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce for this recipe.
Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe (3)

How to Make Grape Jelly Meatballs

This recipe is so easy to make. With just 5 minutes of prep time, you can have this appetizer ready to go in your crockpot.

  1. Into the slow cooker, add: frozen meatballs, jelly, bbq, and chili sauce to the slow cooker. Toss until combined. TIP: You can also mix the bbq, jelly and chili sauce in a separate bowl then pour over the meatballs.
  2. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring halfway through cooking. Once the meatballs are cooked, turn the slow cooker to warm and keep warm until ready to serve.
  3. Garnish with parsley or chives if desired.

Other Cooking Methods

If you do not have a slow cooker, don’t worry, here are two other methods that you can use to make these meatballs.

  • Stovetop Grape Jelly Meatballs – Add the meatballs, barbecue, grape jelly, and chili sauce in a Dutch oven or large pot and combine. Simmer over medium/low heat for 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs are warmed through, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from burning.
  • Oven-Baked Grape Jelly Meatballs – Add all the ingredients into a casserole dish or Dutch oven and mix to combine. Cover with lid or foil and bake at 325°F for 20-25 minutes or until the meatballs have cooked through. Note: Adjust the cooking time based on the size of your meatballs.
Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe (4)

To Serve

There are several different ways to enjoy these meatballs! Here are some of our favorite ways:

  • Appetizer – They make for the ultimate appetizer, serve with toothpicks at your next gathering, or game day tailgating party!
  • Side Dish– Serve these as a side dish for the holidays. The flavors in these meatballs really stand out and this recipe always gets compliments.
  • Entree – Serve over cooked rice or with Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or pasta as a main entree.
Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe (5)

Common Questions

How to store grape jelly meatballs?

You can store the grape jelly meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I use fresh meatballs?

Yes, you can use Homemade Meatballs or even our Turkey Meatballs. You’ll want to be sure to cook the meatballs first.

What kind of meatballs do I use?

You can use any type of frozen meatballs that you like, Italian, Angus, and turkey meatballs work great for this recipe. The frozen Italian-style meatballs from Costco work great.

Can I omit the chili sauce?

Yes, if you do not like spicy foods then you can leave out the chili sauce completely.

What other jelly can I use?

While the grape jelly is classic to this recipe, you can switch up the flavor of jelly you use for different flavors! You can also use strawberry, apple, apricot, mixed berry jam, or preserves.

Make-Ahead

Here’s a great food storage guide from the FDA – print this and tape it inside one of your kitchen cabinets to reference.

  • To Freeze – Once cooled, add to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
  • To Reheat – Grape Jelly Meatballs reheat well. Just add them back to the slow cooker to reheat or you can also reheat in the oven, stovetop, or microwave until steamy hot and fully heated through.
Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe (6)

More Party Appetizers

Grape Jelly Meatballs are a real treat. Everyone is always surprised when they find out what is in the sauce. It’s a keeper of a recipe.

Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe

5 from 425 votes

Author: Valentina Ablaev

Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe (8)

These juicy Grape Jelly Meatballs are the best appetizer recipe! Tender and juicy meatballs smothered in a sweet and spicy sauce and slow-cooked to perfection. You can easily scale this recipe up, or scale down if using a smaller crockpot.

SavePinReviewPrint

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 3 hours hrs

Total Time: 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

Servings: 12 servings as an appetizer

  • 32 oz frozen fully cooked meatballs
  • 1 cup grape jelly, we like Smuckers brand
  • 1 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, we like Sweet Baby Ray's brand
  • 2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce

Instructions

Notes

NOTE: The chili sauce gives the meatballs a slight kick. If you want your meatballs on the sweeter side, you can omit the chili sauce completely.

Nutrition Per Serving

342kcal Calories35g Carbs13g Protein16g Fat6g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat7g Monounsaturated Fat54mg Cholesterol558mg Sodium322mg Potassium1g Fiber26g Sugar85IU Vitamin A3mg Vitamin C28mg Calcium1mg Iron

  • Full Nutrition Label
  • Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

342

% Daily Value*

Fat

16

g

25

%

Saturated Fat

6

g

38

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

7

g

Sodium

558

mg

24

%

Potassium

322

mg

9

%

Carbohydrates

35

g

12

%

Fiber

1

g

4

%

Sugar

26

g

29

%

Protein

13

g

26

%

Vitamin A

85

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

3

mg

4

%

Calcium

28

mg

3

%

Iron

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: grape jelly meatballs

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $$

Calories: 342

Valentina Ablaev

Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe (9)

I am Valentina, the creator behind the food blog Valentina’s Corner where I share our family’s favorite recipes. When I am not in the kitchen, I enjoy spending quality time with my husband and 5 children. We invite you to join us on our blogging journey!

Read more posts by Valentina

Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put grape jelly in meatballs? ›

To make these sweet and tangy meatballs, you'll need: Grape jelly: For a sweetness that balances the chili sauce, and to provide a glossy finish to the sauce. Chili sauce: Tomato paste, spices, and garlic give this sauce its depth. Barbecue sauce: Thickens the sauce while complementing the jelly and chili sauce.

Why are my grape jelly meatballs so runny? ›

To thicken runny grape jelly meatball sauce, mix up a teaspoon of cornstarch (or even two depending on how thick you want things) with an equal amount of water. Stir this into the bubbling meatball mixture during the last hour they're in the slow cooker.

What can I substitute for grape jelly meatballs? ›

Replace the Grape Jelly with apricot preserves, orange marmalade, canned cranberry sauce, raspberry preserves, or hot pepper jelly. Replace the Ketchup with Heinz chili sauce or barbecue sauce. If swapping the ketchup for chili sauce, it is not a spicy sauce.

How do you make meatballs stick together? ›

How to make meatballs that won't fall apart
  1. Massage your meat. True story. ...
  2. Add breadcrumbs. Add breadcrumbs to the mixture, but not too many breadcrumbs. ...
  3. Add egg. ...
  4. Don't add much apart from meat. ...
  5. Roll your meatballs in flour. ...
  6. Give your meatballs space. ...
  7. Shake your meatballs. ...
  8. Brown your meatballs first.
Mar 3, 2022

How do I get my grape jelly to set? ›

Let stand in the refrigerator until set. Store in the freezer. To remake cooked jam or jelly without added pectin, for each 1 L (4 cups) jam or jelly add 25 mL (2 tbsp) bottled lemon juice. Heat to boiling and boil jam or jelly hard 3 to 4 minutes, then test for signs of gelling.

What is the jam they put on Ikea meatballs? ›

It's lingonberry season and the small sour berries that thrive best in cold climates are ready to be picked. Swedes love eating the jam made from lingonberries with meatballs, mashed potatoes and cream sauce.

Why add milk when making meatballs? ›

When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

How do you make meatballs firmer? ›

To make your meatballs firmer, add more breadcrumbs. Run another taste test after each adjustment.

Why did my meatballs come out rubbery? ›

Consider using a mix of lean and fattier meats, like a blend of ground beef with some ground pork or veal, for juicier meatballs. 2. **Overmixing**: Overmixing the meat mixture can lead to tough meatballs.

Is grape jam and grape jelly the same thing? ›

Jams and jellies are both soft, sweet spreads made from fruit, sugar and pectin. The main difference between jam and jelly is that jam is made with fruit whereas jelly is made with fruit juice.

Can you use frozen grapes to make grape jelly? ›

Grapes are best frozen in syrup, but grapes to be used for juice or jelly can be frozen without sweetening. To freeze grapes: Choose tender skin, firm, sweet grapes with full color and flavor. Sort, remove stems and wash. Leave seedless grapes whole; cut table grapes with seeds in half and remove seeds.

What grapes are good for jelly? ›

Drawing from our experience, Concord grapes are the most popular to use in the jelly-making process. This is due to their sweet and tart flavor profile as well as as its natural pectin, helping you create a jelly that's hearty and delicious.

What not to do when making meatballs? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Meatballs
  1. Not seasoning the meat.
  2. Not adding any moisture to the meat.
  3. Over-mixing the meat.
  4. Not shaping the meatballs correctly.
  5. Not forming evenly-sized meatballs.
May 1, 2019

Do you need to put egg in meatballs? ›

You only need a small amount of egg – it's there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape, and shouldn't detract from the meat's flavour or texture. Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.

Why are my meatballs falling apart when I cook them? ›

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart.

What does grape jelly do for you? ›

Yes, grape jelly can be healthy because of its pectin and antioxidants, which promote better digestion. Even versions containing less sugar, like our sugar free grape jelly, still make it the ultimate energy booster.

What makes meatballs stick together better? ›

Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart. Try soaking your breadcrumbs in milk for extra moisture and fluffiness.

Can you leave out grape jelly? ›

You can technically store opened jams and jellies at room temperature—but only in a cool, dark place and for about a week after opening, says Lee. Here's why: Jams and jellies have high sugar and acid levels, which protect against spoilage.

What does grape jelly mean? ›

Definitions of grape jelly. jelly made from grape juice. type of: jelly. a preserve made of the jelled juice of fruit.

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