Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs

Need an easy appetizer that the whole family will love for parties, game days, barbeques, potlucks, baby showers, and cocktail parties? Then look no further than these really easy-to-make juicy Slow Cooker Meatballs in a grape jelly sauce.

These crockpot meatballs with grape jelly require only 3 pantry staple ingredients and 2 minutes of effort to whip up. Yes, you pretty much dump everything in the crock pot, press start, and a few hours later, you have the perfect meatball appetizer.

However, you can easily transform these smoky, sweet, and tangy party meatballs into a hearty comfort food dinner by serving them over some rice or mashed potatoes or in a meatball sandwich— #onerecipealltheways.

If you need more appetizers for a BBQ, you must try these easy Air Fryer Frozen Meatballs and Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs.

And if you are feeling extra handy in the kitchen, roll up your sleeves and craft your very own Homemade Meatballs from scratch. We absolutely love meatball recipes.

Why Make These Crockpot Meatballs With Grape Jelly

• Easy to make – just 3 ingredients and 2 minutes of prep are all that’s needed to whip up this tasty and easy grape jelly meatballs appetizer.
• Versatile – serve these grape jelly meatballs as an appetizer or easily transform them into a main dish.
• A Family Favorite – flavorful and fun to eat, kids and adults love ’em!

Ready to take your Slow Cooker skills to the next level? Explore this collection of Crockpot Tips, Tricks, and Hacks tailored to make your cooking experience with your trusty Crockpot even more effortless and rewarding.

Ingredient Notes

Just three simple ingredients to make this easy recipe for slow-cooker grape jelly meatballs;

• Meatballs – This recipe starts with frozen meatballs that are already cooked, which you can get from Costco, Trader Joe’s, or your favorite local grocery store. But if you want to start with cooked frozen homemade meatballs, then you can totally do that, too. Depending on your preference, you can choose plain ground beef or pork meatballs, turkey meatballs, or even Italian meatballs.
• BBQ meatballs sauce –  Feel free to get your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce or make your own homemade BBQ sauce. Consider adding chili sauce like Heinz chili sauce if you want to spice things up. You can find chili sauce in the condiments section of your local grocery store. You can even try garlic chili sauce.
• Grape jelly –  The addition of grape jelly is what makes these grape jelly meatballs really awesome. I used Welch’s Grape Jelly, and Smucker’s Grape Jelly is a good second option.
• Onion powder (optional) – If you want to add an extra layer of savory flavor, a dash of onion powder can do wonders.

Ps if you like meatballs then check out this Crockpot Meatballs and Spaghetti post.

Ready to learn how to make this Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs recipe? Gather up those meatballs and other ingredients, and I will show you…..

How To Make Slow Cooker Meatballs

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Add meatballs to the crockpot.
2. Then pour in grape jelly, BBQ sauce and onion powder (if using), stirring to mix.
3. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook for 2-3 hours on high (mine were ready in 2 hours and 15 minutes).
4. Transfer the meatballs to a plate or bowl and add cocktail sticks before serving. Then, enjoy your grape jelly meatballs.

Make Meatballs With Grape Jelly On The Stovetop

1. Add your own meatballs or store bought frozen meatballs to a saucepan.
2. Pour in grape jelly, BBQ sauce, and onion powder (if using) and mix.
3. Cover the saucepan and simmer over medium-low until the meatballs are defrosted and warmed through and the grape jelly sauce is nice and hot. Then, serve the BBQ grape jelly meatballs warm.

Make These In The Oven

• Mix together all the ingredients with the frozen meatballs and barbecue sauce in an oven-safe dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C for 50-60 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and serve your BBQ grape jelly meatballs. Garnish it with some green onions.

Pro Tips

• You can easily double this for a crowd. Just make sure your crockpot is big enough to fit everything in. These are the best baby shower meatballs.
• You can also cut the recipe in half to serve a smaller group.
• Choose your favorite BBQ sauce flavor profile that suits your taste, whether you prefer it smokier, sharper, sweeter, spicer, etc. I like using Rays BBQ sauce.
• You can replace a little bit of the grape jelly with some honey.
• Toasted sesame seeds make a great garnish for meatballs.
• To thicken sauce, you can create a cornstarch slurry mixture. However, it’s worth noting that the sauce thickens naturally in the recipe, so the cornstarch slurry is optional.

Delicious Variations

These 3 ingredient grape jelly meatballs are a super versatile and delicious recipe! Try some of these easy variations;

• Swap the jelly – Use leftover cranberry sauce, apple jelly, strawberry jelly, orange marmalade, or even apricot preserves in this meatball sauce recipe. Alternatively, add pineapple that’s sliced or diced for Hawaiian meatballs, or if you have leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving, you can add it instead.
• Vary the sauce – swap the barbecue sauce for tomato or salsa sauce. You can also make grape jelly meatballs with chili sauce. So go on and add chili sauce to the recipe to spice things up. You can add about 2 tablespoons, depending on how hot you like it. Heinz chili sauce is our go-to, but you can use another hot sauce or chili powder.
• Vary the grape jelly meatballs – feel free to use turkey or Italian meatballs in the slow cooker. Replace the frozen meatballs with little smokies, chicken wings, or sliced sausages.

Prep And Storage

This easy crockpot recipe is really easy to make, but there are a few things you can do to prep ahead.

• Make Ahead – Prepare your meatballs and fry or bake them. Let them cool down, then freeze on a baking tray before transferring to an airtight container for freezing.
• Reheat – Reheat your meatballs with grape jelly and bbq sauce by placing them back into the slow cooker or in a saucepan on the stovetop before serving.
• Store – Store any cooked leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freeze – Cool and portion them, then pack them in airtight containers, labeling them with the date. Freeze for 2-3 months.
• Meal prep – Simply double or triple the crockpot BBQ meatballs ingredients to prepare extra servings for future meals, appetizers for BBQ, or convenient freezing in a freezer-safe container.

FAQs

Similar Recipes

Looking for more EASY, delicious, and flavorful recipes? I’ve got you covered. Check out my full collection of Crockpot recipes, or start a few of my most popular recipes:

Serve Grape Jelly Meatball Recipe With:

• Easy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes – You can also turn these meatballs into a main course by serving them over cooked rice, egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or pasta. This transforms them into a hearty meal.
• Veggies sides – Balance the flavors with side dishes like steamed vegetables or these easy air fryer frozen vegetables, a crisp garden salad, or a fresh coleslaw for a well-rounded meal.
• Other appetizers – Check out the following section for some of our favorites to serve alongside these meatballs.

More Appetizer Recipes

• A reliable crockpot is the star of this recipe, making it easy to cook the meatballs to perfection.
• A saucepan if you opt for stovetop cooking instead of the slow cooker.
• Meal prep glass jars for storing any leftover meatballs or for meal-prepping
• For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 12 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

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