Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This recipe for meatballs with grape jelly is easy to make with frozen or homemade meatballs, the perfect party appetizer, and customizable! Includes recipe for easy meatballs!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 40

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: jelly, meatballs

Servings: meatballs

Calories: 97kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

FOR THE MEATBALLS

2 pounds ground beef or use a mix or ground beef and ground pork
2 eggs beaten
1 small onion finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped (optional, for a spicier version)
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs or use regular breadcrumbs

FOR THE GRAPE JELLY SAUCE

1.5 cups grape jelly
1 cup chili-garlic sauce see Recipe Notes for alternatives
1 cup bbq sauce

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS (Mike’s Way)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper for extra spicy
1 teaspoon hot sauce use your favorite

Instructions

FOR THE MEATBALLS

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the ground beef together in a large bowl with the eggs, onion, jalapeno (if using), garlic, seasonings and panko. Hand mix, but do not overmix, or the meatballs can become mealy.
Form the mixture into small meatballs, about 1 to 1.25 inches in diameter. You will get roughly 50 meatballs out of this recipe, depending on the size.
Set them onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake them for 30-40 minutes, or until they are cooked through. (You can also pan cook the meatballs, to your preference).
Freeze the meatballs if desired to make the recipe later, or add the cooked meatballs to a crockpot at low heat.

GRAPE JELLY SAUCE/SLOW COOKER

Mix together the grape jelly, chili sauce, and bbq sauce (plus cayenne pepper and hot sauce, if using). Pour it over the meatballs.
Cook on low for 1 hour, or until the meatballs are warmed and coated in sauce. If cooking from frozen meatballs, cook on low for 3-4 hours, or until the meatballs are warmed through.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

You can make this recipe with other ground meats, including ground turkey, chicken, or veal.

Chili Sauce Alternatives: Use sriracha, chili sauce (Heinz Chili Sauce is super popular), or more bbq sauce.

Stovetop Version: Skip the slow cooker and add the frozen cooked meatballs and sauce ingredients to a Dutch oven or large pot. Mix, cover, and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are warmed through.

Nutrition