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There are endless ways to make appetizer meatballs, but I’ve got the most popular recipe around. I grew up eating this tried-and-true version in the Midwest, and now I’m sharing the secret ingredients with you.
Whether you want to make the meatballs from scratch or use frozen store-bought ones, you can’t go wrong. Once you add grape jelly and chili sauce, the crowds will go wild. Just make sure it’s the right chili sauce, and that’s what I’m here for!
With nearly FOUR THOUSAND 5-star reviews, there’s no question that this the recipe you need to make.
Table of Contents
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
The all important Meatball Sauce Recipe
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.
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.
How to cook Sweet Meatballs
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
How to make Grape Jelly Meatballs
- 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!
- Cover the crockpot and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. The sauce should be hot.
How to make grape jelly meatballs 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.
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 on the stove and transfer them to a 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.
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.
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Grape Jelly Meatballs
Equipment
- Slow cooker (I use the Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker, which recently got an upgraded look!)
Ingredients
- 1 (32 ounce) bag frozen fully-cooked meatballs (see notes to make meatballs from scratch)
- 12 ounces chili sauce
- 10 ounces grape jelly
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
- 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)
- In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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:
- Sweet chili sauce or barbecue sauce may be substituted for regular chili sauce. The flavor will be a little different but still delicious!
- Adapted from “Appetizer Meat Balls” in the Calico Capers Go To Cookbook.
I used frozen Italian meatballs I didn’t have Chili Sauce so used Ketchup. My guests raved about this appetizer and asked for the recipe.
hat’s great, Skip! So glad they loved it! – Meggan
I absolutely love this recipe! My son loved too and will be making them. He would like to know what to add to the sauce part to make it thicker? Thank you
Hi Christina, I’m so glad you loved it! I allow the sauce to simmer to evaporate some of the liquid. He could also make a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water, add it to the sauce and allow it to simmer to thicken. – Meggan
Hi Meggan, Thank you for this. My grandma and aunts used to make this all the time. It was a family favorite. My cousin sent me your recipe for it and I’m so happy!
I made the meatballs in your recipe. Unfortunately, about half of them fell apart. I have to make another batch tomorrow so i have enough. I’m not sure what i did wrong but i want to make sure I don’t do it again. Is there a way to tell if they won’t fall apart while sitting in the slow cooker? They baked fine. Could it just be going from the oven to the slow cooker? They seemed pretty sturdy when i was making the balls. Also, I will make a batch with your turkey meatball recipe. I noticed though that the turkey recipe seems like Italian meatballs? There’s garlic and oregano, etc. Is there any reason I can’t use the same beef/pork recipe just using turkey?
Thank you. I’m very excited to have these for our Superbowl party
P.S. i accidentally posted this on the turkey meatball recipe first. My apologies
Hi Mary, thank you so much for writing! Sometimes going from oven to slow cooker can cause them to fall apart, especially if there is a lot of liquid in the sauce they will be simmering in. I would simmer the sauce some before adding it to the crock pot, then gently add the meatballs. It should help them stay together. I would also try to fold them rather than stir. You absolutely can use turkey instead of beef/pork. I hope this helps and you enjoy the game! – Meggan
I don’t know how to reply to you, Meggan, but I had to tell you how the meatballs came out. They are DELICIOUS! I used your beef/pork recipe for the turkey meatballs too. They are so good they may not make to the Superbowl party. I almost don’t want to put them in a sauce they’re so good. Both batches are fantastic and instead of using the slow cooker, I did the on the stove top and they stayed together perfectly.
Thank you so much for the recipes and the reply.
Mary
I’m so glad, Mary! I’m so happy you loved them! Take care and please write again if you have any questions. – Meggan
Can you use thawed meatballs in the crockpot and what should I set the crockpot too? Thanks!
Hi LP, you can use thawed meatballs, but you don’t have to. You can add them strait from the freezer. The cook time will likely be on the lower end of what’s directed for frozen, 2 to 3 hours on HIGH or 4 to 6 hours on LOW. You’ll want to make sure they reach 165 degrees internally. Hope you love them! – Meggan
can I use cocktail sauce ins t eat of Chile sauce. I mistakenly bought the wrong one
Hi Lynne, other readers have used cocktail sauce and loved it! – Meggan
Any suggestions on how to use the leftover sauce?? The meatballs are always gobbled up, no problem. But there’s always a lot of sauce left and it seems so wasteful to just pour it down the drain. 🙁
Thanks much!
Hi Deborah, I think the sauce would be great over some steamed vegetables and rice. Just make sure to reheat the sauce to 165 degrees. – Meggan
I just freeze the sauce and save it for next time!
I’m going make and bake the meatballs, but is the directions after it comes out oven the same, put in crockpot for 2 to 3 hours on low?
Thank you!
Hi Vee, you’ll want to do 2 to 3 hours on high after baking the meatballs. – Meggan
Can this recipe be doubled in a larger crockpot?
Hi Tanya, yes! It doubles well! – Meggan
Is there a substitute for the can of beer in the turkey sandwich recipe?
Hi Carol, you can use chicken, turkey, or vegetable broth. Hope you love it! – Meggan
Whenever I go to a potluck I make cocktail sausages cooked in mustard and grape jelly in my crockpot. It’s so fast and easy and no mess to clean. They go fast and I never have leftovers.
I can’t wait to try your turkey meatball recipe. I’ve been missing meatballs since I stopped eating beef.
Hope you love them! Thanks for sharing. Take care! – Meggan