Grape Jelly Meatballs

5 from 4 votes

Grape Jelly Meatballs are such an easy party appetizer recipe that they hardly need an introduction. Saucy, savory, simple, and sweet, these 3-ingredient meatballs are such to be the hit of your next game day or holiday gathering.

Prep Time5

Cook Time3

Total Time3 5

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 317kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Equipment

6-Quart Crock Pot Slow Cooker

Ingredients

2 pounds cooked frozen meatballs (about 48 small homemade meatballs)
1 (12-ounce) jar Heinz chili sauce (about 1 ½ cups)
1 ½ cups grape jelly

Instructions

Add the frozen meatballs to a large crockpot, then dump the chili sauce and grape jelly on top. No need to stir to combine at this point.
Let the grape jelly meatballs cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours, then stir well to evenly coat the meatballs in the sauce. Serve with toothpicks for an easy appetizer or over rice or mashed potatoes for a main dish.
If you want to thicken the sauce more, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water in a bowl for form a slurry, then stir this into the hot meatballs and sauce until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

Notes

Frozen cooked meatballs: I typically use ⅓ of the big 6-lb bag of cooked Italian meatballs from Costco when I'm making a regular-size batch of these easy appetizers. But chicken or turkey meatballs will also work if you are looking to keep things slightly healthier.
Grape jelly: Really any sweet jam could work here and give you a similar flavor profile. Raspberry jam, apricot preseves, apple jelly, and even cranberry sauce would all work well.
Instant Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs: If you need to speed things up, you can make these just as easily in your Instant Pot. In this case, add all your ingredients along with ¾ cup of water to help loosen up the sauce so you don't get a burn notice on your machine. Set the IP to cook for 6 minutes at HIGH pressure, then do a quick release and stir everything to combine. Because you are adding extra liquid, you might want to then turn the IP to the "saute" feature and let some of the water cook off for a minutes so the sauce isn't too thin.
Stovetop Grape Jelly Meatballs: If you don't want to cook your grape jelly meatballs in the crockpot you can always just combine everything in a large pot on the stove and heat over medium-low heat. Let the meatballs simmer for about 30 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, but be careful not to let it cook too long or get too hot or the sugars in the jelly can start to burn.
Oven Grape Jelly Meatballs: If you don't have a slow cooker or IP and don't want to watch meatballs on the stove, another good option is to use the oven. Just dump everything in a large 9x13-inch baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes until the meatballs are heated all the way through.
Make-Ahead: You can definitely make these a day or two in advance, then just reheat before serving. They are good for 3-4 days in the fridge after making them.
Freezing: You can freeze the meatballs and sauce once they have cooled completely if you have lots leftover. They will be good for 2-3 months and just need to be reheated again to serve.
Variations: Besides swapping out the grape jelly for a different flavor of jam or preserves mentioned above, you could also add some additional spices to kick things up a notch. A chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce or 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder is my top choice, but a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for some heat, garlic powder for even more of a savory boost, or brown sugar to sweeten things even more are all popular additions.

Nutrition