This Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs recipe has been a family favorite of ours for DECADES! It makes the best appetizer for game day or holiday parties with only 3 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time! Ketchup and grape jelly combine to form a sweet and sour sauce that’s the best for coating homemade or frozen meatballs.
Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe
Growing up I always looked forward to these sticky sweet and a little tangy meatballs my mom would make for our holiday or game day parties.
It wasn’t until I was older that I finally asked my mom what made those meatballs so good.
“Oh honey, it’s just a bit of ketchup and grape jelly!”
Since then, I always love to bring out this easy recipe when I’m hosting a bunch of guests for a Christmas or Super Bowl party.
It’s super quick to throw together, only requires 3 simple ingredients (with an optional fourth!), and they stay warm all night long if you make them in a Crockpot!
Not to mention, I always get a kick out of the look on my friends’ faces when I tell them they’re eating a ketchup and grape jelly meatball recipe!
Prepping for the big game? Get your hands on more Healthy Super Bowl Recipes.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Meatballs. Choose either frozen or homemade meatballs. Ground beef, pork, or turkey work. If you select pre-made cooked meatballs from the grocery store, make sure to get the homestyle kind and not the ones with Italian seasoning.
- Grape jelly. Organic or conventional jelly or jam can be used. (Read below for different ways to combine flavors.)
- Ketchup. Both regular or no sugar added will work. I even use barbecue sauce sometimes to make a slightly more sour meatball recipe.
- Worcestershire sauce. This adds a great depth of flavor to help counteract the sweetness of the jelly. You can leave it out if you don’t have any available.
How to Make Grape Jelly Meatballs
Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.
1. Whisk the Sauce
Combine the ketchup, grape jelly, and Worcestershire sauce with a whisk. Mix the sauce directly in a large pot on the stove, or in the bottom of a 6-quart Crockpot to avoid extra dirty dishes.
For the best results, do this before adding in the meatballs so all of the sauce ingredients are well incorporated.
2. Add Meatballs to Crockpot
Toss in the meatballs until they are completely coated. You want to make sure they are covered in sauce so they do not dry out.
3. Cook in Crockpot
The cooking time will vary based on the method.
To make slow cooker meatballs, set the Crockpot to low for 3-4 hours, or high for 1-2 hours. Warm until heated through.
Avoid burning by stirring the meatballs in the sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Or Simmer on the Stove
Once everything has been mixed, cover the pot with a lid. Cook the meatballs over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until completely warm.
Stir occasionally to make sure they do not burn.
4. Serving
Garnish the crock pot grape jelly meatballs with a sprinkle of parsley.
Spoon the meatballs and sauce over rice or mashed potatoes as a main course. Or, serve with toothpicks for a party appetizer. For a little kick, try them as a meatball sandwich!
More Meatball Sauce Flavor Variations
What’s so fun about this recipe is that there are so many other ingredient combinations you can try:
- BBQ sauce + apricot preserves
- Ketchup + pineapple preserves
- Heinz chili sauce + orange marmalade
- Ketchup + cranberry sauce
FAQs
This delicious recipe goes great with rice, mashed potatoes, peppers and onions, or rolls.
It depends on the brand, but yes, jelly can contain high amounts of carbs from the fruit and any added sugars.
It is not necessary to thaw meatballs before cooking. However, they will take longer to heat all of the way through.
You can use any jelly you enjoy the taste of, or even cranberry sauce.
More Easy Appetizer Recipes
Serve these crockpot meatballs along with these other dishes for a complete party spread:
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Crispy Potato Skins
- Cheesy Sausage Meatballs
- Thai Chicken Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Naan Pizza
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Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups ketchup or barbecue sauce
- ¾ cup grape jelly or other fruit jam or preserves
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce optional
- 36 oz. meatballs cooked
- Parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Whisk ketchup, jelly, and Worcestershire in either the bottom of a 6-quart Crockpot or in a large pot on the stovetop until smooth.1 ½ cups ketchup, ¾ cup grape jelly, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Add Meatballs: Toss meatballs until they are all well coated. For both the slow cooker and the stovetop cooking methods you can either add frozen meatballs directly to the pot or thaw before adding them in. Frozen meatballs will take longer to cook all the way through so you'll need to add an extra hour for the Crockpot and 5-10 minutes on the stovetop.36 oz. meatballs
- Cook Meatballs in Crockpot: Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or on high for 1-2 hours. Stir the meatballs in the sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking to ensure they do not burn.-OR- Stovetop Instructions: Cover the pot with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. Give the meatballs a good stir a few times throughout cooking to ensure they do not burn.
- Serve meatballs with a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley and enjoy!Parsley
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Video
Notes
- Whisk it good. Make sure the sauce ingredients are thoroughly combined for the right flavor.
- Skip a step. Buy pre-made meatballs instead of making your own to save time.
- Get creative. Try different jelly and sauce combinations to mix it up.
- Add a kick. Mix in some cayenne pepper to make this recipe spicy.
- Keep them hot. If you are serving at a potluck you can set the Crockpot to the “warm” setting once they are heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We used to enjoy these every Christmas with my dad and stepmom. Sadly they passed away several years ago. When I found this recipe and made it as a Thanksgiving appetizer it brought my husband , daughter and me back to the warmth we felt celebrating with our family so many years ago. Thank you so much for this delicious simple recipe!!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Risa! It’s so good and so easy. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
My mom use to make these many years ago. We loved them and I’d lost the simple recipe. So, now I can make them! Thanks for posting this!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! It’s such an easy and classic dish. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
I served your delicious sweet and sour meatballs over roasted spaghetti squash, and it was really good! Thanks for your yummy recipe!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Christine! That sounds absolutely amazing. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
I had everything on hand to make these meatballs for a potluck and they were great! We used the Worcestershire!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! So glad you had everything already! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!