Homemade Crockpot Meatballs are covered in a sweet and tangy sauce made from grape jelly and chili sauce. Double this recipe—these meatballs will disappear quickly!
Crockpot meatballs are always a great choice.
These small but hearty bites can be the highlight of any buffet or party. With meatballs on the menu, you might not even need traditional entrees.
People LOVE crockpot meatballs. They come back for seconds and fill up on them.
Especially crockpot appetizer meatballs in grape jelly sauce! The mix of grape jelly and chili sauce is almost legendary in the Midwest.
If you’ve never tried them, you’re in for a treat!
My version comes from a regional cookbook called The Calico Capers, which has several similar recipes for easy meatballs. I have many fond memories involving meatballs!
I made the meatballs from scratch, but you can use store-bought frozen meatballs (frozen Italian meatballs work well; see notes below). If you make them from scratch, fry the meatballs in vegetable shortening for added Midwest authenticity.
Once the meatballs are browned, add them to a crockpot with a jar of grape jelly and a jar of chili sauce. Cook until heated through—about 3 to 4 hours on HIGH or 6 to 7 hours on LOW.
You can also make these easy Meatballs ahead of time! Just reheat them in the slow cooker or on the stove if you’re in a hurry (then transfer to the slow cooker to keep warm).
Print
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
Description
Homemade Crockpot Meatballs are covered in a sweet and tangy sauce made from grape jelly and chili sauce. Double this recipe—these meatballs will disappear quickly!
Ingredients
- 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen fully-cooked meatballs (see notes for making meatballs from scratch)
- 12 ounces chili sauce
- 10 ounces grape jelly
Instructions
To Sauce the Meatballs into a Slow Cooker:
- Add the meatballs to the crockpot.
- Pour in the chili sauce and grape jelly.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours or on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, 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 the meatballs to a saucepan.
- Add the chili sauce and grape jelly.
- Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the sauce is hot.
Notes
To Make the Meatballs from Scratch:(Ingredients)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup finely minced onion
- ½ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup vegetable shortening (for frying the meatballs)
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, onion, milk, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Mix well using a spatula or your hands (wearing latex gloves is optional). Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls (you should have about 48 meatballs).
To Fry the Meatballs:
- Heat vegetable shortening in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Fry the meatballs in batches until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. The internal temperature should read 155 degrees for at least 15 seconds. Add more shortening if the skillet looks dry.
To Bake the Meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- After this,Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a rack on top.
- Arrange the meatballs on the rack and bake until browned with crispy edges, about 20 minutes. The internal temperature should read 155 degrees for at least 15 seconds.
Additional Notices:
- Sweet chili sauce can be used instead of regular chili sauce. This flavor will be slightly different but still delicious!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 292 kcal
