Sweet and Tangy Grape Jelly BBQ Meatballs Recipe
This easy Crockpot BBQ Meatballs recipe combines sweet grape jelly and tangy BBQ sauce to create a deliciously sticky glaze over tender, fully cooked meatballs. Perfect as a party appetizer or served over rice for a satisfying main dish, these meatballs are effortlessly prepared in a slow cooker, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully with minimal hands-on time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 to 4 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes to 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: About 50 meatballs, serving 8 to 10 people 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen fully cooked meatballs (about 50 meatballs)
Sauce
- 1 (18-ounce) jar grape jelly
- 1 (18-ounce) jar BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Combine Sauce Ingredients: In a medium bowl or directly in the base of your slow cooker, combine the entire jar of grape jelly and the jar of BBQ sauce. Stir gently until the jelly and BBQ sauce are fully blended together to form a smooth, tangy-sweet sauce.
- Add Meatballs: Add the frozen fully cooked meatballs into the slow cooker. Stir carefully to coat all meatballs evenly with the grape jelly and BBQ sauce mixture, making sure each piece is well covered for maximum flavor.
- Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook the meatballs on high heat for 2 to 3 hours, or on low heat for 3 to 4 hours. The meatballs will heat through and absorb the sauce flavors while the sauce thickens slightly.
- Keep Warm: Once cooked, you can switch the slow cooker to the warm setting to maintain serving temperature until ready to serve, preventing the meatballs from drying out.
- Serve and Enjoy: Serve these delicious meatballs as a crowd-pleasing appetizer, or for a heartier meal, serve them over steamed rice and garnish with chopped green onions to add a pop of color and freshness.
Notes
- Use fully cooked frozen meatballs for convenience; fresh meatballs would require longer cooking time.
- You can prepare this recipe a day ahead and refrigerate; just reheat in the slow cooker before serving.
- For a spicier kick, add a dash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the sauce mixture.
- If you prefer thicker sauce, remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking to let the sauce reduce.
- Grape jelly can be substituted with cranberry jelly or peach preserves for a different flavor profile.
Keywords: Crockpot BBQ Meatballs, slow cooker appetizer, party meatballs, easy meatball recipe, sweet and tangy meatballs, grape jelly BBQ sauce
