These grape jelly and Barbecue sauce meatballs are both sweet and savory! They are perfect for an appetizer or a main meal and best of all they are made in the Crockpot!!
When I think of yummy, yet filling appetizers my go-to are these sweet and savory crockpot meatballs, crispy buffalo chicken nuggets, and oven-baked firecracker wings! Each is worthy of being the star of their own meal!
Delicious Crockpot Meatballs
I always say that potatoes are so versatile, but so are meatballs!! They can be the main course or appetizer. You can make so many different variations too. Serve them on their own, over rice, in a sandwich or in your favorite pasta dish, the possibilities are endless!
I love today’s crockpot grape jelly and barbeque sauce meatballs. I know the flavor combination sounds odd, but take my word- they are RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS! Plus I love to add chili sauce to my sauce to give it a little kick.
I love to serve these on toothpicks for a quick and easy appetizer or for dinner over rice.
How to Make Grape Meatballs
Begin by mixing your breadcrumbs, milk, and egg together. Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes or until the crumbs have softened.
Next add in the onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper, and mix all together. Then use your hands and mix in the ground beef until everything is combined really well!
Form your meatballs using a standard size cookie scoop if you’re making dinner size meatballs or use two teaspoons to form appetizer size.
Once they are formed brown the meatballs on all sides (this helps them keep their shape). There are a couple of ways to do this:
- Saute in your crockpot (if it has that feature)
- In a large nonstick skillet, over medium heat
- Place on a cookie sheet and broil for 10 minutes
After browning the meatballs, place them in your crockpot (spray with cooking spray first!). Cover them with your sauce and cook on low for 3-4 hours!
Oven Variation: If you don’t have a crockpot, you can still make this yummy recipe in the oven! Follow the same prep instructions but bake the grape jelly meatballs at 350ºF for about an hour.
Meatball Variations + Flavors
If you check out my site you can see I love meatballs! There are so many variations beef, chicken, turkey, and so many flavors:
- Swedish meatballs
- Turkey meatballs
- Pesto chicken meatballs
- Cranberry meatballs
- Greek Meatballs with tzatziki sauce
- Sticky Asian meatballs
- Barbeque pineapple meatballs
- Classic Italian meatballs
- Buffalo chicken meatballs
Shortcut
If you are pressed for time, you can use frozen meatballs! Cook them on low for 3-4 hours, or until the sauce is bubbly and the meatballs are heated through. You can tell this if you use a fork and try to poke through the meatballs.
Tips + Tricks for Storing Grape Meatballs
On the rare occurrence that you happen to have leftovers, allow the meatballs to cool and store in an airtight container. They’ll keep in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To reheat, my favorite way is in the oven, because it helps keep the flavor and texture. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees, but you can also reheat in the microwave until heated through!
For more meatball recipes, check out:
- Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Orange Chicken Meatballs
- Baked Rigatoni with Mini-Meatballs
Meatballs with Grape Jelly and BBQ Sauce in the Slow Cooker Recipe
Recommended Products
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1/3 c. breadcrumbs - (panko or regular)
- 1/4 c. milk or buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp. minced onion
- 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. coarse kosher sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1-1 1/4 lb. ground beef
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
For the Sauce
- 5 oz. grape jelly
- 1/3 c. Heinz Chili Sauce
- 1/3 c. BBQ sauce
- 2 tbsp. water or apple juice
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs, milk, and egg. Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes or until the crumbs soften. Add minced onion, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then mix. Using your hands, gently mix in ground beef until well combined.
- For dinner-sized meatballs, use a standard-sized cookie scoop to form the meatballs. For appetizer-sized meatballs, use two teaspoons.
- If the slow cooker does not have a sauté function, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and brown them on all sides for about 10 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to the slow cooker.
- Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce in a small mixing bowl, then pour over the meatballs.
- Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 3–4 hours. Serve the meatballs warm.
These are so good and so easy and a crowd pleaser every time!
We love how easy these are and they’re great for game day!
These are one of those classic dishes everyone should know how to make! So tasty and so easy to cook up!
This is one of my favorite appetizers!!