Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs (+Video)
These Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs are always a hit because they are so delicious so easy to make with only 3 ingredients!
DELICIOUSLY GLAZED PARTY MEATBALLS
What is it about meatballs that we love? Go to any potluck or party and if there is a Crock Pot of meatballs sitting out, you will usually find a group of folks standing around eating them as they talk. They draw us into their meaty goodness. This recipe is a blast from the past.
TIPS FOR MAKING CROCK POT GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS:
- The original recipe calls for using Heinz Chili sauce, which is tasty in it’s own right. However, a few years ago, I went to a party and the hostess made it with BBQ sauce and I was hooked! The BBQ sauce give these meatballs just a little more oomph. And speaking of BBQ sauce, I did a small informal poll on Facebook a couple of weeks ago. I asked everyone what their favorite bottled BBQ sauce was. The overwhelming winner? Sweet Baby Rays!
- Don’t be thrown off by the grape jelly if you’ve never tried these before. I promise, you don’t taste the grape at all. It just adds a nice, lightly sweet background flavor and gives a nice consistency to the sauce. Try different types of jelly and jams – pineapple and cranberry are also really yummy with this!
- If you want a homemade version of this recipe, click on this link: Crock Pot Homemade Grape Jelly Meatballs.
- My favorite store-bought BBQ sauce is Sweet Baby Rays. However, you can make your own Homemade BBQ Sauce.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- homestyle frozen meatballs
- grape jelly
- your favorite BBQ Sauce or Chili Sauce
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS:
Combine the frozen meatballs, grape jelly and BBQ sauce into your slow cooker and stir well until combined.
Cook the mixture on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2 – 2 ½ hours until completely warmed through (stirring occasionally.) Meatballs are already cooked so we’re basically just heating them up.
When they are ready, just set your crock pot to the “keep warm” setting and let guests serve themselves.
Just place small bowls and toothpicks next to the meatballs.
Cook’s Note: This also works really nicely with a package or two of lil’ smokies. Also, you can use many types of jelly flavors. I’ve used cranberry, apricot and pineapple before and all were very good!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published: February 2011
Updated & republished: April 2020
Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs (+Video)
Ingredients
- 32 ounce bag frozen homestyle meatballs
- 18 ounce jar grape jelly
- 18 ounce bottle of your favorite BBQ Sauce (or Chili Sauce)
Instructions
- Pour the meatballs, grape jelly and BBQ sauce into a crock pot and stir until well combined.
- Cook the mixture on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2 – 2 ½ hours until completely cooked through (stirring occasionally)
- Then serve! Keep slow cooker on warm with lid on so they stay warm while serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
BBQ sauce and a can of whole cranberries is another variation on this recipe….it is fabulous!
Very simple and basic, I'm glad others use the grape jelly too, although I use half as much. Also, I always add a good bit of hot sauce, maybe 1-2 tsp. As far as everyone being in love with Sweet Baby Ray's – and don't get me wrong, I have it in the pantry now, it's good – but has anyone ever heard of Bulls-eye? Vastly superior IMHO. Thanks for posting the recipe.
I have been using Bulls-Eye for about 25 years. I just recently bought a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's……I just wanted to see for myself. Haven't tried it yet though. Actually, our favorite is Tony Roma's bought directly from the restaurant.
We have always used the grape jelly and yellow mustard, but never in the crock pot. I'm going to have to give it a try and see if it works. Sounds much easier!
I use this recipe with cocktail weiners also. Soo good!
Oh I just made these and doubled the recipe I used 32oz. grape jelly and 2 jars of chili sauce with homemade turkey meatballs.
These are delicious I put them in an oval 6qt. crockpot on low for 7 hrs. Love them!
if I need to dbl this would it be best to make it twice or just dbl ingredients? Sometimes it's no good to dbl. thanks
I make this sometimes when we head for the weekend home on the block of the motor inside the hood/bonnet. I start the recipe at my home in Houston by putting everything in a big plastic covered bowl, microwaving, stirring in any other flavors I want to try (onion powder, various rubs, even cream of mushroom soup), and then wrap it all 3x into foil recipe. You don't know the meatballs are there if you are moving in her car (the motor is in the back of her sports car). Still my wife kept asking when we got into traffic if I could smell BBQ but I just would say, well its Friday night – people must be BBQ'ing. When we got to the lake, we emptied the car of the few things we carry back and forth including a cheese plate and wine. Wanting to capture the sunset on the water, I carried the snacks out back and poured my bride a glass of wine. Whilst she asked about our dinner plans, I crept away, retrieved a nice serving dish and two bowls and chopsticks, opened the hood, retrieved the meatballs (she was already suspicious)and served my favorite food critic. It is nice to use the rolling kitchen in your car motor and you never heat up the house. Thanks.
Glenn, you're a man after my own heart. I have cooked many a meal on the V8 Express….
Late joining and posting to site, but Glenn that was an act of genius……way to go Man!
Making these for supper tonight 🙂
I love these, always a hit! I use a spicy salsa but basically get the same, yummy result! Guests are always shocked when I divulge the "recipe".
Great recipe! I added some finely chopped onion; and after few hours added some flour for thickening.
I use Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ Sauce for the meatballs; making 2 large crocks full for my daughters wedding shower as I type this!!! 🙂
Yay! So happy this was a good one for y'all! Leah – a 4 quart will work fine for this! I just wouldn't go any smaller than a 4 quart. 🙂 ~Brandie
Hopefully I didn't miss this in the comments, but what size crockpot do you use? I only have a 4qt so I didn't know if it would all fit. Thanks!
Used this recipe for a munchie during the superbowl game for our guests. It was beyond easy to prepare, very tasty and a huge hit with our guests. Will be making them again in the future!
I like the grape jelly/SBR BBQ also! Im gopint to try it with Apricot Jelly this time, Ill let ya know how it is.
Have you ever tried the meatballs with chili sauce and cranberry sauce. YUMMY
Anonymous – yes I've had good luck with the Wal-Mart brand and other store brands as well. Obviously homemade meatballs are awesome. The only reason why I don't recommend the homemade for these is because they always fall apart at some point during the heating up in the crock pot. I've tried it several times – even tried freezing them. They would still fall apart or would get so soft, folks couldn't easily scoop them up with a toothpick. The frozen, packaged just hold up better and taste great with this combo. of flavors. 🙂
I have always been leary of packaged frozen meatballs. Sounds like the Walmart brand are good? Would sure be easier than having to make meatballs from scratch.
My cousin from Australia has just rented a slushy machine for her party next week, then I saw this blog, so I thought, these meatballs would taste great with slushy! Looks like I'll be drinking too much frozen cocktails in Perth next week… Thanks for the recipe!
I have always blended chili sauce and cranberry sauce in a pan on the stove and poured it over the meatballs. Now I will have a new one to try! Sounds great!
I'm making these tonight but they were out of sweet baby rays!! So I went with bullseye. Hopefully they turn out good they look delicious!!!
Rudy's BBQ sause cannot be beat. Rudy's is a Texas BBQ chain that can be found online. Best BBQ I have ever tasted.
Smoked or polish sausages cut into one inch pieces works well with this sauce too. I buy the three pound packages. I love this with chili sauce, but the bar-b-que version is yummy too.
This is EXACTLY what I use- Sweet Baby Rays and even WalMart's meatballs. Yum!
Which Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce does everyone use? There are several different flavors of Sweet Baby Ray.
spicey