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Frozen meatballs cooked low and slow in the crockpot with grape jelly and barbecue sauce to create a sweet and savory party appetizer that’s easy and crowd-pleasing.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 26–32 ounces frozen, fully cooked meatballs
  • 18 ounces barbecue sauce
  • 18 ounces grape jelly

Instructions

  1. Pour grape jelly and BBQ sauce into the slow cooker and stir until smooth and combined; add cayenne pepper if using.
  2. Add frozen or pre-cooked meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat evenly.
  3. Cover and cook on HIGH 2–3 hours or LOW 3–4 hours, until meatballs are heated through and tender.
  4. If using raw meatballs, cook until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
  5. Stir and switch the slow cooker to warm to hold once cooking is complete.
  6. Stovetop: in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine grape jelly, BBQ sauce, and cayenne pepper (if using) and whisk to blend.
  7. Stir in frozen or pre-cooked meatballs and coat with the sauce.
  8. Simmer gently about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are hot through and the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
  9. Oven: in a large bowl, mix grape jelly, BBQ sauce, and cayenne pepper (if using); add meatballs and toss to coat.
  10. Transfer the coated meatballs to a casserole dish or Dutch oven and cover with a lid or foil.
  11. Bake at 325°F for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through to coat meatballs evenly; for raw meatballs, bake until internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Notes

Add 1½ teaspoons of cayenne pepper for a spicy kick (optional)., Serve straight from the crockpot with toothpicks for easy snacking or transfer to a serving dish., Try serving over rice, mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles for a meal., Can halve the recipe for smaller portions., Mix in extras like sriracha, crushed pineapple, or swap grape jelly for cranberry sauce for flavor variations., Use meatless meatballs and vegan-friendly BBQ sauce and jelly to make a vegan version., Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days., Reheat in slow cooker on LOW or microwave in short bursts, stirring between., Can freeze cooked leftovers for up to 3 months; thaw overnight before reheating.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://margorecipes.com/crockpot-meatballs-in-grape-jelly-and-bbq-sauce/