When it’s time for a party, you simply can’t have too many appetizers. Some of my favorite party snacks include garlic parmesan wings, savory bacon wrapped water chestnuts, fresh and colorful black bean and corn salsa and these classic grape jelly meatballs.
Grape Jelly Meatball Ingredients
To make this grape jelly meatball recipe you will need ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, onions, garlic, salt and black pepper. For the sauce, make sure to have chili sauce and grape jelly. Freshly chopped parsley adds color and visual interest to the finished dish. If you want an appetizer spread for your holiday party, try serving these meatballs with some of my favorite Christmas appetizer recipes like sausage cheese balls, bacon wrapped scallops and bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers.
How Do You Make Grape Jelly Meatballs?
Start these grape jelly meatballs by mixing together ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Once combined, roll the meat mixture into 1 inch balls. Place the balls on a sheet pan or baking sheet and broil them until golden brown. Place the meatballs into a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, melt the grape jelly, then add a bottle of chili sauce. Whisk the two ingredients together to make the sauce. Pour the sauce over the beef meatballs, then cook with the lid on. Right before you’re ready to eat, uncover the slow cooker, add a sprinkle of parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Grape Jelly Meatballs
Use a tablespoon measuring spoon or a small cookie scoop to make similar sized meatballs. I prefer to use homemade meatballs because I think they have better flavor and texture than frozen meatballs. If you’re in a pinch, you can use 2 pounds of frozen meatballs. You don’t need to thaw the meatballs, simply add them to the crockpot from frozen. It’s ok if there are a few lumps in the sauce, as the jelly will continue to melt in the slow cooker. The chili sauce in this recipe is a tomato based sauce similar to ketchup, but with a slightly different flavor profile. Chili sauce tends to be thicker, and despite the name, it is not spicy at all. I use Heinz chili sauce which you can find in the grocery store near the ketchup and other condiments. Serve your meatballs with toothpicks as an appetizer, or offer them over sour cream mashed potatoes or rice as a main course.
Flavor Variations
These grape jelly meatballs are great as written, but you can substitute other ingredients you have on hand if needed.
Meat: You could use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork or a combination of those meats. Sauce: No chili sauce on hand? It’s fine to use ketchup instead. You can always add a little garlic powder and pepper for flavor. You can also use BBQ sauce. Apple: You can use apple jelly in place of the grape jelly. Cranberry: For cranberry flavor, try my cranberry meatballs made in a slow cooker or use jellied cranberry sauce. Apricot: Instead of grape jelly, you can substitute apricot preserves. If there are chunks in your preserves, puree the preserves before adding them to the crockpot. Orange: Try orange marmalade instead of grape jelly.
I make these grape jelly meatballs for all my gatherings. They are a perfect party appetizer because they are sweet, savory and packed with flavor. They are so popular that I never have any leftovers!
