These Grape Jelly BBQ Meatballs are easy to make in the crock pot. This recipe only takes 3 ingredients and 5 minutes to prep! Doesn’t get better than that.
These meatballs are a tried and true appetizer recipe of mine. They literally couldn’t be easier to make and everyone always loves them. Other easy go-to’s are little smokies, meatball sliders and pigs in a blanket.
Table of Contents
The Perfect Appetizer
These crockpot BBQ grape jelly meatballs are one of my family’s favorite meatball recipes. They are seriously so good and the perfect appetizer for game day! They almost remind me of sweet and sour meatballs but taste better.
My Grandpa has been making these crockpot meatballs for years and we always loved them growing up. My sister even talked him into making them as an appetizer at her wedding. Everyone loved them! Now of course my family has their actual “homemade meatballs recipe,” which are just as amazing.
The best part about BBQ meatballs is that no one would ever know how simple they are to make. Turn them into a main dish and serve them over sticky rice like I do with honey garlic meatballs. YUM!
3 simple ingredients!
These slow cooker grape jelly meatballs are so easy to make. You just need the 3 ingredients below to get started:
- Meatballs: I love getting the frozen meatballs from Costco or Kroger. They taste the best in my opinion. Homemade meatballs taste great as well if you have the time.
- Grape jelly: I keep it simple and use Smucker’s grape jelly.
- BBQ Sauce: Sweet baby ray’s BBQ sauce is my personal favorite. :) You can also make a homemade BBQ sauce if preferred.
How to Make Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
- Add ingredients to crockpot. Pour grape jelly and BBQ sauce in the bottom of your crockpot. Add in the meatballs and stir until fully coated.
- Cook meatballs in crockpot. Cook frozen meatballs in crockpot for 2 to 3 hours on high, or until warm. Make sure to stir a few times throughout.
- Serve and enjoy! Garnish with sliced green onions if desired and serve as an appetizer or main dish.
Variations
There are plenty of ways to easily mix up the flavors in this recipe. Check out some other yummy variations below:
- Sub Heinz chili sauce for BBQ sauce for an extra kick, like I did with these chili sauce meatballs.
- Replace grape jelly with 16 ounces sliced or diced pineapple for Hawaiian meatballs.
- Use 1/4 cup honey instead of jelly for a a little healthier alternative (add more or less to to taste).
- Make cranberry meatballs with leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving. Sub an equal amount of cranberry sauce for grape jelly.
- Use 2 packages of little smokies instead of meatballs.
FAQ
We love to serve them with coconut rice, green beans and fresh cut pineapple.
If you’d like to thicken your sauce, you can mix together a cornstarch slurry (about 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon of water) and stir it into the sauce and allow it to simmer.
This is the base of the sauce (which helps thicken it) and brings the best flavor. I promise you won’t taste the grape flavor.
More Easy Appetizers:
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Ham and Cheese Sliders
- 4-Ingredient Cheese Ball
- Easy 7-Layer Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
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Crockpot Bbq Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (18-ounce) jar jar grape jelly
- 1 (18-ounce) jar BBQ sauce
- 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen fully cooked meatballs (about 50)
Optional: Cooked rice, Sliced green onions
Instructions
- In a medium bowl or the base of a slow cooker, combine the grape jelly and BBQ sauce. Add meatballs and stir until coated in sauce.
- Cook on high 2 to 3 hours or low 3 to 4 hours. Turn the slow cooker to warm until ready to serve.
- Enjoy as an appetizer or serve over rice and top with green onions for a main dish.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Appetizers, Crockpot, Crockpot, Dairy-Free, Mini appetizers, Reader Favorites, Super Bowl
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
HOw much BBQ sauce and Grape jelly for 140 meatballs
Hi Mary, you would need to triple the recipe and would end up with about 150 meatballs. So you would need (3) 18 ounce jars of grape jelly and (3) 18 ounce jars of BBQ sauce.
I have used this recipe many many times and people love it. I change out the grape jelly for blackberry or blackraspberry/blackberry mix jelly it give it a different flavor that what the grape does. People keep coming back for me since I switched it up.
So glad it’s always a hit! Blackberry jelly sounds so delicious :)
Does it matter if the precooked meatballs are Italian meatballs or should they be unseasoned?
You could use Italian, it will just add a little bit more or a kick.
If I use frozen meatballs should I still cook them before putting them in my crockpot, if so for how long?
Yes, this recipe uses frozen meatballs. 2 to 3 hours on high.
I have used this recipe for more than twenty years. I have never heard any complaints.
I’m so happy to hear that, Barbara! It’s definitely an easy crowd favorite :)
Can I use raw meatballs and add cooking time?
Hi Toni – you’ll need to cook the meatballs first before adding to the slow cooker.
I’ve made this recipe several times and we always enjoy it. I’m not really into cooking so I appreciate that this recipe is very easy.
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Kate! It’s one of my favorites too :)
Can these be made ahead of time and be reheated? What about the little smokes can they be made ahead of time and be reheated?
Yes they can be made ahead of time and reheated :)
Crockpot BBQ meatballs recipe is a family favorite, especially with the teenagers, and so easy to prepare.
So happy to hear your family loves this recipe, Diana!
Turned out perfect
So happy to hear this!
can I use raw meatballs?
Hi Julie – you’ll need to cook the meatballs first before adding to the slow cooker.
Can I make this recipe in a regular pot on the stovetop? How long would it take to cook then?
Yes you can. Probably only 20 minutes over medium heat.
Can I make this the night before I need them? If so do I just refrigerate them in the crock pot and then reheat on low?
Yes, you can just reheat on low. I’ve also combined the meatballs with the sauce in a container the night before to thaw and then heated in the AM in the slow cooker on high.
Yes, that is how I did it the first time and it still turned out great. I just let it simmer in the pot until the meatballs were fully cooked.
It was delicious! But I wonder, could you use strawberry jelly instead of grape?
Yes, you definitely can!
Easy and Simple
Would it be ok to use sweet baby rays honey barbque sauce?
That should be fine! :)
Actually that’s what I used but I also switched to raspberry jam so with the bbq being sweeter and the jam being more tart it completely balanced out and they were phenomenal
That sounds so delicious! I’ll have to try it sometime :)
Really good and so easy!
The Best …..,Yum 😘
I just made these today for my hubby for New Year’s Eve. He is going to love them thanks for the recipe.
I always used 3 jars red currant jelly and 1jar chili sauce. I can’t get currant jelly any more.
Currant jelly was always the best. ? Any Store brands.