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top down view of the completed slow cooker meatballs served on a white plate with toothpicks.
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Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs

Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs are the perfect appetizer!
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American, Western
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 2 minutes
Servings 16
Calories 294kcal

Ingredients

  • 32 ounces (907g) frozen cooked meatballs homemade or store-bought
  • 20 ounces (550ml) grape jelly
  • 1 ½ cups (375ml) barbecue sauce
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder optional

Instructions

To make in the slow cooker:

  • Add the frozen meatballs to the crockpot.
  • Pour in grape jelly, bbq sauce, and onion powder (if using), stirring to combine.
  • Place lid on and cook for 2-3 hours on high (mine were ready in 2 ¼ hours).

To make on the stovetop:

  • Add the frozen meatballs to a saucepan.
  • Pour in grape jelly, bbq sauce, and onion powder (if using) and mix.
  • Cover the saucepan and simmer over medium-low until the meatballs are defrosted and warmed through and the grape jelly sauce is nice and hot.

To make in the oven:

  • Mix together all the ingredients with the frozen meatballs and barbecue sauce in an oven-safe dish.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C for 50-60 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and serve garnished with green onions.

Notes

  • You can easily double this for a crowd. Just make sure your crockpot is big enough to fit everything in. 
  • You can also cut the recipe in half to serve a smaller group.
  • Choose your favorite BBQ sauce flavor profile that suits your taste, whether you prefer it smokier, sharper, sweeter, spicer, etc. We like using Rays BBQ sauce.
  • You can replace a little bit of the grape jelly with some honey.
  • Toasted sesame seeds make a great garnish for meatballs.
  • To thicken sauce, you can create a cornstarch slurry mixture. However, it's worth noting that the sauce thickens naturally in the recipe, so the cornstarch slurry is optional.
  • Storage - store any cooked leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • There are 12 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 319mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg