Grape Jelly Chili Sauce Meatballs (Print page)

Tender meatballs in a sweet and tangy grape jelly and chili sauce, ideal for parties or easy weeknight meals.

# What You Need:

→ Meatballs

01 - 2 lbs frozen cocktail meatballs (beef, turkey, or plant-based)

→ Sauce

02 - 1 cup grape jelly
03 - 1 cup chili sauce (such as Heinz or similar)
04 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
05 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
06 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
07 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together grape jelly, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and black pepper in slow cooker until smooth and well combined.
02 - Add frozen meatballs to the sauce mixture, stirring thoroughly to ensure each meatball is evenly coated.
03 - Cover and cook on low setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on high for 2 hours, until meatballs are heated through and sauce is bubbling gently.
04 - Stir well before serving. Serve hot as appetizers with toothpicks or over rice as a main dish.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sweet and tangy sauce creates that perfect sticky coating everyone reaches for first
  • Your slow cooker does literally all the work while you handle other things
  • Frozen meatballs mean zero prep time and zero mess on your counter
02 -
  • The sauce thickens as it cooks so resist the urge to add more liquid unless it looks truly dry
  • Stirring halfway through cooking helps ensure even coating and prevents any sauce from sticking to the bottom
03 -
  • Double the sauce recipe if you are serving these as a main dish over rice
  • Set out a small bowl of extra sauce on the side because people will want more
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