Grape Jelly Chili Sauce Meatballs (Printable)

Tender meatballs in sweet and tangy grape jelly and chili sauce, perfect for parties or weeknight appetizers.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meatballs

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

→ Sauce

02 - 1 cup grape jelly
03 - 1 cup chili sauce
04 - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
05 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
06 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a slow cooker, whisk together grape jelly, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and black pepper until smooth.
02 - Add frozen meatballs to the sauce, stirring to coat evenly.
03 - Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or on high for 2 hours, until meatballs are heated through and sauce is bubbling.
04 - Stir well before serving. Serve hot as an appetizer with toothpicks or over rice as a main dish.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It uses just two main ingredients for the sauce, and both come straight from the jar with zero prep.
  • The slow cooker does all the work while you do literally anything else, and the meatballs stay warm for hours without drying out.
  • People always ask for the recipe, and when you tell them, they never believe you until they taste it.
02 -
  • Don't skip the Worcestershire sauce, it adds a savory backbone that keeps the dish from tasting like dessert.
  • Stir the meatballs halfway through cooking if you can, it helps the sauce coat them more evenly and prevents sticking on the bottom.
03 -
  • Use a slow cooker liner for the easiest cleanup of your life, the sauce can get sticky as it cools.
  • If the sauce seems too thick after cooking, stir in a tablespoon or two of water to get it back to that glossy, pourable consistency.
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