• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Meet Kelly
  • Browse All Recipes
  • Contact

The Anthony Kitchen logo

  • Comfort Food
  • Southern
  • Tex-Mex
  • Dessert
  • Recipe Index
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Comfort Food
  • Southern Recipes
  • Tex-Mex & Mexican Food
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index
  • About Kelly
  • Contact
×
Home · Recipes · Appetizers · Crockpot BBQ Meatballs

Published: Dec 15, 2020 by Kelly Anthony · Leave a CommentThis post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Crockpot BBQ Meatballs

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Image For Pinterest
Image For Pinterest

We may never know the name of the first brave soul to combine grape jelly and meatballs, but what we do know now, is this kooky, classic combo really works. As crazy as it sounds, grape jelly and meatballs can indeed co-exist beautifully in the same crockpot, and these Crockpot BBQ Meatballs are proof.

Crockpot BBQ Meatballs in a white crockpot.

This retro appetizer is getting a made-from-scratch upgrade, and instead of combining ketchup and jelly and calling it quits, we're bringing in the flavor big-guns. With just a few extra ingredients, you can easily take your BBQ Meatball Sauce from tasty to unforgettably irresistible.

And, while pre-cooked, frozen meatballs are perfectly acceptable for this recipe, you'll be amazed at the flavor these homemade, savory-spiced meatballs can put out. These Grape Jelly Meatballs may no longer be a dump-and-go recipe, but with only 20 minutes of prep time required, you can rest assured -- the payoff is worth it. Sweet, savory, and just the right amount of spicy, these cocktail meatballs are perfect for any and every party occasion!

Need more party food in your life? Of course you do. Bookmark these Crockpot Swedish Meatballs and Mini Pigs in a Blanket for the next time you entertain!

An overheat shot of crockpot BBQ meatballs.

HOMEMADE BBQ MEATBALLS IN THE CROCKPOT

Frozen meatballs are great for easy entertaining, especially when you don't have a lot to give in the way of time. However, if you want your Crockpot BBQ Meatballs to be a grade above the rest, consider knocking your guest's socks off with homemade meatballs instead.

The flavor will be bigger, better, and exponentially more delicious! Plus, we're going to skip out on all that stovetop busywork and take these meatballs straight to the oven. That's right: There's no need to stand around, rolling meat around in hot grease. Roasting them will brown them up beautifully and save you a good deal of time in the way of prep work!

Below, you'll find instructions for making Jelly Meatballs both from scratch and with ready-made, frozen meatballs.

ABOUT THE SAUCE

The meatballs aren't the only ingredient getting an upgrade. Many recipes out here call for combining 1 part grape jelly with 2 parts of any of the three following ingredients: ketchup, chili sauce, and/or BBQ sauce. So, for example, if you wanted to use ketchup, you would add 1 cup of grape jelly and 2 cups of ketchup to the slow cooker.

Luck for our tastebuds, the BBQ-jelly sauce we'll be making here today is not that kind of sauce.

This sauce is positively loaded with flavor. It's sweet, savory, tangy, and it carries just the right amount of kick. It comes together directly in your crockpot with a simple stir of savory spices, adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo), and apple cider vinegar.

It may not be as easy as adding 3 ingredients to a crockpot and calling it a day, but it is well worth your time and guaranteed to be the best batch of Crockpot BBQ Meatballs you and your guests have ever tasted.

An overhead shot of jelly meatballs in a slow cooker.

HOW TO MAKE CROCKPOT MEATBALLS WITH JELLY SAUCE

  1. Make the Meatball Mixture - Combine the breadcrumbs, spices, milk, and egg. Use a fork to combine these ingredients and then add in the beef. It’s easiest to work the beef in with your hands, but if you’d like, you can use a fork for this task too.
  2. Roll the Meatballs -Remember, Crockpot BBQ Meatballs are supposed to be a party bite, so you'll want to roll them on the smaller side. Just about a scant tablespoon is exactly what you need! Dampen your palms slightly, and roll the meat mixture with cupped hands to create a perfectly round ball!
  3. Bake - Transfer the meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 425°F.
  4. Make the Sauce - To make the sauce, add the ketchup, grape jelly, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, and spices to the crockpot and stir.
  5. Add To the Crockpot - Add the meatballs to the crockpot and gently stir to coat with the BBQ-jelly sauce. Cover and cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours on high or 3 to 4 hours on low!

If this is sounding like your kind of recipe, you'll definitely want to check out our chicken meatballs next!

A plate of crockpot bbq meatballs stacked on top of one another with a crockpot in the background.

HOW TO MAKE GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS WITH FROZEN MEATBALLS

Adapting this Crockpot BBQ Meatballs recipe to work with frozen meatballs rather than homemade meatballs couldn't get a whole lot easier! You'll just nix making and baking the meatballs from scratch and move straight on to the sauce.

Mix the sauce ingredients in the slow cooker as directed, then, add in 1 (2-pound) bag of frozen, fully-cooked meatballs, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 hours on low!

CAN YOU MAKE BBQ GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS IN THE OVEN?

If you're looking to get the show on the road sooner than later, you can leave out the crockpot, turn on the oven, and bring in a casserole dish.

Instead of mixing your sauce in the slow cooker, add all of the sauce ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Then, add your cooked meatballs (homemade or frozen) to the bowl and stir until they're nicely coated.

Transfer the mix to a casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F. Bake homemade meatballs for about 30 minutes and frozen meatballs for 45 minutes to an hour.

Once the meatballs are warmed through and the sauce is bubbly, it's time to serve!

If you're digging the oven option, be sure to try our baked turkey meatballs as well!

A stack of crockpot bbq meatballs on a white plate with cocktail skewers around the plate and slow cooker in the background.

HOW TO SERVE CROCKPOT BBQ MEATBALLS

The beauty of Crockpot BBQ Meatballs is you can serve them directly out of their cooking vessel! Once the cook time is up, just set a few small plates off to the side along with some toothpicks or appetizer skewers and let your guests serve themselves. This is the perfect recipe for easy entertaining!

We love a good meatball recipe around here. If you're a fellow meatball lover, check out our Baked Meatballs next!

CAN I MAKE THIS AHEAD?

You can make Grape Jelly BBQ Meatballs up to 2 days in advance and keep them in the refrigerator until the day you are ready to serve!

There are multiple ways you can do this:

  • You make just the meatballs and refrigerate them in an airtight container.
  • You can also stir the sauce together in a bowl and store it in the refrigerator as well.
  • Or, you can combine the two in your slow cooker insert (no need to do any slow cooking just yet), and take it straight to the fridge! But, be sure to cover tightly with plastic wrap to keep everything fresh in there!

To heat up cold Jelly Meatballs up, transfer the sauce and meatballs to the crockpot and allow them to cook for about 2 hours on high or 3 ½ to 4 hours on low!

FREEZING TIP: You can also prepare the meatballs and the sauce for this recipe up to two months in advance, allow them to cool, and freeze them in an airtight container. Allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then the day you plan to serve them, reheat in the crockpot as directed above.

Are you looking for more Appetizers to add to your line-up? We've got tons of crowd favorites for you to try!

A plate of grape jelly meatballs with two meatballs standing up with a gold skewer sticking through them.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CROCKPOT GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS

More than likely, if you're whipping up a batch of Jelly Meatballs, you're doing it for entertaining purposes! If you'd like to add to your party spread, any one of the following recipes would make for an extremely well-rounded menu!

  • Overhead shot of Velveeta cheese dip

    Velveeta Cheese Dip Recipe

  • Bacon Wrapped Smokies on a plate with toothpicks sticking out of them.

    Bacon Wrapped Smokies

  • Mini Pigs in a Blanket

  • Lemon Pepper Wings

  • Southern Deviled Eggs

    Southern Deviled Eggs | Recipe

  • Meat and Cheese Tray

    Meat and Cheese Tray

If you're making Crockpot BBQ Meatballs to serve as a family-friendly dinner, you could serve them inside a toasty hoagie as a tasty meatball sub, over mashed potatoes, or go the Asian route and place a bed of sticky rice directly beneath them. Yum!

5 MORE APPETIZERS YOU’LL LOVE

  • Buffalo Wings
  • Baked Brie with Jam
  • Texas Trash Party Mix
  • Bacon-Wrapped Smokies
  • Corn Dip With Cream Cheese

Three grape jelly meatballs on a white plate. Two have a gold skewer in them.

An overheat shot of crockpot BBQ meatballs.
Print Recipe
4.58 from 7 votes

Crockpot BBQ Meatballs

This is the world's most delicious Crockpot BBQ Meatballs recipe! Featuring an elevated sweet and savory grape jelly-ketchup sauce and juicy, tender, full-flavored cocktail meatballs!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 50 minutes mins
Total Time2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
Servings: 14
Calories: 220kcal
Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

  • ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, separated
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 teaspoons chili powder, separated
  • 2 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, separated
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder, separated
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 cup grape jelly
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from chipotles in adobo)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

MAKE THE MEATBALLS:

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F and have ready a rimmed baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil.
  • Add the breadcrumbs, milk, egg, 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, black pepper, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and a ½ teaspoon onion powder. Mix with a fork until well combined.
  • Add in the ground beef and mix to combine with your hands. Stop as soon as the crumb mixture is evenly distributed throughout the beef.
  • Scoop out generous, tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture and roll into a ball with damp hands. You should have about 45 meatballs.
  • Place the meatballs on the baking sheet, leaving a 1" gap between them. Use two baking sheets if necessary not to overcrowd the meatballs. Bake for 20 minutes, until the meatballs have browned and fully cooked through. Set aside while you make the sauce.

MAKE THE SAUCE:

  • Add the ketchup, grape jelly, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and the paprika to the crockpot and stir.
  • Add the meatballs and gently stir until they are evenly coated in the sauce. Cover and cook on high for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or on low for 3 to 4 hours.

Notes

If you'd like to thin out the Jelly BBQ Sauce, gradually splash in up to a ½ cup of hot water, stirring after each splash until you've reached the desired consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 1183mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

Image For Pinterest

« Sour Cream Cookies
Marshmallow Fudge »
1193 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Looking for more recipes?

Be sure to check out the recipe index where you can browse recipes by meal type and category!

Check Out the Recipe Index

Reader Interactions

4.58 from 7 votes (7 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

Trending recipes

  • Homemade hamburger seasoning
    The Best Homemade Hamburger Seasoning
  • Turkey Sloppy Joe with potato chips and sliced pickles
    Easy Turkey Sloppy Joes (Sweet, Smoky, and So Satisfying)
  • Chicken a la king poured over biscuits with extra biscuits in the background.
    20 Easy Leftover Chicken Recipes for Quick, Delicious Dinners
  • How to Make a Spiked Arnold Palmer (John Daly Cocktail)
  • Hugo spritz cocktail
    How to Make a Hugo Spritz (The Iconic Elderflower Cocktail)
  • Elote Seasoning
    Elote Seasoning Recipe (Better than Trader Joe's)

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign up for weekly recipes

Contact

  • Work with me
  • Contact

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
We loved this recipe!!
Will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing!

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.