An easy homemade recipe these Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs are the perfect appetizer for any time of the year. Baked then cooked low and slow, you can’t resist the flavor on these guys!

You already know that I’m absolutely addicted to any and all appetizer recipes. Appetizers have been one of my favorite meals for the longest time.

I could make myself a whole plate of just appetizers and be happy and satisfied, no main dish needed here! I know it’s weird, but there is something about little hand held fun food that gets me.

These Grape Jelly Meatballs have been one our go-to recipes for a long time. We used to make them with frozen meatballs but decided we wanted to give it more flavor.

So we started making our own homemade meatballs instead. What a difference it does make. Now I’m not saying you have to do this, but we just prefer it that way.

I love the flavor you get when you make your own homemade and it really gives these Grape Jelly Meatballs just their own little touch that will love.

Some of my other favorite appetizer recipes that we have on our site include Fried Pickles, Sweet & Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken Wings and Italian Pinwheels!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Making these in the slow cooker saves time.
You can double the recipe for larger crowds.
You can make homemade meatballs like the recipe shows or use frozen.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT BOTTOM):

Eggs
Panko breadcrumbs
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Kosher salt
Pepper
Ground beef
Ground pork
Grape jelly
Chili sauce
Parsley for garnish, optional

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SLOW COOKER GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS, STEP BY STEP:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet tray with foil, set aside.
With a whisk, beat the eggs in a large bowl then stir in the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until combined.
Add the meat and mix to combine, I like to do this by hand.
Take 1 ½ tablespoons of the meat mixture (I like to use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop for this) and roll it into a ball.
Place it on the sheet tray, make sure they are not touching. Repeat with the remaining meat.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Add the meatballs to the slow cooker, drain off any excess fat.
Add the grape jelly and chili sauce to the slow cooker and stir everything until coated. If the grape jelly doesn’t mix in all the way that’s okay.
Slow cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low, stirring every 30 minutes or so to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn. They are ready when the sauce is thickened, you can set it on warm for up to three hours, stirring occasionally. Garnish with parsley, optional.

DO I HAVE TO MAKE HOMEMADE MEATBALLS?

No you do not have to. We love the flavor that we make with making homemade, but frozen will work just fine as well.

You can use any of your favorite frozen meatballs, we usually use homestyle when we do. You will need a 26-32 oz bag for this recipe. They can be added frozen.

CAN I DOUBLE THIS RECIPE?

Absolutely! This is a great appetizer to double for larger crowds as you can keep them in the slow cooker on warm for people to eat from.

If you are doubling the recipe you will want to use an 8 quart slow cooker to make sure you have enough room and it will be easier to stir that way.

HOW TO STORE:

This Grape Jelly Meatball Recipe can be stored in an airtight container or ziptop bag in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

These can also be frozen, to do this let place meatballs in a large freezer bag and they should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, to reheat place back in slow cooker and heat on low for about 2 hour until reheated or place in a pot on the stove and heat until warmed through.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

We like to make homemade meatballs for this, but you can use frozen if you wish.
Easily double this recipe in an 8 quart slow cooker.
This can be cooked on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours on low.
These can be frozen, see my tips above on how to do that.
We like to use leaner ground beef for our meatballs, usually 85/15.

If you want that perfect appetizer that everyone flocks to then you need to make these Homemade Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs!

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If you’ve tried these HOMEMADE SLOW COOKER GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!

Homemade Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs