Grape Jelly Chili Sauce Meatballs (Printer View)

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

# Components:

→ 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 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
05 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
06 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
07 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

# Method 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 and stir 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 Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like you spent hours in the kitchen, but your slow cooker does almost all the work.
  • The sweet and tangy balance hits differently than anything else—you'll find yourself eating more than you planned.
  • Perfect for feeding a crowd without stress or last-minute scrambling.
02 -
  • Don't skip the apple cider vinegar—I learned this by making a batch without it, and the sauce tasted flat and overly sweet instead of complex and crave-worthy.
  • The longer these sit in the slow cooker, the more the flavors meld, so if you have time, letting them cook the full 4 hours on low makes a real difference.
03 -
  • Stir the sauce halfway through cooking if you remember, but don't stress if you forget—slow cookers are incredibly forgiving with this recipe.
  • A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brightens everything and keeps the sauce from feeling too heavy.
Return