Awesome grape jelly meatballs! I buy my frozen cocktail meatballs at Costco.
These meatballs are very tasty however I'm pretty sure there's an error on this recipe bc there is no way one serving is 1.25 POUNDS. I think they most likely meant for the recipe to call for 5 pounds total, not 3x five pound bags which would mean 15lbs of meatballs in total. (Mama Mia!) I did mine with about 3.5 pounds of meatballs and still had a couple extra cups of sauce. I'm sure you would be able to do this with up to 5lbs but not much more than that without adding more jelly/chili sauce.
Read MoreThese meatballs are very tasty however I'm pretty sure there's an error on this recipe bc there is no way one serving is 1.25 POUNDS. I think they most likely meant for the recipe to call for 5 pounds total, not 3x five pound bags which would mean 15lbs of meatballs in total. (Mama Mia!) I did mine with about 3.5 pounds of meatballs and still had a couple extra cups of sauce. I'm sure you would be able to do this with up to 5lbs but not much more than that without adding more jelly/chili sauce.
I don't often leave feedback (lazy, I know) but I just had to give my review on this recipe. I made this for a family potluck dinner, and I followed the recipe exactly, except that I used three 20 oz. bags of Trader Joe's frozen cocktail meatballs for a 6 qt. slow cooker. I think the written recipe shows the wrong amount. Anyway, even though the ingredients gave me some trepidation, this meal was the hit of the party, and the first to go! This recipe is so easy, it's insane, and incredibly delish!
My mom has been making these for years, as they are great for large groups at picnics/pool parties. One suggestion with the prepared frozen meatballs is to cook them in an oven on a broiling pan, to get rid of the fat that would otherwise be in with the sauce (it's surprising how much there is!!!). I assemble everything the night before, throw the crock in the fridge, and turn it on the next day to heat through - also great to serve with hot dog buns - the sandwiches are delish!
Great recipe. It was a hit my husband he loved it. I used a 18oz jar of Grape jelly, one 12oz jar of chili sauce and one bag of meatballs more then enough for us two. I thought it needed more flavor so I added a can of chili. The chili gave it a little more taste and it worked out great. I added the chili at the last half hour of cooking.
These were AMAZING. Super easy, delicious and versatile. When making the sauce be sure to whisk it until there are no lumps of jelly to prevent pockets of overly-sweet flavor. I made way too much, but these reheat so well that the large batch was totally gone in three days! I do think the portion is incorrect as was noted in another review, and I used pre-made meatballs from my local grocery store. I have made meatballs before, but these are the first to stay very moist, even when reheated! This is a keeper!!
I have made this recipe for years for parties, Christmas Eve, family functions. Everyone loves it & never have leftovers. I use frozen meatballs. I get them at Wal-Mart. It's a white and green pkg and I get Italian. If you find a good brand, they taste as good as homemade. I promise. *I whisk my sauce when heating to break up the jelly. Enjoy. Major comfort food
these were good. I used 1/2 jar grape jelly, one bottle of chili sauce and one back of regular meatballs. Will make again next time i have a party.
This was a huge hit at my work potluck. The only reason why I deducted a star is due to how difficult it is to find Heinz Chili sauce!!! Where do they sell this you ask... Walmart! A coworker also recommended using Sriracha sauce as a sub for the Heinz. Gonna try it with Sriracha sauce next time
I add a lot more cayenne than a dash until I can feel a slight burn. It also cuts down on the sweetness. No real changes other than that. I typically only make 3 lbs of homemade meatballs and cut the recipe in half. I bake the meatballs first and simply drizzle the glaze over them in a tin pan and reheat on a hot plate. I've made these 3 times for work and they are literally gobbled up. All I hear is 'mmmmmm' when people are eating them. I, personally, don't eat meat but my coworkers ask for these each time I offer. Toothpicks work great as a serving tool. I use various meats (chicken, bison, beef, pork and elk). These are a huge hit at the office.
I made three appetizers. This was the first app gone. I made a second batch. They were gone in 10 minutes. Definitely making these again.
I have made this for years but I also add about a 1/4-1/2 bottle of horseradish to add a little zip. I also use the same amount of grape jelly and chili sauce.
A friend shared this recipe with me years ago and I've been making it for parties, etc. ever since. So easy in the crockpot. I also use the frozen Italian meatballs from Costco (about 1 inch in diameter). Typically, use about half the bag and, yes, there's always leftover sauce. The only difference is that my recipe calls for the addition of the juice of a lemon. This helps to balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients and the fats in the meats. Give this recipe a try. These meatballs always get rave reviews.
too sweet for me
Had these at a school function last night...Delicious! I could not believe what the ingredients were. definitely making these :)
Can't go wrong with this, the sauce is so simple. I did make my own meatballs which gave it an extra boost in flavor.
SO yummy! Cut the recipe in half, but still these were excellent. Sweet and tart, sooooo tender. Even my uber picky daughter who hates everything (including meatballs) had to admit these were very tasty!
I just did a small jar of grape jelly, a jar of chili sauce and meatballs. We served it over rice. My kids are super picky but they love this meal.
The first time I made them, I made my own meatballs and cooked everything on the stove. They were delishious. I made them two weeks ago for an event and decided to use frozen precooked meat balls as this recipe calls for. They were disgusting and very rubbery !
Super easy and always a hit. I think the recipe calls for 3 bags (at 1lb,10oz,) which would equal 5lbs, but 15 wouldn't last long either with our family!
These overall were good and very easy to throw together. I think the quality of the meatballs I used (Aldi brand) may have affected my rating. I will definitely make again when I need a potluck quick and easy food to bring in again!
Awesome. sounds gross, but the flavors are wonderful. I used smuckers and heinz chili sauce. will make again. thank you
My number one favorite recipe here! Everyone raves about them whenever I bring them. Making them for a potluck tomorrow due to coworkers asking “are you bringing those meatballs again?” I prefer mine with a real kick though so I add extra cayenne, arbol chili ground, crushed chili, a few of those small chiles chopped (whatever I have laying around at the time), and minced garlic. Trying tomorrow’s batch with Strawberry jam instead for the first time so wish me luck. I do wish they’d fix the ingredients though and even the shopping list seems off. I use the ingredients from the recipe screen for 12 servings but with 3 x 26 ounce bags of frozen Italian meatballs instead which is around 4.8 pounds total. Just enough to fill standard size crockpots. Also, freshly made are the best of course. You lose a little quality when refrigerated then reheated but still tasty enough to gobble down. I feel these could be the foundation to an even greater dish. Last time I made them, a few rolled through refried beans I had on my plate then found their way into my tacos so I just went for it and I did not regret it. Would probably make for a great sandwich or piled on rice. Dare I make spaghetti with them? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.............Dare I?
This recipe has been around for years and it's still the best and easiest one you'll find. The crowd will gobble these up.
Smells really good while cooking, and it tastes okay. I used store bought frozen, cooked, Italian meatballs, and that's probably where this appy went wrong for us. The meatballs were too fatty, and the sauce didn't stick. The recipe rates a 5 for how easy it is to prepare, but I don't think I will make this again.
I used 4 lbs. frozen home style meatballs, the regular size ones, 20 oz. Welch’s grape jelly, and 2-10 oz. bottles Heinz chili sauce. I also added about 1 tblsp crushed red pepper. This worked out wonderfully. My husband and I ate only these for supper and had more than half to freeze. I will always cook them this way. These would be great on a sub roll. Thank you Walt’s Balls!
Baked them in the oven, patted off grease and then put them in the crockpot. Also heated the sauce in the microwave so all of this could be done a little quicker than the hours stated on the recipe.
Grape jelly makes it Too sweet not tangy enough try cranberry sauce, and chili sauce , with red pepper flake or instead of chili sauce try cocktail sauce
I made these with frozen turkey meatballs from Target and Sriracha sauce. They were very spicy and there were no leftovers at the gathering that I took them to. I would like to try them with homemade meatballs and maybe a little less spice.
The sauce is amazing. The only thing i did different was I made my own meatballs, but it is delicious.
We've been making these for years. Our recipe uses an 18 oz grape jelly, 1 envelope of onion soup mix and no cayenne pepper. We make fresh meatballs using 2-3 pounds of ground chuck. Our kids love them served over rice with a green veggie!
I love these and so does my family. I substitute red currant jelly for the grape. It's sweet but maybe not quite as sweet. It has a little tartness that I like.
DELISH! Two variations: I used the Instapot for 30 min instead of the slow cooker for three hours. Worked WONDERFULLY! And I did not have grape jelly this time (pandemic pantry, gotta use what you got!) so I substituted a can of cranberry jelly and a 1/4 cup of brown sugar. WOOHOO! It's great! I recommend trying it, a very sublet taste difference but lovely!
Excellent! I doubled the chili sauce to make it less sweet.... they were excellent!
Made for a birthday party and was a huge hit! When asked for the recipe, I was told this is almost the same as THEIR recipe except instead of grape jelly, they use Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce. Huh! Might try that too! Either way! This was sinfully easy and made for a delicious app that everyone loved! Will make again! Thank you!!
Added kalbasa and tons of garlic with some Asian sweet & spicy sauce. Ensemble night before and cooked in am for church brunch.
This was a bit too sweet for me. I usually use the Heinz recipe, which calls for equal parts jelly and chili sauce. I liked the addition of some cayenne pepper. It helped offset the sweetness, and I love the sweet/spicy combo. I cut the servings down to one bag of meatballs and served this for dinner with steamed white rice.
Every time I make this dish its a hit. I use home style meatballs just because I want to get the full flavor of the sauce.
I made two lb and added a table spoon of cayenne pepper because my family loves spice. It was perfect!
Very unique and sweet flavor. Easy to make and everyone seemed to enjoy them!
This was a great way to do meatballs for a crowd. I made the recipe exactly as written, but after tasting the sauce decided it was a tad too sweet and needed some more kick to counter all that grape jelly. In addition to the called-for cayenne, I added two generous squirts of gochujang Korean chili paste and that helped a lot.
i made home made venison meat balls then made as directed took them to a party they were gone instantly for sure a favorite
I've made these A LOT for Potlucks and parties, and continue to get rave reviews. I now just do them in the Slow Cooker. It still amazes me that grape jelly and ketchup together make such a yummy sauce. Bon Apetit!
Delicious! I halved the recipe and used regular sized meatballs - worked just great. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
So yummy. Made as written. Only cooked 3 hours then put in warm. Huge hit! Will def make again.
Always great, I’ve made this a dozen or so times and it’s always a hit.- has anyone ever thrown in some chicken wings with the meatballs for 3 hours? I’m planning on experimenting with that today.
This recipe does the job - it's quick and tasty and feeds a crowd. Does it require a sophisticated palette? No. But it is good, nonetheless. The sweet and tangy play well together. Great for feeding a football crowd!
I made this for a party and received many compliments. Works well with havarti and cheddar cheese too. Recommend cutting with a serrated knife. Will make again!
I used a 4 lb. bag, which pretty much filled my crock pot and the amount of sauce was about right for that many meatballs. I will say they tasted good and were all consumed at a family party.
These meatballs were so good! And 6 pounds of meatballs goes a long way for left overs when you're feeding a family of 5 hahah!! Definitely recommend!!
Great recipe. I made these for a Christmas party and among other foods they were the first to disappear. Thanks
Cocktails were served and these meatballs and a couple other selections were perfect. Had at least 3 requests for meatball recipe.
Hardest part of this recipe was finding the chili sauce (It's between the barbque sauces and the ketchup). I used one 18 oz jar of grape jelly and one 12 oz jar of chili sauce. One small bag of walmart meatballs. Super yummy! You can actually make this the night before and reheat it, it tastes even better the second day. Add a crock pot bag and it's easy cheesy.
It is very good, but wow very expensive. Each jar of chili sauce and grape jelly were over $5.00 each. By the time I bought the ground meat it was a $35.00 appetizer. Not sure If the price is worth it. I have made great sauces using ketchup brown sugar fresh lemon juice mustard, and sauteed onion celery and red pepper. For a fraction of the price and just as tasty.
I've made these many times, always a hit at parties. I use the angus beef frozen meatballs, they turn out the best!!!
This recipe is so easy and tasty! I always make too much, just so I can serve the leftovers with bell peppers, onions and rice.
good as is, but if you want an updated version "kicked-up" add 4 tbsp soy sauce, 2 -3 tbp. Worchester sauce, 3/4 cup ketchup, 2 tbsp. cider vinegar, 1 tsp. garlic powder, and 3 tbsp. Sambal Oelek chili sauce. It makes a balanced-not too hot sauce with more depth in flavor.
I pre-bake the meatballs the day before, using 1 bag of frozen meatballs. The next day, I use 16 oz jar of grape jelly, bottle of chili sauce, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, generous dash of cayenne pepper into crockpot and heat on high for about 1/2 hour. Stir throughly to combine, add meatballs, stir and set crockpot to warm.
I made these pretty much as written only I didn't have any cayenne pepper so I used a tsp of red pepper flakes. I only used one bag of meatballs and cooked on low simmer on the stovetop for about 2 hours or so, until the sauce thickened up a bit. I thought they were pretty good and my hubby thought they were just ok. I took the remainder of the meatballs out of sauce and put in the fridge. I also put the sauce in a separate container to use later on chicken wings. The next day I had intended to freeze the remaining meatballs (over half of the bag was left). I ate one on my way to place them in freezer bags,...and OH MY!!! They were fantastic cold. I gave one to the old man to try and let's just say they never made it to the freezer. They were that great cold! The wings came out good too but that is a recipe for another day.
So easy! Made this for a New Year's Eve Party. Delicious! Not too spicy and not too sweet. Just right.
I've been making these for 20+ years! They are always one of the first things to go at a party. Thank goodness for frozen meatballs, I used to make my own. UGH!!! I don't always use the peppe r, I sometimes out a little pineapple juice in it! And I never cook the jelly and chili on the stove i just put it in the crock pot and the meatballs when it's time.
My mom actually showed me this recipe as a kid. Literally the easiest thing ever, loved them then and I love them now. I actually use the meatless meatballs from Aldi and they’re still awesome! Perfect for vegan friends ??
Definitely the pinch of cayenne, made it for tailgating! Wanted something different than always BBQ sauce. Scored big with everyone!
Yummy but even better if you mix a can of pineapple tidbits in the sauce. These disappear every time I make them.
awesome recipe !!! ... Costco meatballs are pretty darn good but Rosina Homestyle Meatballs are far better, really !!!
So glad I used this recipe for a meatball appetizer than one more complex. I overslept on the morning of the event I was going to take them to. So I put everything in two large skillets and cooked for an hour (the time I had). I then poured both into a crockpot to stay warm while I dressed. Turn out delicious. Meatballs were fine - not rubbery.
The recipe is found in a 1970's Betty Crocker Cookbook, along with how to make the meatballs. I buy 32 oz frozen meatballs . Add 1 jar of chili sauce, a medium jar of grape jelly, a couple of tablespoons each dried parsley flakes and Worcestershire sauce to a crockpot , turn on high until the grape jelly is a liquid consistency. Add meatballs and stir together. Let cook on low for several hours, stirring occasionally. Best cocktail meatballs I've ever had . This is an appetizer that is always at all requested. Enjoy.
Made this but omitted the cayenne pepper. I used an electric skillet and it worked very well.
I make this every year for New Year's Eve. I use equal amounts of grape jelly & chili sauce (the Heinz Chili Sauce is in most supermarkets near the ketchup) I also add some horseradish, sriracha, thai chili garlic paste, or cayenne for a little kick, depending on whet I have on hand that year. They are always a hit.
This delicious vintage recipe calls for 3 ingredients, so the quality of each is EVERYTHING. I use the Homemade Brand Chili Sauce in its' signature globe-shaped bottle; it's superior in taste. Welch's grape jelly has a more complex depth of flavor than others. I used the classic recipe: 12 oz. of chili sauce & 12 oz. of grape jelly. Moe grape jelly and it's sweetness is overwhelming. Trader Joe's frozen cocktail meatballs or Costco are excellent.
Loved it!! Made it twice so far 1) our 2020 Alzheimer's Neighborhood Walk and luncheon for our team, made beef meatballs which everyone loved; 2) for our 2020 Thanksgiving To Go Dinner Packet with turkey meatballs. Loved by all!
This recipe is so easy and was a big hit at our party! Will definitely make it again.
Made these for a dinner at work they were a big hit. Will most definitely make them again.
Not what I was expecting. They weren't bad, however, they were sweet. I would lower the amount of grape jelly, and add more spices. My kids loved it though.
Great recipe! I used about 3 pounds of Italian frozen meatballs, 32 oz grape jelly and 2 bottles chili sauce. My group of 7 devoured them! I will definitely make this again.
These were pretty good. I made the meatballs from scratch using the “meatball nirvana” recipe from here and topped them with the sauce when they were fresh out of the oven. Great recipe!
