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Sweet, tangy, and oh-so-addictive, these slow cooker BBQ grape jelly meatballs are the easiest way to impress a crowd with minimal effort! With just three simple ingredients—frozen meatballs, grape jelly, and your favorite BBQ sauce—you’ll have a dish that’s equal parts sweet, smoky, and savory. Whether you’re serving them as a party appetizer or piling them over mashed potatoes for a quick dinner, they always disappear fast. Just toss everything in the Crockpot, let the flavors meld, and get ready for a dish that’s guaranteed to be a hit!
Make juicy slow cooker BBQ grape jelly meatballs with just 3 basic ingredients. Easy, tasty and simply perfect for your next gathering, this dish is so versatile.
Meatball fans could also try creamy meatball stew, skillet sweet and sour meatballs, Salisbury steak meatballs, and slow cooker Swedish meatballs.
Why You’ll Love It
So easy: Just add your ingredients to a slow cooker and wait! This recipe is incredibly simple to make.
Very tasty: The tender meatballs partner perfectly with the sweet jelly and savory BBQ sauce flavors.
A versatile dish: Serve these meatballs as an appetizer or enjoy them as a main dish. They’d also be good for a potluck meal, a game day snack, or part of a buffet.
Gluten-free and dairy-free: This dish is free from gluten and dairy.
Crockpot BBQ Meatballs Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Frozen meatballs: You can use any kind of meatballs you want.
Grape jelly: A rich, sweet jelly flavor that’s so good with the meatballs.
BBQ sauce: Any kind goes – sweet, savory, spicy, or smoky.
Fresh parsley: An optional garnish.
How to Make Crockpot BBQ Grape Jelly Meatballs
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Combine the ingredients: Add frozen meatballs to the crockpot, and then pour grape jelly and BBQ sauce in there, stirring to coat meatballs in the jelly and sauce.
Slow cook: Cook on low or high until the meatballs are hot and the sauce has thickened.
Serve and enjoy: Serve hot, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if liked.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, choose gluten-free meatballs.
Meatballs: Any kind of frozen meatballs work, perhaps Italian, turkey or Angus beef. You can even use fresh or frozen homemade meatballs.
Grape jelly: Substitute apricot jelly or peach jelly instead or try cranberry sauce.
Spice it up: Add some cayenne pepper, freshly minced chilies, hot chili sauce, or red pepper flakes to the sauce ingredients to add some heat.
Optional add-ins: Add pineapple chunks for extra sweetness, or some veggies like sliced mushrooms to add more interest.
Serving Suggestions
As an appetizer: Pair your slow cooker BBQ grape jelly meatballs with farinata or crusty bread for a perfect appetizer.
As a main dish: Enjoy this recipe on a bed of rice or mashed potatoes, perhaps adding smoked asparagus, a simple salad or roasted rainbow carrots on the side.
How to Store Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze these in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm them back up in a pan on the stove.
Top Tips
Use a large slow cooker: I recommend using a 5-quart or larger crockpot to make this. If you fill a slow cooker more than about ¾ full, it’s going to struggle to cook the food evenly and the food on top will steam rather than simmer, meaning the sauce doesn’t thicken up.
Mix well: Stir all the ingredients together until the meatballs are evenly coated in the sauce ingredients.
Stir halfway through cooking: Stir the dish about halfway through the cooking time, as you don’t want it to burn on the bottom.
If using fresh meatballs: Cooking times can vary if you’re using homemade fresh meatballs instead of fully cooked meatballs that might or might not be frozen. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 160°F.
Thicken sauce faster: Take the lid off the crockpot and increase it to a high temperature. Another way to thicken it is to stir in a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch dissolved in cold water).
Cool the meatballs before storing: Let them cool to room temperature before you store them, so you don’t get condensation in the container that makes the dish watery.
Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs FAQs
The meatballs might be hot in the middle before the sauce has thickened. If this happens, you can take the lid off the crockpot and cook on high for about half an hour, stirring every now and then. I find mine starts to thicken up around the 4-hour mark.
Sure, just offer some toothpicks and people can pick out their own meatballs. I like to serve them straight out of the crockpot. Keep it plugged in, just take the lid off, and they’ll stay warm.
Slow Cooker Grape Jelly & BBQ Sauce Meatballs Recipe
Slow Cooker BBQ Grape Jelly Meatballs
Equipment
- Slow Cooker 5-Quart Minimum
Ingredients
- 36 Ounces meatballs, frozen
- 17 Ounces grape jelly
- 18 Ounces BBQ sauce
Optional Garnish:
- parsley, freshly chopped
Instructions
- Add the meatballs to your slow cooker.
- Add the grape jelly and BBQ sauce, and stir to mix.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the meatballs are heated through, stirring halfway through.
- Serve hot, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if liked.
Notes
Mix well: Stir all the ingredients together until the meatballs are evenly coated in the sauce ingredients.
Stir halfway through cooking: Stir the dish about halfway through the cooking time, as you don’t want it to burn on the bottom.
If using fresh meatballs: Cooking times can vary if you’re using homemade fresh meatballs instead of fully cooked meatballs that might or might not be frozen. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 160°F.
Thicken sauce faster: Take the lid off the crockpot and increase it to a high temperature. Another way to thicken it is to stir in a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch dissolved in cold water).
Cool the meatballs before storing: Let them cool to room temperature before you store them, so you don’t get condensation in the container that makes the dish watery.
Nutrition
These slow cooker BBQ grape jelly meatballs are easy to make and nearly too easy to eat. They’re succulent and juicy, flavored with sweet grape jelly and smoky, spicy or sweet BBQ sauce. Whether you serve them up as an appetizer, snack or main dish, you’ll agree this is the best way to cook frozen meatballs and the barbecue sauce, sweet jelly or jam and parsley complements the meatballs perfectly.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
