Whether you’re hosting a football watching party or attending one you need to make these meatballs! I promise they will get eaten up in 2 seconds flat. Everyone will be asking you for the recipe. It may get a little bit embarrassing when you tell them that they just have three ingredients–frozen meatballs, grape jelly or apricot preserves (I know), and chili sauce. That’s it! Really. It sounds weird but they are so good.
Start this recipe with your slow cooker and a bag of frozen homestyle meatballs. If you’re making for a large group of people, I recommend doubling the recipe. You’ll still be able to fit everything into a 6 quart slow cooker with no problems.
You’ll stir the grape jelly and chili sauce together and coat the meatballs with it. Then you’ll simply cover the slow cooker and turn it on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours. The meatballs are already cooked through so they basically just need to be warmed. When the meatballs are heated up you can just switch the slow cooker to warm and serve the meatballs straight out of the crock. This will keep them warm while serving.
Slow Cooker 3-Ingredient Party Meatballs
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 7 servings (4 meatballs per serving) 1x
Description
These meatballs are a perfect appetizer. With only 3 ingredients and the use of your crockpot they literally take 3 minutes to prepare. They are super flavorful with a little bit of savory and a little bit of sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup grape jelly (or you can use apricot preserves)
- 3/4 cup chili sauce
- 1 (24 oz) package of frozen meatballs
Instructions
- Combine grape jelly and chili sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker. Whisk until somewhat smooth.
- Pour in the frozen meatballs. Use a spoon to coat the meatballs in the sauce.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 4 hours. When meatballs are heated through, turn the slow cooker to warm. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Ideal slow cooker size: 6 quart
- Method: Slow Cooker
I make my meatballs with chili sauce and a can of cranberry sauce (can use the sauce or the jellied variety). Both work well.
Yes! Chili sauce + cranberry sauce is such a classic combo, and you’re right, jellied or whole berry both work great. I love how flexible this recipe is. Thanks for sharing what you do!
would brown sugar instead of jelly work if so how much to a jar of sauce
I wouldn’t try that. The jelly is really the main ingredient. Sorry!
hi, could I use sweet chilli sauce, )most of my family can’t eat too spicy) or would it be too sweet as a dish?
The chili sauce you will use for this recipe is found by the ketchup. It is ketchup with a little kick. It is not spicy at all. You can buy Heinz brand or probably a store brand.
I use yellow mustard and grape jelly for a sweet and tangy sauce.
interesting! I will try that 🙂
Would the cooking time change if I use refrigerated, not frozen, meatballs?
You will probably want to reduce cooking time by 20-30 minutes.
Have not made these yet but the recipe i am going to use is Ketchup and grape jelly since i don’t like chili sauce as some one else mention. can hardly wait to make these from scratch not frozen ones. Reply please.
My gma always used BBQ and grape jelly
Can I get the nutritional information like you put at the bottom of some of your recipes, please? I’ve made these a FEW times, and they’re very good! My family members even reheat left over meatballs and eat them again later. But, I’m on a particular diet right now – not so much “a diet”, as much as “tracking” what I’m eating and logging the nutritional information, so if I could get that, I would much appreciate it. It would be SO much easier than copying all the individual ingredients’ information off the individual packages into my computer, then trying to figure out how much a service is of each! lol.
Thank you so much!
Hi, how long to cook meatballs when doubling the recipe?
For the slow cooker I would add 15 minutes…should be close to the original time
Use a good Salsa instead of Chili Sauce. It will be spicey enough, but not hot.
Good idea! I bet it would be delicious!
I’ve been making these for years………. my dad (Jim) taught me this recipe. He always served them with a big pot of rice. We call them Jim’s Balls!
Ha I love it Pam!
Oh My! Oh My, Karen; was this recipe ever hot with the chili sauce!!!! My son Ryan loves hot stuff; and this recipe made it’s match he couldn’t eat it as it was FAR TOO HOT FOR EVERYONE TO EAT! My mouth is still burning!
I bought a mild Chili Sauce and it was far too hot. I tried to add a 1/8 cup of brown sugar as well as some water to the sauce before I served it and it was still far too hot! Any suggestions what I could do for next time?
I’m wondering what type of chili sauce that you got? The kind that I use is next to the ketchup and it’s just slightly more spicy than ketchup. Did you use a chili paste or something???
I’m guessing that Karen”s chili sauce is the Hunt’s Chili Sauce found in the ketchup section of supermarkets. If it is still packed in glass bottles, it is a different shape than ketchup bottles.
Karen, is this correct?
yes you are correct!
Use ketchup instead of the chili sauce. It’s DELICIOUS 😋
I use a cup of barbecue sauce. Delicious!
Mild salsa & grape jelly equal amounts, esp for big batch. I hate grape jelly but this is magical chemistry 😍 & I have ulcer & tummy challenged but no probs if I pace myself. Get it, Pace, like the salsa?!🙄🤣
😂😜
No not oven. But on a griddle: When griddle is fully heated ladle a scoopful of batter onto the griddle or skillet. Adjust for your size preference.
When the pancake is browned on the bottom and bubbles rise to the surface, flip and cook until the second side is lightly browned.
Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.
If I wanted to cook this in my instant pot. What timing would you suggest?
I don’t know how you would pressure cook but you could use the slow cooker function on the highest setting.
I would use the pot on pot method. If you have done Frozen balls before in the IP, I’d use that time. If after heating them in the IP, and you want the sauce ticker thicker, put it all in the IP, on saute to thicken it up.
I have instant pot Lux. If I was to use the slow cooker option do I put metal top on it or use clear glass lid?
When I use on slow I take out the pressure pin and the sealing ring, this way it don’t get pressure.
You really could do either.
Another easy cocktail meatballs recipe is to use frozen meatballs, your favorite BBQ sauce, and a jar of jellied cranberry sauce.
For these recipes and more, visit http://www.kingofcrock.blogspot.com
ENJOY!
Yeah, I bet rice would be good with it. We just used ours as an appetizer.
how would you serve these for dinner? with rice? or would they not really work for dinner?
I also saw someone at Smith's Marketplace demo-ing something similar to these. She used the bottle of chili sauce and a can of cranberry sauce. Way yummy. I have also tried the recipe you posted and it's also very yummy. I love your blog!!
That sounds like a yummy twist on some meatballs I made for a Thanksgiving/football appetizer. For mine, I just bought a bag of Italian-style meatballs from Costco, and layered them in my crockpot with equal parts grape jelly and Pace salsa. It looked really weird, but once it got cooking, smelled amazing and tasted even better.