Q: How do you make grape jelly meatballs in the crockpot?

A: Stir together grape jelly and chili sauce in the crockpot, add your meatballs, then cook on low for 3 to 4 hours until hot through. That is the whole 3 ingredient recipe.

Q: Is this really a 3 ingredient sweet and sour meatballs recipe?

A: Yes. Meatballs, chili sauce, and grape jelly are all you need for these 3 ingredient crockpot meatballs. Anything extra, like pineapple or a little heat, is optional.

Q: Can I make these meatballs ahead of time?

A: Yes. Make and freeze the meatballs in advance, then add them to the crockpot with the sauce on party day. It is a true dump and go appetizer.

Q: Where did grape jelly meatballs come from?

A: They go back to 1950s cocktail parties, when home cooks mixed grape jelly and chili sauce into an easy sweet and sour sauce. They stayed popular through the 1960s and came back around in the 1980s. You can still swap the chili sauce for BBQ sauce to make grape jelly BBQ meatballs.

Q: Can I use ketchup instead of chili sauce?

A: You can. For grape jelly and ketchup meatballs, swap the chili sauce for ketchup, though you lose a little of the tangy kick. Some old fashioned versions add a spoon of brown sugar too.

Q: Can I use frozen meatballs?

A: Yes, frozen meatballs keep this quick and easy. Add them straight from the freezer and give them an extra 30 minutes. You can also bake and freeze homemade meatballs ahead of time, then dump everything in on party day.

3 ingredient Crockpot Meatballs in Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce

Crockpot Meatballs in Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Crockpot Meatballs in Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce are a classic appetizer for any party or holiday dinner. The Vintage Homemade Sweet-&-Sour Meatball recipe was huge in the 1950s with just grape jelly and chili sauce.

Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 24 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

About 2 pounds, roughly 48 to 64 small Frozen or Fresh Meatballs
2 bottles of Chili Sauce – 12 oz each
1 Grape Jelly – 10 oz

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Turn on the Crockpot to high.
Put the freshly baked or frozen homemade meatballs in a crockpot. About 2 pounds, roughly 48 to 64 small. Add 2 bottles of chili sauce and 10 oz of Grape Jelly. (You can adjust this proportion to your taste; for spicier, add less grape jelly, more sweet add more grape jelly)
Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours. Stir every so often.
You can also make this recipe on your cooktop. Bring to a boil and simmer until the meatballs are at 160° F.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Category: Appetizer
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 83
Sugar: 7.1 g
Sodium: 187.7 mg
Fat: 3.5 g
Carbohydrates: 10.6 g
Fiber: 0.6 g
Protein: 2.4 g
Cholesterol: 10.3 mg