Need a Tasty Appetizer? Try This Easy co*cktail Party Meatballs Recipe! (2024)
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Discover the ultimate convenience with our 3-ingredient crockpot meatballs. Perfectly savory and simple, the best part is that these meatballs are made in just a few minutes of prep time. Perfect for your next party!
Believe it or not, all you need are three basic ingredients to make these crockpot co*cktail meatballs: frozen meatballs, grape jelly, and chili sauce. It’s a combination that might sound unconventional, but it works wonders in the slow cooker.
The frozen meatballs provide the meaty base, while the grape jelly adds a touch of sweetness and the chili sauce brings in just the right amount of tang and heat. Over a few hours, the meatballs will absorb the sweet and spicy flavors of the sauce, resulting in a delicious appetizer that’s both savory and slightly tangy.
Crockpot co*cktail meatballs are a versatile and crowd-pleasing appetizer suitable for a wide range of events and gatherings.
Slow cooker meatballs are the perfect party food for throughout the holiday season, such as Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, as well as for game day.
These meatballs are also an excellent tasty appetizer for birthdays, potlucks, family reunions, baby showers, and casual get-togethers thanks to their ease of preparation and simple ingredients.
How to Make Easy co*cktail Meatballs
Ingredients
1.5 pounds of meatballs (about 48 frozen meatballs)
1 jar of chili sauce
1 jar of grape jelly
Instructions:
Place meatballs into the bottom of the slow cooker. You don’t need to thaw them; they will cook perfectly from frozen.
In a separate bowl, combine the chili sauce and grape jelly.
Stir the mixture until the jelly and chili sauce are well blended.
Pour the grape jelly sauce over top of the meatballs in the slow cooker, ensuring that all the meatballs are coated evenly.
Cover with the lid and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for about 3-4 hours on low.
Once the meatballs are hot, cooked through, and the sauce has thickened, they are ready to serve. You can keep the slow cooker on the “warm” setting if serving them over an extended period.
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container.
What can I use instead of grape jelly when making party meatballs?
If you’re looking for alternatives to grape jelly when making party meatballs, there are several options to consider. You can use apricot preserves, cranberry sauce, peach preserves, or orange marmalade to create a sweet and tangy sauce for your meatballs.
How many meatballs per person for 50 guests?
To determine how many meatballs to serve per person for 50 guests, consider the context of your event. For appetizers, plan on serving approximately 3-5 meatballs per person. If meatballs are the main dish, serving 6-8 meatballs per person is a good guideline.
Adjust the quantity based on factors like the presence of other food options, the age of your guests, and any dietary considerations. It’s also wise to have some extra meatballs to accommodate varying appetites and preferences.
Yield: 50 meatballs
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Discover the ultimate convenience with our 3-ingredient crockpot meatballs. Perfectly savory and simple, the best part is that these meatballs are made in just a few minutes of prep time. Perfect for your next party!
Ingredients
1.5 lbs frozen meatballs (about 48 meatballs)
1 bottle (12-18 oz) chili sauce
1 jar (12-18 oz) grape jelly
Instructions
Place meatballs into the bottom of the slow cooker. You don't need to thaw them; they will cook perfectly from frozen.
In a separate bowl, combine the chili sauce and grape jelly.
Stir the mixture until the jelly and chili sauce are well blended.
Pour the grape jelly sauce over top of the meatballs in the slow cooker, ensuring that all the meatballs are coated evenly.
Cover with the lid and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for about 3-4 hours on low.
Once the meatballs are hot, cooked through, and the sauce has thickened, they are ready to serve. You can keep the slow cooker on the "warm" setting if serving them over an extended period.
Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container.
Notes
These meatballs are mildly spicy. If you are like me and don't really like a kick, omit the hot sauce. Or if you love a kick, add more hot sauce!
Can I Use Different Sauces to Make the co*cktail Meatballs Sauce?
There are so many simple ingredients that would be a great option here.
Pepper Jelly, Apple Jelly or Cranberry Sauce
Heinz Chili Sauce in place of the BBQ sauce
You can also substitute with turkey meatballs if you choose.
How do I Make Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
The crock pot is a great way to make this family favorite! Cook your crockpot meatballs on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. The best way to serve your slow cooker meatballs is in the crock on the warm setting.
How to Store This co*cktail Meatball Recipe
Store in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or a frying pan. We love to use leftovers for easy school lunches in a thermos.
Did you make this recipe?
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Combine the beef, egg, cheese, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, 2 teaspoons mustard, the Worcestershire sauce, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl; mix with your hands until combined. Form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs (about 24) and arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.
The number of meatballs needed for 100 people depends upon their size and the manner in which they are served. A standard main course serving size is 6 ounces of meat per guest, or approximately 600 1-ounce meatballs, 400 1 1/2-ounce meatballs, 300 2-ounce meatballs and 200 3-ounce meatballs.
You only need a small amount of egg – it's there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape, and shouldn't detract from the meat's flavour or texture. Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.
As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.
They are super flavorful but what makes them so so tender and moist is this: Plain Greek Yogurt. The lactic acid from the yogurt tenderizes the meat while adding subtle flavor. The addition of egg and parmesan cheese help keep the meat together so that you get delicious weeknight meatballs in minutes.
An egg is usually a good start, as that can help with the tenderness and texture, but the king of meatball binders is breadcrumbs soaked in milk (also known as a panade). Soaking the breadcrumbs first makes them pliable and soggy, which allows them to easily and evenly mix into the ground meat.
A binder is like the glue that helps hold meatballs together and keep their shape. Breadcrumbs and eggs are the most common binder to use for meatballs. Bread soaked in milk (called a panade) is another traditional type of binder. Without a binder, the meat is likely to fall apart like you're finding.
Crusty bread, marinara and mozzerella cheese. Buttered egg noodles (or spaetzle) or alternately buttered and parsleyed boiled potatoes, steamed green beans. Or go with mashed potatoes, green peas and lingonberry jam. Rice and tomato sauce, white asparagus.
And unlike most grape jelly, it isn't made with high fructose corn syrup. It's just concord grapes, sugar, lemon juice concentrate, and fruit pectin. Don't be turned off by the fact that it's a “spread” rather than a jelly—it's the consistency of jelly, I promise.
Based on the rule of thumb regarding 6 ounces of meat per person, you will need 2 meatballs per person or 100 meatballs for 50 people. If you are serving meatballs as appetizers you probably want to make small co*cktail meatballs. The best size for appetizers are usually 1-inch meatballs.
Example: Small meatballs= 20 per pound; 5 X 20= 100; Halve the mixture 2 x 50; 10 x 5 and so forth. Form balls out of the square pieces of meat mixture. Place on greased baking sheet.
American meatballs are the biggest in size, with Italian and Swedish meatballs following on the depth chart. Italian meatballs call for seasonings like grated parmesan and oregano, while Swedish ones use seasonings like nutmeg and allspice. While it doesn't sound like a huge distinction, you'll notice it in the taste!
“Based on the results of our mapping, we can confirm that the contents of the meatballs follow the Ikea recipe and contain only beef and pork from animals raised in the U.S. and Canada,” Ikea North America spokeswoman Mona Astra Liss said in a statement.
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