by Holly
Sweet and Sour Meatballs are a favorite from way back when I was young! We have served these easy cocktail meatballs at every party and gathering for as long as I can remember!
Tender juicy meatballs simmered in a quick two ingredient sweet and sour sauce made with grape jelly. These will be the first thing gone and nobody will ever believe what is in them!
Grape Jelly Meatballs
While we make my favorite easy Meatball Recipe with pasta for dinner often, these are a party go-to for us!
Every single time I bring these cocktail meatballs to a party, they are gone immediately and I always get requests for the recipe.
How to Make Cocktail Meatballs
The easy sauce for these Sweet and Sour Meatballs needs just two ingredients: ketchup and grape jelly (of course there are other variations below for more great 2 ingredient sauces). Combining these two ingredients, as strange as it may sound, makes an easy sweet and sour sauce and is perfect for simmering meatballs or even cocktail smokies.
You can use homemade meatballs (which is my preference) or use frozen if you’re in a hurry!
These work perfectly in the Crockpot too! Bake the meatballs as directed (or just add them frozen if you’re not making homemade) and place the sauce ingredients in the slow cooker. Add meatballs to the sauce and let heat through on high for at least 1-2 hours before serving (a bit longer if using frozen). Once heated through meatballs can be left on low for serving.
More Meatball Sauces You’ll Love
While I most often use grape jelly and ketchup for the meatball glaze, you can swap the ingredients based on your favorites or what you have on hand you just need one sweet item and one zesty! Swap out the grape jelly for apricot preserves, cranberry sauce, apple jelly etc. and you can swap out the ketchup for chili sauce or barbecue sauce!
- Meatball Sauce #1 (my favorite) – 3/4 cup grape jelly & 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- Meatball Sauce #2 – 10 oz apricot preserves & 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
- Meatball Sauce #3 – 14 oz jellied cranberry sauce & 12 oz chili sauce
These are amazing as an appetizer or even served over rice for a weeknight meal that your kids will love!
More Easy Appetizers You’ll Love
- Sausage Balls – Family favorite!
- Bang Bang Shrimp
- Easy Stuffed Mushrooms – 3 Ingredients!
- Bacon Jalapeño Cheese Ball Recipe
- Jalapeno Popper Crescent Cups – Party favorite!
- Oven Baked Buffalo Cauliflower
Sweet and Sour Cocktail Meatballs (grape jelly meatballs)
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lbs frozen meatballs
- OR
- 2 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 small onion , very finely diced
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 3/4 cup grape jelly
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together all meatball ingredients just until combined. Form into 1" meatballs. Bake for 18-20 minutes (or bake frozen meatballs according to package directions).
- Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until preserves/jelly melts. Allow to come to a boil for 1 minute. Toss with meatballs and allow to simmer on low 10-15 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- 10 oz apricot preserves & 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
- 14 oz jellied cranberry sauce & 12 oz chili sauce
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Here are a few more recipes you’ll love
This is a great sauce for meatballs, the apricots would indeed give a nice sweet and tangy note. Yummy!
Can I use grape jelly and bbq sauce?
Sure, I think that would work great!
I think I am going to make this with the Apricot and BBQ sauce. I use Sweet Baby Rays, Do you think that will be too sweet?? should I add some hot sauce too?
I think it would be delicious!
I grew up with (and still make) 12 oz bottle of chili sauce mixed with 12 oz jar of grape jelly mixed, heated and meatballs adde. Better if allowed to heat slowly for a number of hours or prepared on one day and refrigerated and reheated to actually serve on the next day. This has always been a hit!
Same recipe I use, wonderful
I have made the grape jelly-ketchup for years but I make meat balls from ground beef alone. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop meat balls into boiling water. When they float they are done. Then let them cook in crockpot. This make the meatballs less fat. Fat is in the water.
I also made the sauce from the grape jelly and ketchup and meatballs from scratch. It was awesome!!! Loved the sauce. I added some honey to the meatball mix which was ground beef. I soaked some bread in milk as I didnt have bread crumbs and put all the wet ingredients together and baked my the meatballs in the oven. Using Grace hot jerk sauce in the sauce really took it up a notch. Use about half teaspoon if you like a bit of heat.
Getting ready to make this recipe, but was wondering if you could use the Lil Smokies as well as the meatballs?
Absolutely, I’ve done it before and it’s great!
I was looking for something to make for the family for Thanksgiving to snack on. For this and made it, for my hubby’s picky family. And everyone loved them! I did the apricot and barbque sauce soo good!
My mother always used grape jam and Bennett’s Chili Sauce and a touch of brown sugar. The chunky pieces in the chili sauce give it a little more substance. Always a favorite!
Yummy!
I like my ooie gooie but how’ve do I get them that way?? My sister-in-law knows the recipe or ratio for that but I haven’t spoken to her in a couple of years, I know it’s cranberry sauce and chili or bbq?? Can someone please help me
any idea what the calories or the carbs for these are?
I meant the calories and carbs for the sauces, not necessarily the meatballs cause that depends on what kind you get.
I’m sorry I am unable to provide nutritional information. You can enter your ingredients here to calculate your information.
I tried the crock-pot corn chowder. It was absolutely fabulous. My family loved it.
Honestly, a bottle of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce is the best ever!!!
i HAVE DONE THE CRANBERRY MEAT BALLS AND THERE GREAT BUT DO YOU HAVE THE RECIPE FOR THE LITTLE COCKTAIL WIENERS AND MUSTARD AND JELLY. It was with current jelly but I can not find any of that anymore and do not know how much for the mustard do you or any one have the recipe.
Thank you and enjoy this club so much I love the weekly recipes we have a variety to pick from and you always have something I will try..
Yvonne
The recipe that I have tried is
1 cup currant jelly
1 cup prepared Dijon mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 lb mini smokies
Simmer on low 1 hour.
I make mine with salsa and honey bbq sauce in the crockpot. Big hit with all my coworkers and family.
That sounds delicious!!
looks really good
Question: Can you use GRAPE JUICE instead? I have a couple of bottles
Grape juice doesn’t have the same sweetness and consistency as grape jelly so I don’t think it would work in this recipe.
I am doing this for the first time. I need to make enough for 60 people for a baby shower.
Need suggestions.
You can make the meatballs ahead of time and keep everything warm in the slow cooker. :)
Thank you Holly, any idea how many this makes
This makes about 24 1″ meatballs.
Which one do you recommend if using frozen meatballs home style or Italian?
I would suggest the homestyle (depending on brand) as it may have a more neutral seasoning.
FIGURE 5 MEATBALLS PER PERSON..
I have a huge Christmas gathering and I’ll be making a lot of these! I’ll try both sauces. Thank you so much for the recipe :)
These meatballs would be a great appetizer for this Super Bowl Sunday. I pinned and shared them. Thanks for linking up to Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop.
Many Blessings,
Diane Roark
recipesforourdailybread
mine are different….chili sauce, cranberry jelly sauce, sauerkraut and I don’t bake first, they go into sauce to cook. They are wonderful
Hi Can you tell me how many people does this recipe serve?
Thanks!
This recipe will serve 8 as an appetizer.
Instead of ground beef I use ground sausage. It is delicious.
Yummy!
What is grape jelly please , from uk
Similar to preserves.
Jelly is different, Jam and preserves have chunks of fruit. Jelly has been strained ( sieved)
I have this recipe and use red currant jelly and heinz chili sauce(find in the ketchup aisle). So yummy, I use equal parts jelly to chili sauce.
I have been making both versions of this recipe for many years. These meatballs practically vanish when they are part of a pot-luck meal. We often buy frozen plain meatballs, and they work well with this recipe, and couldn’t possibly be easier to make. I can have these on the table in a few minutes, and minute rice is a great side dish.
I love having a super quick easy go to recipe for last minute get togethers too!
I used blackberry jelly and ketchup with a little bbq sauce it was so yummy I had non left over from my party.
Is there any way to send your recipe for your meatballs to my email …thanks
I have made these several different ways, along with different ingredients, as filler to extent, without taking away from ease of cooking, or flavor. I like to spice things up a bit. I have used chili sauce along with pepper jelly, they were wonderful, and have used grape jelly along with Sriracha, if you like a little more heat. I would caution on the amount of Sriacha that you would use, maybe half chili sauce and half Sriracha, to tone down the heat. Just some suggestions, enjoy
Oh my gosh! I never thought of adding Sriacha (which I could literally eat by the bucket!!) That would be such a great addition! Can’t wait to try it!
I use salsa and grape jelly in the crockpot :)
That would be delicious too!
Hi Holly,
I just love your Cocktail meatballs, they are just awesome! Hope you are staying warm and cozy in this cold weather and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
I love these!! Perfect for any party! Would love for you to come share and my linky party http://mommyondemand.com/create-bake-8/
These look SO SO GOOD!!!! Oh my goodness, what a great appetizer! I don’t know which sauce sounds better!!! They look super yummy!
I use grape jelly and chili sauce…but also cranberry sauce and chilli sauce
What kind of chili sauce do you use an how much?
Chili sauce comes in a glass bottle like this one. I would suggest using 1 12oz jar of chili sauce and approx 12-14 oz jelly. The recipe is very flexible, so you can easily adjust the amount to taste.
I put 3/4 cups grape jelly and the 1 bottle Heinz chili sauce in saucepan and heat on stove while meatballs are in the oven. Then I combine everything in crockpot on low. My family loves them.
That should be 1 3/4 cup grape jelley
I use the chili sauce with grape jelly but thanks for the other sauces. Now I have new ones for New Years Eve.
I use a cup of grape jelly with 3 bottles of chilli sauce, it is great too!
I put them In the crock pot for 4 hrs after they come out of the oven tho
Can u cook this in a slow cooker
A recipe that is my favorite is frozen meatballs, finely chopped onion, dousing of Worcestershire Sauce, for each bag of meatballs, 1 jar jalapeno jelly, 1 jar of cocktail sauce. Brown onions in pan and add meatballs and Worcestershire Sauce, brown meatballs on all sides. Transfer to crock pot and add jelly and cocktail sauce, put on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until jelly and sauce are combined and make a rich sauce. Make plenty, people LOVE them!
Are you using chili sauce or cocktail sauce, like you use for shrimp ?
I always use Chili sauce. People rave about these meatballs.
Looks so good and easy,