Description
This Grape Jelly Meatball recipe features juicy, tender homemade meatballs smothered in a sticky, sweet, and tangy sauce made from grape jelly, barbecue sauce, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and buffalo wings sauce. Perfect as an appetizer or dinner, these meatballs are easy to prepare on the stovetop or crockpot and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (see notes for turkey option)
- 2 eggs
- 24 Ritz or Saltine crackers, crushed (or 1 cup panko breadcrumbs)
- 1/3 cup dried minced onion
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sauce
- 1 cup grape jelly
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s recommended)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons Franks Buffalo Hot Wings Sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare the meatball mixture. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, eggs, crushed crackers, dried minced onion, milk, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, chili powder, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Form the meatballs. Shape the mixture into approximately 40 evenly sized meatballs and place them on a tray or plate.
- Cook the meatballs. In a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop, brown the meatballs on all sides until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, meatballs can be baked in the oven at 375°F for 20-25 minutes or cooked in a crockpot.
- Prepare the sauce. In a bowl, mix together grape jelly, barbecue sauce, red wine vinegar, low sodium soy sauce, and Franks Buffalo Hot Wings Sauce until smooth. Stir in cornstarch, salt, ginger powder, and garlic powder to enhance flavor and thicken the sauce.
- Combine meatballs and sauce. Add the cooked meatballs to the skillet or crockpot and pour the sauce over them. Gently stir to coat all the meatballs evenly.
- Simmer the meatballs. Allow the meatballs and sauce to simmer on low heat on the stovetop for about 90-120 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure flavors meld. If using a crockpot, cook on low for 2 hours or until heated through and sauce thickens.
- Serve. Remove from heat and serve the meatballs hot, ideal over mashed potatoes, rice, or as an appetizer with toothpicks.
Notes
- For a lighter variation, substitute ground beef with ground turkey.
- You can use frozen meatballs to save time, just increase simmering time until fully heated.
- The sauce is sticky, sweet, tangy with a subtle kick; adjust buffalo wing sauce amount to your heat preference.
- This recipe can be prepared ahead and refrigerated or frozen for quick reheating.
- Serving suggestions include mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, or as party appetizers.
- If the sauce is too thin, add a little more cornstarch mixed with water to thicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
