Description
Grape Jelly Meatballs are juicy, crave-worthy, and always a crowd-pleaser. This recipe features tender homemade meatballs combined with a simple, sublime, sticky, sweet, and tangy sauce with a subtle kick made from grape jelly, barbecue sauce, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and buffalo wings sauce. Perfect as an appetizer or dinner, these meatballs can be cooked on the stovetop or in a crockpot and served over mashed potatoes and vegetables for a comforting meal that disappears quickly.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (or turkey as an alternative)
- 2 eggs
- 24 Ritz or Saltine crackers, crushed (or 1 cup panko breadcrumbs)
- 1/3 cup dried minced onion
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black 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 Frank's Buffalo Hot Wings Sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Make the Meatball Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, combine the lean ground beef, eggs, crushed crackers or panko breadcrumbs, dried minced onion, milk, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, chili powder, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated but do not overmix to keep the meatballs tender.
- Form Meatballs: Using your hands or a small scoop, shape the mixture into 1 to 1.5 inch meatballs. Place them onto a tray or plate in a single layer, ensuring they are evenly sized for uniform cooking.
- Cook Meatballs: Place the meatballs in a large skillet over medium heat, and brown them on all sides until they are cooked through. Alternatively, you can bake them in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-25 minutes until fully cooked. Drain any excess fat if necessary.
- Prepare Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together grape jelly, barbecue sauce, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, Frank's Buffalo Hot Wings Sauce, cornstarch, salt, ginger powder, and garlic powder until smooth and well combined.
- Combine Meatballs and Sauce: Transfer the cooked meatballs to a large saucepan or crockpot. Pour the prepared sauce over the meatballs and gently stir to coat all evenly.
- Simmer the Meatballs: On the stovetop, cover and cook the meatballs in the sauce over low heat for 1 hour 45 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. If using a crockpot, cook on low for the same duration.
- Serve: Once ready, serve the grape jelly meatballs hot over a bed of mashed potatoes and vegetables or as a sticky, delicious appetizer.
Notes
- You may substitute ground turkey for ground beef for a leaner option.
- Frozen meatballs can be used for convenience; simply simmer them longer in the sauce to ensure they are heated through.
- The sauce can be easily adjusted to taste by varying the amount of hot sauce or sweetness with more grape jelly.
- For thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch slightly or simmer uncovered for a few minutes at the end.
- These meatballs freeze well; cool completely before freezing in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or with steamed veggies for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 meatballs
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
