Party Meatballs Recipe
These cocktail meatballs are sweet, savory, and coated in a rich homemade sauce that makes them perfect for parties, holidays, game days, and easy entertaining. Made with tender meatballs, grape jelly, barbecue sauce, and warm spices, this crowd-pleasing appetizer is always one of the first dishes to disappear.
Servings: 15
Calories: 174kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz grape jelly
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 jars Heinz chili sauce
- 26 oz frozen meatballs
- 1 tsp olive oil
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Take a pot or large sauce pan and drizzle in some olive oil. Remove the frozen meatballs from their package and place these in a pot over medium heat to defrost. You should lightly sear your meatballs before adding your sauce mixture in the next step. You can also cover your pot with a lid to speed up the cooking process.
- As your meatballs are defrosting, take a separate sauce pan and over medium heat, combine grape jelly, yellow mustard, and chili sauce. Occasionally stir until ingredients are combined. Once combined, remove from heat.
- Once your meatballs have defrosted and seared, and your sauce is ready, combine your meatballs and sauce mixture into one pan and stir. Allow this to simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes and then remove from heat.
- That's it! Your meatballs are ready to serve! Make your meatballs easy to serve for your guests by adding toothpicks and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- For extra flavor, allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce thicken and soak into the meatballs.
- Frozen homestyle meatballs work great for convenience, but homemade meatballs can also be used if preferred.
- If the sauce becomes too thick while cooking, stir in a small splash of water or beef broth to loosen it slightly.
- These cocktail meatballs can be made in a slow cooker, stovetop pot, or Dutch oven depending on your preferred cooking method.
- Leftovers store well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- For a sweeter sauce, add a little extra grape jelly. For a smokier flavor, use a honey or hickory-style barbecue sauce.
- Serve these meatballs with toothpicks for easy entertaining or over rice or mashed potatoes for a heartier meal option.
Nutrition
Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg