Slow Cooker Meatballs in BBQ Sauce with Grape Jelly (Crowd Favorite!)
There’s something about that sweet-and-savory combo of BBQ sauce and grape jelly that just works. It’s nostalgic, it’s crowd-pleasing, and it’s always the first thing to vanish at a party. But this grape jelly meatball version? It skips the frozen meatballs and takes things up a notch, with homemade meatballs that are tender, flavorful, and still just as easy to pull off.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 ½ cups day old white bread (crusts removed)
- ⅔ cup milk
- 2 lb ground chuck
- 1 cup finely diced onion
- 4 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
- 2 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
- 2 egg
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Sauce
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce
- 1 ½ cups grape jelly
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- Place cubes of dry bread in a small bowl, pour milk over the bread and let sit for a few minutes until the milk has absorbed. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and place the bread in a large bowl. (discard the milk)
- Add the ground chuck, onion, parsley, thyme, egg, cheese, salt and pepper to the bowl with the bread. Use your hands to gently mix it together.
- Use a 1-2 tablespoon ice cream scoop to form meatballs. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes until a meat thermometer registers 160º.
- Place the meatballs in a slow cooker. Combine the bbq sauce and grape jelly and pour over the meatballs. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 3-4 hours. Stir them half way through.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- Use hamburger that has an 80/20 mix for the best flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 501mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 146IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2mg
