These barbecue grape-jelly meatballs are meatballs smothered in a sauce of sweet grape jelly, barbecue sauce, hot sauce and ketchup. They're sweet, salty and incredibly tender after their long cook time in the slow cooker. You can serve them right from the slow cooker or stack them on toothpicks for easy finger food.

EatingWell.com, June 2022

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Credit: Greg Dupree

Recipe Summary

active:
30 mins
total:
3 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
16
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Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • Combine ground beef, ground pork, panko, shallot, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Roll into 48 (1-inch) balls and place on a large rimmed baking sheet.

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  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs; cook, turning often, until evenly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining meatballs. Set the skillet aside (do not wipe clean).

  • Whisk barbecue sauce, grape jelly, ketchup and hot sauce together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Add the sauce mixture to the hot skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the slow cooker; gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low until the sauce thickens and coats the meatballs and a thermometer inserted into the meatballs registers 160°F, 3 to 4 hours. Garnish with chives, if desired.

Equipment

5- or 6-quart slow cooker

Nutrition Facts

about 3 meatballs
225 calories; protein 12g; carbohydrates 18g; dietary fiber 1g; sugars 13g; added sugar 12g; fat 11g; saturated fat 4g; mono fat 6g; poly fat 1g; cholesterol 62mg; vitamin a iu 87IU; vitamin b3 niacin 3mg; vitamin b12 1mcg; vitamin c 2mg; vitamin d iu 6IU; vitamin e iu 1IU; folate 7mg; vitamin k 1mg; sodium 304mg; calcium 16mg; chromium 1mcg; iron 1mg; magnesium 14mg; phosphorus 118mg; potassium 219mg; zinc 2mg; omega 6 fatty acid 1g; niacin equivalents 4mg; selenium 14mcg.
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