Farmhouse Cocktail Meatballs

A simple appetizer with a grape jelly and chili sauce glaze this Cocktail Meatballs recipe is perfect for a tailgate or holiday party.

Easy Cocktail Meatballs Recipe

Sweet with a little bit of kick, a very simple sauce with grape jelly is heated together and poured over the meatballs. A generous amount of grape jelly sauce is the most memorable part of this recipe.

My mom has made this easy meatball recipe and her Sweet and Sour Meatballs from scratch for parties for years. These Farmhouse Style Cocktail Meatballs only take a few minutes to mix up and can be made ahead to save time on party day.

Just like our Cold Crab Dip, Jalapeno Bacon Cheese Ball, and Salami Roll-Ups, meatballs served with toothpicks are great snacks to graze on at a party.

We like to bake the homemade meatballs because baking takes less hands-on time than making them in a skillet. Precooked meatballs can be warmed and served out of a crock pot for hours. With all of the options this is a very versatile recipe to keep!

For meatballs that work well as a main dish check out these Sauerkraut Meatballs and Zucchini Meatballs.

Can This Recipe Be Made in a Crock Pot?

We prefer to cook the meatballs on a baking sheet in the oven or on the stove top. This ensures the meatball is cooked through and maintains its round shape.

Meatballs can be reheated with precooked sauce or reheated with freshly made sauce. A crock pot set to keep warm and stirred on occasion is the perfect way to serve them.

Two Ingredient Sauce

Heat Grape jelly and chili sauce are in a saucepan over medium heat. When the jelly is melted the two ingredient sauce is ready to pour over meatballs.

Serve warm for hours with this simple sauce that flavors basic meatballs and keeps them moist.

Ingredients Needed:

• Lean ground beef
• Bread crumbs
• Onion
• Milk
• Egg
• Worcestershire sauce
• Parsley
• Salt
• Pepper
• Grape Jelly
• Chili Sauce

Tips & Tricks:

• Use a cookie scoop to make uniform meatballs that will all bake evenly
• Shake baking sheet mid way through baking to prevent balls from sticking, use a spatula to loosen if necessary
• Mix and handle meatballs gently to help preserve the integrity of the mixture and shape
• Recipe can be easily doubled and a portion of the meatballs frozen to serve at another meal with spaghetti and meatballs or on a sub with spaghetti sauce
• To fry meatballs use shortening in a skillet over medium-high heat and turn meatballs often until cooked
• Freeze meatballs in a single layer in a freezer bag or container. Once balls are firm enough to keep their shape they can be stacked to store frozen
• Bread crumbs help bind the meat together and can be substituted for saltine crackers or quick oats

Can Frozen Meatballs Be Used?

A bag of frozen meatballs can be used in this recipe, but the homemade version has so much more flavor and are typically much more tender.

How to Make Cocktail Meatballs

Finely chop onions. I like to use a mini-food processor for a shortcut that makes small, uniform pieces.

Add all meatball ingredients to a mixing bowl and sprinkle seasonings over top of the lean ground beef.

Use hands to gently mix ingredients. I always wash my hands and use wet hands to both mix and shape balls. A plastic glove can be used if preferred.

A scoop helps create even portions of beef. Level the scoop to create uniform balls.

Use hands to make balls round on all sides. Arrange on a generously greased baking sheet. Leave space between each meatball.

Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes and then shake tray or use a rubber coated spatula to balls and prevent them from sticking.

Bake for another 15 minutes or until a digital meat thermometer inserted in the center of a couple meat balls reads 160°F.

Heat sauce over medium heat until the jelly is melted. Pour over meatballs and serve warm.

More Delicious Recipes with Beef

Cream Cheese and Beef Stuffed Shells is a delicious family meal. I shared more about the sustainability of beef and what I learned on a ranch in Kansas this summer.

I absolutely love the combination of steak tips and mushrooms in this simple skillet Steak Tips with Mushroom Gravy meal.

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Dip has simple ingredients to make a classic cheese dip that’s perfect with chips.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast and Round Steak with Gravy are regulars on our farmhouse table. We enjoy these recipes a couple times a month in the winter.

Printable Farmhouse Cocktail Meatball Recipe