Sauce Party Meatballs
These irresistible sauce party meatballs are a sweet-and-savory, crowd-pleasing appetizer perfect for parties, potlucks, and game days. Made with frozen meatballs and a tangy, glossy sauce, they come together quickly in a slow cooker, oven, or stovetop.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours (slow cooker on HIGH) or 4 hours (LOW) or 35-40 minutes (oven) or 20-25 minutes (stovetop)
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes (slow cooker on HIGH) or 4 hours 10 minutes (LOW) or 50 minutes (oven) or 35 minutes (stovetop)
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 32 oz (about 2 lbs) frozen fully cooked meatballs (beef, pork, turkey, or chicken)
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 3/4 cup grape jelly (or apricot preserves, cranberry sauce, or orange marmalade)
- 1 cup chili sauce (such as Heinz)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, adjust to taste)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
- Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, grape jelly, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes (if using) until glossy and combined. Taste and adjust sweetness or heat as desired.
- Place frozen meatballs in a 6-quart slow cooker or large oven-safe baking dish.
- Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the meatballs and toss gently to coat.
- For slow cooker: Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours, until meatballs are heated through and sauce is bubbling.
- For oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot and bubbly.
- For stovetop: Combine meatballs and sauce in a large saucepan, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once cooked, gently stir meatballs to coat in sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and sesame seeds if desired.
- Serve hot, straight from the slow cooker or on a platter with toothpicks.
Notes
Do not thaw frozen meatballs before cooking. For gluten-free, use gluten-free meatballs and check sauce labels. Sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated. Adjust sweetness or heat to taste. Garnish with parsley and sesame seeds for presentation. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4-5 meatballs
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 500
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 10
Keywords: party meatballs, appetizer, slow cooker, easy, crowd-pleaser, barbecue, grape jelly, potluck, game day, holiday, finger food