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    Home » Main Dish » 3 Ingredient Meatballs

    3 Ingredient Meatballs

    Published: Sep 6, 2022 · Modified: Oct 13, 2022 by Jennie · This post may contain affiliate links

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    You will now believe how easy this is to make! It's a favorite of ours to serve at parties and my family has been making it for years. You have to try this simple and yummy 3 Ingredient Meatballs recipe.

    3 Ingredient Meatballs in a slow cooker with a wooden spoon.

    Meatballs make the perfect party food. I made these easy meatballs in the slow cooker with just three ingredients.

    Keep them in the slow cooker on warm and serve them at a party or top them on rice with a salad and you have dinner.

    Either way, you are going to enjoy how yummy they are but also how EASY they are to put together.

    How to make 3 Ingredient Meatballs:

    This recipe is super easy to make. Basically, add the jelly and BBQ sauce to the slow cooker and mix them up. Then add your meatballs to the crockpot and mix them up. Turn it on and let the slow cooker do all the work!

    3 Ingredient Meatballs Ingredients:

    • Meatballs
    • BBQ Sauce
    • Grape Jelly

    Directions:

    Step one: Start by placing your grape jelly and BBQ sauce in the slow cooker and mix together.

    adding BBQ sauce and jelly to the slow cooker.

    Step two: Add frozen fully cooked meatballs and stir until evenly coated.

    Pro Tip: Frozen meatballs work best for this recipe. If you want to use homemade meatballs, I suggest freezing them, so they don't all stick together. To freeze meatballs, I place them on a baking sheet and into the freezer. Uncooked frozen meatballs will need more time to cook in the slow cooker.

     

    meatballs in slow cooker.

    Step three: Time to cook! Allow it to cook on high for 3 hours.

    3 Ingredients Meatballs in a white serving bowl.

    How to serve 3 Ingredient Meatballs:

    This recipe makes a great appetizer or even an easy dinner recipe.

    When I serve it as an appetizer, I place toothpicks in them for an easy wrap and go.

    When we serve them for dinner, I love to serve them with rice and a side salad.

    Try some of my other meatball recipes:

    Pineapple BBQ Meatballs - Serve these Pineapple BBQ Meatballs for an easy dinner the family will love or for a party that your guests will love. Either way this simple 4 ingredient slow cooker recipe is amazing and one you will love.

    Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs - The best meatballs made in the slow cooker. These Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs are perfect served with rice for dinner or as a tasty appetizer.

    Slow Cooker Asian Meatballs - These Slow Cooker Asian Meatballs make the perfect appetizer or dinner recipe. Everyone in my family loved this recipe! It's so simple to make, just add the ingredients to your slow cooker and walk away until dinner time.

    3 Ingredient Meatballs served with toothpicks.

    If you tried this recipe or any of my recipes, I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment below. You can also connect with me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, and YOUTUBE.

    I would love for you to follow along and discover more amazing recipes.

    Show me what you are making, tag us or use hashtag #TDOARH


    3 Ingredients Meatballs

    3 Ingredients Meatballs

    Jennie Duncan
    You will now believe how easy this is to make! It's a favorite of ours to serve at parties and my family has been making it for years. You have to try this simple and yummy 3 Ingredient Meatballs recipe.
    4.34 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 3 hrs
    Total Time 3 hrs 5 mins
    Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Party Foods
    Cuisine American, crockpot, Slow Cooker
    Servings 40 meatballs
    Calories 117 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 32 oz Frozen fully cooked meatballs
    • 18 oz Grape jelly
    • 18 oz BBQ sauce

    Instructions
     

    • Place grape jelly and BBQ sauce in the slow cooker and mix together. Add frozen fully cooked meatballs and stir until evenly coated.
    • Cook high for 3 hours. Serve with toothpicks for a great appetizer or over rice for a simple dinner.

    Video

    Notes

    How to serve 3 Ingredients Meatballs:
    This recipe makes a great appetizer or even an easy dinner recipe. When I serve it as an appetizer, I place toothpicks in them for an easy wrap and go. When we serve them for dinner, I love to serve them with rice and a side salad.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3meatballsCalories: 117kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 148mgPotassium: 105mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.3mg
    Keyword 3 Ingredient Meatballs, 3 Ingredients Meatballs
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Jennie Duncan

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Thea

      January 31, 2023 at 12:51 am

      Tried your version of this recipe. For years I’ve been making this with chili sauce rather than BBQ sauce. Yours is OK, mine is better. ❤️

      Reply
    2. Amy

      October 13, 2022 at 8:08 am

      Is it possible to put them on low and cook them six hours? I want to put them on in the morning so they will be ready for supper

      Reply
      • Jennie

        October 13, 2022 at 6:57 pm

        Yes I think that would work.

        Reply
    3. Sheila B

      January 16, 2022 at 10:19 am

      I have an old recipe that calls for spicy mustard and currant jelly mixed together - always a hit!

      Reply
    4. KIm

      November 11, 2020 at 7:35 am

      I know this is good. I find just putting the frozen meatballs in the sauce makes them kind of mushy. I use angus beef meatballs and Italian meatballs combined. I either bake them until browned/crusted or lightly fry them until the outside is browned/crusted. Then, I put them in the mixed grape jelly and Famous Dave’s BBQ sauce. It makes the meatballs a little firmer.

      Reply
      • Jennie

        November 11, 2020 at 8:54 pm

        That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the tip!

        Reply
    5. Mickey Llamas

      November 03, 2020 at 2:37 pm

      Sometimes I add red chili sauce from the can replacing bbq sauce. It makes spicy and sweet meatballs.

      Reply
    6. Kae

      November 05, 2019 at 7:57 pm

      Could I make this on the stove top if I don’t have a slow cooker? If so how long is the cooking process?

      Reply
      • Jennie

        November 06, 2019 at 12:39 pm

        Hi Kae, you can make this on the stovetop. I used pre-cooked frozen meatballs that just needed to be warmed. So you just want to cook them until they are warmed throughout.

        Reply
    7. Jeanne

      May 04, 2019 at 12:27 pm

      I've made these for years. People love them! But I use chili sauce and currant jelly. Not so sweet. Problem is... Can't find currant jelly easily. Smuckers quit making it. ☹️

      Reply
      • Jennie

        May 04, 2019 at 9:48 pm

        I have not even heard of that type of jelly, that's to bad they stopped making it! If you try it with grape let me know, I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    8. T Borden

      December 31, 2018 at 3:39 am

      Does the bbq sauce have to be regular flavor or can it be a sweet flavor bbq sauce. Will the grape jelly with sweet bbq sauce make it taste too sweet?

      Reply
      • Jennie

        December 31, 2018 at 4:54 pm

        I have made this with honey bbq sauce before and enjoy the taste. I think it would taste good but I also have a sweet tooth and the sweetness wouldn't bother me =)

        Reply
    9. Suzie

      December 24, 2018 at 11:36 am

      My family loves these everytime we get together its these and my carrots thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Jennie

        December 24, 2018 at 3:48 pm

        So happy to hear that!

        Reply
    10. Jolene lehman

      December 05, 2018 at 6:15 pm

      Hi there have a couple questions does the jelly make it taste like grape or really sweet and also would frozen chicken ball work or would it have a weird flavor with the grape jelly

      Reply
      • Jennie

        December 05, 2018 at 8:51 pm

        Hi Jolene! I don't find the recipe taste like grapes or is to sweet. But I guess that depends on your sweet tooth =)
        I have yet to try it with chicken but I think that would work perfectly!

        Reply
    11. Christian S

      November 12, 2018 at 4:24 pm

      This is a fantastic quick recipe, thank you for the brilliant write up.

      Reply
    12. Carol

      October 26, 2018 at 10:43 pm

      Do you have to use commercial frozen meatballs? Why can’t you make your own, brown , then put in sauce and simmer until done ? I prefer not to use premade/prepackaged food.

      Reply
      • Jennie

        October 26, 2018 at 10:48 pm

        You can definitely make your own meatballs brown and then use those. I know people who love the store bought ones and others who would rather make them. Let me know how you like them that way, I would love to hear how it turned out!

        Reply
    13. Karissa

      October 21, 2018 at 5:58 pm

      Do you recommend a certain brand meatballs?

      Reply
      • Jennie

        October 24, 2018 at 10:50 am

        Hi Karissa, I have used several different types. I love the Aldi brand. Or any meatball with less fat I think it the best option!

        Reply
    14. Jennifer

      September 20, 2018 at 12:09 am

      I've made these with chili sauce instead of bbq sauce and they are amazing... I've brought them to pot lucks many times and I'm always asked for the recipe .. no pen and paper needed lol

      Reply
      • Jennie

        September 20, 2018 at 11:32 am

        Awesome! My mother in law used chili sauce also! So good!!

        Reply
    15. Linda Lee

      August 28, 2018 at 5:09 pm

      apple jelly and ketchup in equal parts makes a sweet and sour sauce

      Reply
      • Jennie

        August 30, 2018 at 10:44 am

        That sounds awesome Linda!! I will have to try it!

        Reply
    16. Atalon

      May 18, 2018 at 11:07 am

      What size slow cooker does that fill?

      Reply
      • Jennie

        May 18, 2018 at 2:22 pm

        I use a 6 court and had plenty of room.

        Reply
    17. PAT BISHOP

      August 26, 2017 at 9:02 am

      Yum

      Reply

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