These meatballs are slow-cooked in a sweet and sour sauce.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

(12 fluid ounce) can or bottle chile sauce

lemon juice

grape jelly

beef

egg, beaten

onion,

salt

Whisk together the chili sauce, lemon juice and grape jelly. Pour into slow cooker and simmer over low heat until warm.


Combine ground beef, egg, onion and salt. Mix well and form into 1 inch balls. Add to sauce and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.


Okay, I cheated.  I used a box of frozen fully cooked meatballs.  However, that sauce is to die for!  A really nice change from our standard sweet&amp;sour bottled sauce.  I put the frozen meatballs and sauce in the slow cooker on low and they were ready 4 hours later.  A double thumbs up from this family.

This is a huge hit in our home, especially around Super Bowl time. My girlfriend gave me this recipe before looking here online. Instead of using the lemon juice, I use 1 cup of pineapple juice. Excellent! If you like the pineapple chunks you can use those as well too. PS - I do cheat though! I've made the meatballs from scratch but I've found the frozen meatballs to be similar in taste and much easier! I throw everything in a pot and put it on low. In 2 hours I have every man's favorite.

Warning: These meatballs are addictive! I made these for a Christmas party at work last year, to which a co-worker said, "You should call these Really *bleep* Good Meatballs!" He even asked if he could have the leftovers. Very easy to make; very yummy to eat! Don't wait for a holiday... this makes a great dinner too!

Easy and delicious!  Took minutes to put ingredients together, cooked for 4 hours on low in crockpot.  I tripled the recipe, used about 3 pounds of frozen 1/2 ounce meatballs.  Believe it or not, 9 people consumed all 3 pounds of meatballs (people were unashamedly going back for third helpings!). I've never produced anything as popular as this dish from my crockpot.

I only rated this 3 stars because not cooking the meatballs first made for a greasy mess.  The sauce is very good, but I would seriously advise you cook the meatballs first, and drain them well, if you're going to use homemade meatballs.  Otherwise, I'd do as others have suggested and use precooked, frozen meatballs.  I prefer to make my own, however, as I know exactly what ingredients are going into them and knowing that there are no preservatives used.

I prefer to make my meatballs with half ground beef and half pork sausage.  It adds to the flavor, but you have to brown and drain before cooking them in the sauce.  I also added some dijon mustard and garlic to the sauce to the cut the sweetness a little more.  Made them recently for a cocktail party and everybody raved about them.

I too cheated and used frozen meatballs. They are good and a great time saver. This sauce is really good and soooo easy to put together and throw in a crock pot.

DELICIOUS 
Made 2 1/2 lbs today, cooked meatballs with egg and bread crumbs. I added a small can of crush pineapples, can of cranberry sauce, 6 ounces each of chile and grape jelly. Meatballs did not faLL apart.  When forming the meatball, fill small cup with water and lightly dip hand in water and roll meatball.  Coming from an italian familY, this is my mothers way of preventing meatballs from falling apart

The chili sauce in this recipe adds an extra "kick" that you usually don't find in traditional meatball recipes.  They are a sure crowd-pleaser.

I used premade meatballs, dumped them in the crockpot frozen with the sauce and they cooked up just fine in the time allotted. Could not have been easier. I thought a bit bland, but very popular at the adult birthday party!

These meatballs received rave reviews from guests and I ran out quickly. So easy and so delicious! The only thing I'd do differently is that I'd make a larger batch.

Great recipe, but recipe should include the following information:  Cook your meatballs in the oven first before adding to your sauce and use the Heinz chili sauce. I bought Asian garlic chili sauce at first. Luckily I tested a small sample and figured out I had the wrong chili sauce.  Finally, the meatballs need to cook for about 3 hours in the sauce so that the flavor will be absorbed into the meatballs.  The end result was excellent!

The base recipe is great--for an even greater dish, saute minced garlic, minced onion, and minced bell pepper before adding the chili sauce and grape jelly.  Add sriracha (Thai hot sauce) and rice wine or white vinegar (I added both) in a small amount.  Cook together to blend flavors.  I also added cooked carrot puree, cooked butternut squash puree, and cooked cauliflower puree because husband doesn't eat vegetables.  Undetectable!  I added ketchup to the meat mixture before making meatballs and substituted onion powder for chopped onions (unless you saute the onions first, they will never get hot enough to become soft).  I baked the meatballs and added to the sauce in the pan--picky husband loved.  I have been looking for a great sweet and sour sauce for ages.  This is it.

The flavor of this dish was good - I had to use cherry jelly since that was what I had on hand and it turned out flavorful. My suggestion for the future is to brown the meatballs by frying them or broiling prior to placing in the slow cooker. The fat that rendered out of even extra lean hamburger was gross and I had to let the dish cool in the refrigerator and skim off the fat as it hardened.Eating hamburger grease is not high on my list of healthful choices. Fat layer aside, this dish was tasty.

I've made these for years.  A tip...once I picked up grape jam by mistake but didn't have time to go back to the grocery.  Well, the jam mixes in with the chili sauce much faster and smoother than the jelly, so it's what I use now.  Always a hit!

This recipe is great. My son hates meat balls, but he loved these. Thanks for this good recipe. It was a big hit with my family!

Plan to try this recipe over the holidays.  Sounds great to me!!  Also, I think anyone who uses pre-made meatballs is insane and lazy.  They are disgusting, full of chemicals and would make ANY recipe taste bad!!  Can't wait to try these with REAL meatballs.  Thanks for sharing your recipe!!

Did not care for these at all. No one in the family enjoyed them. I think the sauce is just too sweet.

I have made this same recipe for almost 40 years. It's always great. I usually just heat the sauce in a pot over medium heat, throw the meatballs in, cook for about 45 minutes.

These were fantastic! Although I did use frozen meatballs as I was pressed for time for a afternoon gathering. The leftovers went home with my daughter and her fiance, and he hoovered them up in a flash! Super Simple to make, toss everything into a slow cooker and in about 4 hours - PRESTO! Thanks for the AWESOME recipe, will DEFINITELY make again! Will be great at Christmas time for those inevitable get togethers!

loved this recipe... however i added 1 can of whole cranberry sauce to the crockpot and combined that with the grape jelly, lemon juice and chili sauce and it was DELICIOUS!!!!

I have been making this recipe for years (sans lemon juice) and it is always a crowd pleaser! I always have people asking me, "Are you bringing your meatballs?".  

If you don't have time, you can always use the frozen, cooked meatballs and you just have to heat them through. You can let them thaw in your refrigerator for a day or cook longer if frozen.  I use 3 jars of chili sauce and a 2 lb. jar of grape jelly to a 6 lb. bag of meatballs.  If you find it too sweet, you can always use LESS jelly.  

You really cannot mess up this recipe. My husband was helping once and mistakingly grabbed a jar of cocktail sauce! The horseradish in the cocktail sauce really gave it a unique twist.  

I have even had people ask me if they could have the sauce after the meatballs have run out.

I have made these but used jellied cranberry sauce in place of grape jelly and had a little extra tang.  They were less sweet than with jelly.  Also added some cooked rice.  Family cannot wait until they are done.  I don't use a recipe, just add this and that!

These are the best, so easy and so often requested!  I do not always add lemon juice....no need really.  I bought frozen meatballs once but, really prefer to make my own with my recipe.  They are so much better and cheaper.  I bake my meatballs and then throw everything in the crock pot. Making enough today for my grandson's first birthday party and 30 guests tomorrow.  Son and DIL have been begging me for a month to make them.  :)

This recipe was a huge hit!  I also used frozen meatballs and cooked them in the crock pot on low for 4 hours.  I will be making these again.

The sauce smelled great, however, the meatballs fell apart in the slow cooker and the whole thing was watery and soupy.  The sauce may be good on its own, but next time I would try using frozen meatballs or cooking the meatballs ahead of time.

I love this recipe, but really, there is no benefit to slow cooking the meatballs. And it's a must that you brown them in a skillet first. So, I think a bit better way to make them is to prepare the meatball mixture, (I use ground turkey in place of beef to lighten the calorie and fat content and really, they are just as yummy), roll into balls and brown in a skillet. Remove browned meatballs and set aside while you pour off the grease, but leave as many "brown bits" in the pan as you can. Then, to this skillet, prepare the sauce, add the browned meatballs and simmer for about 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Easy and delicious!! (And you only used one pan for the whole dish - yay!)

Took this to a church party, and they were gone in an instant.  These are FABULOUS!!!!!.  Another lady brought swedish meatballs, and she took hers back home with her.  LOVE this recipe

I had some left over homemade cranberry chutney, so I used some of that instead of the grape jelly. Very yummy.

The first time I made this I followed the directions exactly, but I made the meat balls smaller to accomidate my tastes. The sauce was okay at best.  It was very thin and I almost tasted the grape, which grape jelly is pretty gross in my opinion. (the only reason I tried the recipe was because my husband talked me into it.) The meat balls also fell apart.  I read the reviews and took someone's suggestion of using 1 cup of pineapple juice instead of the lemon juice and I thickened it a little with a flour water mixture. This made the sauce unbelievable! Then, I made my stand by meatball recipe and put the meatballs and sauce over egg noodles. The whole dish was transformed into an amazing dinner that I will repeat time and time again.

My mother used to make this recipe back in the 60's. It was always a huge hit with everyone and a staple at every holiday get together. I personally always thought it was a little on the sweet side. I started using 12 oz of chili sauce and 6 oz of grape jelly and that made it a little less sweet. Glad to see that the recipe is still out there after all these years.

I was a little bit skeptical about this recipe, as it seemed a little TOO easy, but I tried it out at a work potluck (and yes, I cheated with a box of premade meatballs as well), and they were a HUGE HIT.  Super simple!  Definitely give this recipe a try!

This is amazing, it's an easier version (and spicier) of my polynesian meatballs. I did half and half ground beef with pork sausage, I think I'll always do it this way. I put a 12 oz bottle of chili sauce and a huge dose of Siracha sauce in it. I was concerned the meatballs would fall apart but they eventually firmed up in the crockpot. This time I think I'll add a half-cup of italian bread crumbs. I will also add a can of chunked pineapple at the end this time, and serve it over white rice. Incredible! You can adjust the jelly or chili sauce to taste obviously for those that said they didn't like the flavor. (NEVER use frozen meatballs they can't even begin to compare!!)

this was an extremely easy recipe, even with homeade meatballs...all age groups loved it my only regret is that I didn't make a double batch.

I haven't made these yet, but have made similar.  I too, would pre-cook the meatballs.  350 degrees for about 10 mins.  Make the sauce on the stove top, then mix all together in a casserole dish and bake in the oven until sauce is bubbling.

I have been preparing this since 1967 from The Elegant But Easy Cookbook.  Everybody always enjoys them.  One difference in this recipe is that the original one calls for 2 lbs ground meat.  After I cook the meatballs, I slice up 2 lbs of beef hot dogs and add them to the mixture.  It can be frozen at this point.  Handy to have in the freezer.  Adding the hot dogs doubles the amount and there is plenty of sauce for all.

My sister thought I was crazy when she watched me make this!  The combination of jelly and chili sauce is odd, but so good!  BTW, my sister went back for thirds!  Thanks!  A great dinner on a cold night.

Sooo good!  I used 2 lbs. of frozen meatballs from Costco (I think they were chicken teriyaki meatballs), along with the chili sauce, grape jelly &amp; lemon juice.  I made them for our holiday potluck at work, and they went FAST!  No leftover meatballs for us.

Super simple, delish recipe!!!! Made them for the first time on Christmas Eve....it was the hit of the party.  Everyone wants them again for the New Year's Eve party!!!!!

OK-so I cheated as well and used frozen cooked meatballs from Costco..that being said 5 stars for the easiness and the delicious sauce.  Will keep this recipe for future parties or potlucks.  I cooked on low for 4 hrs or so and they were perfect.  Tossed on some toasted hoagies and sprinkled mozz cheese on top...MMMMMMM!  Doesn't get better than that.  Even the kiddies enjoyed and asked to have again the next night. 

I have used this recipe for years after a potluck at my house. I begged for the recipe and was shocked when I got it. Its soo easy to make and tastes great! Everyone in my family just loves this. I have even used veggie meatballs and my husband couldn't tell the difference.

The trick to this recipe is to add one can of canned chili with no beans!  Much better result!

I found it rather boring.  But not bad for a really quick meal.

I also used frozen meatballs and cooked this in the crockpot...YUMMY! I changed the recipe and some ingredients to make the meatballs juicy while cooking in the crockpot...

these were a hit!  took a crockpot full for Christmas as appetizer and everyone loved them!  Just the right amount of zing!  Will make again soon!

These were delicious.  I used frozen swedish meatballs.  Rave reviews from my guests.  Their comments were that it was not too sweet, not too sour, just the right amount of tanginess.  Thank you!

I used frozen meatballs because it's so much easier!  So...I did not know that the chili sauce was the stuff you find in the ketchup aisle. I therefore ended up using the Thai Chili sauce you find in the ethnic foods aise. This was SPICY in a serious way! Everyone loved it. The other way is yummy too, but if you want to set yourself on fire, make the same mistake I did!!

Cheated and used premade frozen meatballs....delish!

Pretty good.  I added one personal sized cup of pineapple tidbits to the sauce (with juice).  Served over white rice.  11 year old daughter loved it!  I thought it was better the second day as leftovers.

My family loves these!  I made them for an event at work and sat back and watched them disappear!  Great recipe... no need to say I will make them again as I have used this recipe about 4 times since I found it!  YUMMMMM!!!!

Try using whole berry cranberry sauce instead, so yummy!

For Christmas my husband and I cooked these and the ones with cranberry sauce just to see which one we liked...not knowing which one was which, this one won all the way!! Very easy to make and very tasty!! Watch it now because it is also spicy!! The entire family raved over these!! Looks like I'll be making meatballs for now on :) Thanks for the recipe!!!

This recipe is perfect as is for excellent appetizers.  My family has been making these exactly this way for many years to great reviews.  Nowadays if we have time we make the meatballs - if not we use the frozen variety.  No one really knows or cares.  And these are not just for appetizers anymore.  We also love these with mashed potatoes and boiled cabbage on the side.  Thanks, Tammy for a great recipe!

If you think this is good (which it is), try substituting Smucker's blackberry jam for the grape jelly.  It takes it to a whole other level.  I tried this when I needed to make it in a hurry and realized I had the wrong jelly.  Try  it and I bet you rate it at 10!!!

I tried this recipe this weekend and was not impressed.  It lookd unappetizing and while it tasted ok my husband and I agreed it wasn't a repeat recipe at all.

My mom used to make this a lot and it was always amazing. The only change to this recipe was substituting half of the lemon juice with Worcestershire.

Yum! I used frozen meatballs, baked them according to the directions on the bag, blotted them to soak up the excess grease, and then added them to the sauce in the crock pot and let it all blend and warm for a few hours. Made a delicious appetizer and I plan to make these again!

Very disappointed! It smelled great but the meatballs fell apart! And it definitely wasn't a crowd pleaser. I followed the recipe to the T

Awesome! I used frozen meatballs and doubled the recipe. I also added a can of pineapple chunks which I really liked. They went over very well at our office party!

We didn't care for these at all.  
I won't be making these again.  The crockpot dried out the meat way too much.
I did like the flavor of the sauce.  If it was cooked in a saucepan I may have liked it better.

I liked this recipe.  I think it was a good base for what I was going for, however it could use a little tweaking.  I found the sauce a tad bit too "sour" but that can be played with.  Over all, I enjoyed it.

I made these for dinner tonight using frozen meatballs and served over rice. They were delicious and very little effort was needed.

These are always a big hit. I do usually pre cook my meatballs first. I usually bake them for about 10- 15 minutes then throw them in the crock. Makes a great appetizer or  for dinner with white rice.

I have made these a few times already.  I cheat and get the frozen meatballs.  The beef and the Turkey meatballs taste great, hardley notice a difference.  These have been a huge  hit each time, and now I've been asked to make them for our superbowl party.

I have actually made this recipe for years and it is definitely a family favorite. I make mine with ground turkey (less fat) and instead of grated onion, I use dried onion flakes...excellent

I have been making these meatballs for over 35 years - my son's birthday is New Years day and I always had a buffet that included these meatballs.  I added a little horseradish to mine.  Delicious!

OMG i love this recipe!!! i make it all the time especially for Christmas and parties. its quick and eaisy. Adds a new Zing to original meatballs!! this is a MUST TRY :)

I am very fond of this meal.  It's easy and fun.  My kids and my husband like it well.  The only thing I do differently is that instead of making my own meatballs, I buy the Italian style meatballs.  They are perfectly seasoned for this dish.  I also like to make these meatballs for appetizers with toothpicks inserted on each one for easy pickup.

I admit I used store bought meatballs. But the sauce was fabulous and so were the meatballs! Quick and easy and perfect for any event. I really thought the sauce would be overly sweet and to my surprise it really was just right.

Made these for an open house earlier this year and got rave reviews from everyone.  They will now be an item served at ALL my parties.  I doubled the recipe (I too used frozen "party" meatballs), dumped everything into a crock pot and let them simmer all day.  A Very Big Hit!! and so so EASY!

Loved the recipe. Super easy and a real crowd pleaser. The sauce is truly amazing. I know the whole grape plus chili sauce sounds weird, but trust the recipe! It is goooood! The only thing I did differently was to bake the meatballs in the oven at 375 for 10 minutes.

This was a total hit at our house...not a common thing with 7 people to please.  I did take some hints from other reviewers and added about a tablespoon of minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard to the sauce.  I doubled the sauce, added a large bag (like 90 balls) of frozen meatballs, and cooked it all for 4 hours on low in my crock pot.  I served it over rice and watched as the family licked their plates clean.  (Really...some literally did...which gave us a chance to discuss manners.)  I will definitely make this again!

Thanks for the quick and easy recipe I needed to find!  Used frozen meatballs because it was a last minute request to bring something to the party.  Put evertything together and cooked on low for 4 hours.  Doubled the recipe and used about 130 frozen one inch meatballs.  All were gone within a few hours.

These meatballs are far too sweet.  I definitely won't make them again.

These were so delicious!! I didn't have lemon juice on hand so I used pineapple juice instead and the sauce was really good! I like many other reviewers also used frozen meatballs in the crockpot on low for about 4 hours. They turned out perfect, will definitely be making them again!

We love these. we have been making them for a few years but we always use the little frozen meatballs. These are so easy and they always go fast. Great to take to parties/functions etc...

This recipe was really, really good,even my picky teenager liked it. After cooking the meatballs, I removed them from the pan, drained most of the drippings then sautéed onions, snow peas &amp; celery (what I had on hand; was wishing I had water chestnuts too) until tender, then returned the meatballs to the pan and added the sauce. Outstanding!

I've been using this recipe for years, not just as a party appetizer, but also as a main course. I have used frozen meatballs and made my own but my own are by far better (but obviously more time consuming). I usually add chopped fresh parsley and minced garlic to the meatball mix and if I have it, some dried cumin.  Also, for a main course, I spoon the meatballs and sauce over egg noodles and serve with a nice side salad.

Getting ready to do this for a second family reunion and they disappeared the first time so making a double bunch!   Added a little hot turkey sausage....very little.....and put a cranberry in the middle as a surprise:
Big hit!  Made them about 3/4" each as an appetizer with picks.  Fun recipe!

Like others I used frozen meatballs and tripled the recipe...some reviewers said they were too spicy,I am not a fan of spicy food. Let me tell you these are not too spicy and they taste fantastic. I'm taking them to a party later but I'm having a hard time not eating them all right now.  So easy to make. Will be a regular recipe in my kitchen.

Made this recipe for my son's birthday party and it was a hit. I made the meatballs a few days before and cooked the sauce on the stove the day of the party. I added it to the crockpot with meatballs and it was great. Will be making again and again!

This was a huge hit. The only issue was i should've quadrupled the recipe for the party.

Grreat recipe, I will make this again! :):)

The first time I made these, I did make the meatballs from hand.  Now, I just use frozen.  Great recipe!  Also good if you don't have a slow cooker; last night, I just threw everything in the cooking pot and cooked it all together, bouncing between low and medium heat (I didn't want it to simmer TOO much).  Great!

Great.  I cheated though: I used Frozen meatballs from Costco.  I put all the ingrediants in the crockpot and cooked on high for 4 hours.  Came out fantastic!!

Why would you give a recipe five stars if you don't follow every step and use only the ingredients suggested??? UGH.  This recipe is super simple and tasty, AS IS.  Kids and adults really love it - it's perfect with pasta, rice, or biscuits.

I was surprised this turned out good. This was quite awesome. A friend of mine hates meatballs but she ate every last bit of it and then demanded I make it again soon. ^^ So this recipe is a definite keeper.

Love this recipe..... Simple &amp; delicious... Everyone loved.... The next time I'll probably add the sweet n sour sauce into the meat mixture

this was top notch, I used Hot chilli sauce and followed the recipe from scratch. 
Could not stop sampling while the rest of supper cooked. I think you could use any chilli sauce you like, hot or otherwise, any brand.

I made this recipe once for an anual family potluck.  I was told to not attend again unless I had this recipe with me.  The grape jelly throws everyone off I think.  My co-worker said it sounded gross so I brought her some and she retracted everything she said.  For the chili sauce I used 'Maggi Chilli Garlic Sauce' and for the Grape Jelly I used 'Western Family Grape Jelly' (if you live in Canada - Yes I live in Canada) then Western Family is from Save-On-Foods or I'm sure any grape jelly will do.  I hope everyone enjoys.  

P.S. - This recipe is REALLY spicy using the hot sauce I recommend. 

Wasn't to fond of these at all. For some reason the sauce just didn't do it for me.

Too sweet for us.  I used bottled chili sauce, but if I made it again I would try my own.  Either that or reduce jelly amount.

Yay! Just like my mother's- yummy!!! Made these with my 3 year old's help and we loved them.  Had to cook a little longer than stated probably due to meatball size- but fabulous with rice.

I made these for a baby shower I hosted, and they were a hit.  I got lots of positive feedback, so I will definitely make these again.  I omitted the lemon juice and used premade frozen meatballs, so I can't comment on the meatball portion of the recipe.  Almost forgot, I also added pineapple chunks - SO YUMMY!

Easy, easy, easy and delicious.  I love using the slow cooker because it takes too much time to fry small meatballs.  I did use a bit of bread crumbs but sure recipe would have been fine without

This is one for your recipe box! I overcooked them and they were still good. Im keeping this on hand so that I can bring these to a family gathering. We just ate them with a fork for dinner, and my worst critic, my 2 yr old, ate them without adding ketchup! That passes the test in our house!

Used frozen meatballs from Costco. Thawed them just about halfway and followed the directions. Simple and everyone loved them.

These 5-star cocktail meatballs are simmered in a simple sweet and sour sauce.

sweet and sour meatballs

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hours, 30 minutes

Total: 1 hours, 50 minutes

Servings: 2.5

Author : Allrecipes

Ingredients

Instructions

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