Sweet and Tangy Pepper Jelly Cocktail Meatballs
Cocktail meatballs are one of my very favorite party appetizers. They have that nostalgic, old-school appeal while being incredibly easy to make and simply delicious. Served in a bowl, straight from the slow cooker or skillet, or placed ever so carefully on a beautiful platter and skewered with appetizer picks; these meatballs lend themselves well to so many different occasions.
For this recipe, I use store bought meatballs from the freezer section of the grocery store to make it extra quick and easy. You can, of course, make meatballs from scratch too if you prefer! Just make sure they are cooked and browned before adding them to the sauce.
While the meatballs are cooking in the oven, I whisk together all of the sauce ingredients and set aside. When the meatballs are done, I pour everything into a large skillet, give it a good stir, and cook until it starts to get bubbly. I mix in a cornstarch and water slurry to help thicken the mixture and cook until the sauce reduces to a wonderfully sweet and sticky consistency. The result? A salty and savory meatball coated in a sweet and tangy sticky sauce. Trust me. People will devour these.
Eat well and enjoy!
Details and Abby's Tips
- The Meatballs – For this recipe, I use store bought cocktail meatballs from the freezer section of the grocery store. These make this recipe extra quick and easy! I cook and brown the meatballs, according to package directions, before adding to the sauce. You can, of course, make homemade meatballs if you prefer! Just make sure they are cooked and browned before adding to the sauce mixture!
- The Red Pepper Jelly – I use Stonewall Kitchen Red Pepper Jelly for this recipe, but any brand will do. I have not tried this cheeseball with green pepper jelly but I imagine it would be just as delicious!
- The Cayenne – This is just to add a little zing to the meatballs. I use about ½ teaspoon and it does not add very much heat. However, if you are very sensitive to heat, feel free to leave out the cayenne altogether. You could use a sweet or smoked paprika in place of the cayenne if you prefer.
- The Slurry – In cooking, a slurry is a mixture of a liquid (water, cooking liquid, broth, etc.) and a thickening agent (corn starch, flour, etc.) to help thicken whatever recipe it is added to. For this recipe I use corn starch and cold water. You’ll want to make sure you whisk these together well before adding to the sauce to help avoid any lumps of corn starch.
- Can This be Made Ahead of Time? – Yes! This heats up really well in the microwave or on the stovetop! I would add a small amount of water when reheating to help reconstitute a sauce. You could also make this on the stovetop and then throw into a small slow cooker and keep on warm for a party.
- Can This be Made in a Slow Cooker? – Yes! For this method, simply place all of the ingredients, minus the water and corn starch, to the slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. When the meatballs are warm, add the slurry if you want the sauce to be a little thicker and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes. Once everything is warm and cooked though, keep the slow cooker on low or warm to prevent burning and stir the mixture occasionally. Alternately, you can make the meatballs on the stovetop, per the original recipe, and then pour into a slow cooker to keep warm.
These Sweet and Tangy Pepper Jelly Cocktail Meatballs are absolutely addictive. They hit all the right notes of sticky, sweet, and savory with just a tiny hint of heat.
- 2 lb frozen cocktail meatballs
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup red pepper jelly
- 2 tbsp brown sugar (loosely packed)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp cold water
- 1 tsp corn starch
Cook the meatballs according to package directions. While the meatballs are cooking, whisk together the ketchup through yellow mustard in a small bowl (everything except for the water and corn starch). Set aside.
When the meatballs are done, heat a large skillet over medium heat. While the skillet is heating up, whisk together the corn starch and cold water in a small bowl to create a thickening slurry. Set aside.
When the skillet is hot, pour in the sauce and meatballs. Stir until the meatballs are coated and cook until the sauce begins to bubble. Once you see slight bubbling, pour in the water and corn starch slurry and mix well.
Turn the heat down to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced to a sticky consistency and the meatballs are well coated. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.