Description
Crowd-pleasing sweet & tangy cocktail meatballs dance with irresistible flavor, blending zesty sauce and perfectly seasoned beef. Southern hospitality meets party perfection, inviting guests to savor each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Meatball Base:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
Seasoning:
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
Sauce:
- 1 (8-ounce) jar grape jelly
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F, preparing a baking sheet with non-stick spray or parchment paper.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, thoroughly blend ground beef with egg, bread crumbs, seasonings, milk, and finely diced onion until ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Gently form compact, uniform 1-inch spherical meatballs, ensuring consistent size for even cooking.
- Arrange meatballs on prepared baking sheet, maintaining slight separation between each piece.
- Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes, rotating tray midway to guarantee golden-brown exterior and fully cooked interior.
- While meatballs cook, create sauce by whisking grape jelly and chili sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat until mixture becomes glossy and integrated.
- Transfer perfectly cooked meatballs directly into simmering sauce, delicately folding to ensure complete and even coating.
- Reduce heat to low, allowing meatballs to absorb sauce flavors for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring to prevent sticking and promote uniform sauce absorption.
Notes
- Enhance meat texture by using a mix of ground beef and pork for extra richness and moisture.
- Prevent dense meatballs by gently mixing ingredients and avoiding overworking the meat mixture.
- Use a small cookie scoop or damp hands to create uniform-sized meatballs for consistent cooking.
- Swap grape jelly with other sweet preserves like apricot or cranberry jam for unique flavor variations.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Dinner, Cocktails
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg