Cocktail Meatballs
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Toss that retro recipe that calls for grape jelly and chili sauce—these homemade cocktail meatballs are so much better.
Cocktail meatballs were a popular appetizer in the 1960s and 1970s. My mother and grandmother used to make them from a well-known recipe that called for frozen meatballs, grape jelly, and Heinz chili sauce. It seemed like everyone made them that way back then! This recipe offers a modern twist on the classic dish by using homemade meatballs and a sweet and tangy sauce that can be prepared in just 15 minutes. The meatballs are not only delicious as an appetizer, but they can also be served over rice for a satisfying dinner. Plus, kids love them! Using an electric mixer to make the meatballs results in a tender texture with a satisfying snap, perfect for spearing with toothpicks. That said, if you don’t have an electric mixer, it’s fine to mix the meatballs by hand.
There are many delicious meatball recipes that can be served as appetizers, including Swedish meatballs, chicken meatballs, and Vietnamese-style meatballs. Simply make them bite-sized and offer toothpicks for easy nibbling.
What you’ll need to make Cocktail Meatballs
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the eggs, cream and bread cubes in a small bowl.
Mash with a fork until the bread is mostly dissolved.
Combine the ground pork, garlic, baking powder and seasoning in an electric mixer and whip until the mixture is smooth and pale. Add the egg mixture and beat until smooth, then the ground beef.
Mix again until just combined.
Using moistened hands, form the meat mixture into balls and place on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. The rack is useful because any fat from the meatballs drips down, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry about it. It’s fine to just place the meatballs directly on the baking sheet.
Bake the meatballs for about 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining the ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, shallot, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, water, salt and pepper in a sauté pan large enough to hold all the meatballs.
Simmer the sauce for about ten minutes, until slightly thickened.
Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and simmer until the meatballs are warmed through.
Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with finely chopped parsley if desired, and spear with pretty toothpicks.
Notes: The technique for mixing the meatball ingredients, for the most part, comes from Cook’s Illustrated. The bamboo forks shown in the photo are available on Amazon.
You may also like
- Swedish Meatballs
- Chicken Meatballs with Tomato-Balsamic Glaze
- Vietnamese-Style Meatballs with Chili Sauce
Cocktail Meatballs
Toss that retro recipe that calls for grape jelly and chili sauce—these homemade cocktail meatballs are so much better.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup heavy cream or milk
- 1½ cups cubed white sandwich bread, crusts removed
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pound ground beef (85% lean)
For The Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot, from one shallot
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For Serving
- Finely chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Make the Meatballs: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up and place an ovenproof rack over top; spray the rack generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk the egg and cream together in a medium bowl. Stir in the bread and mash with a fork until the bread is broken down. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the pork, garlic, pepper, salt, and baking powder on high speed until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Add the bread mixture to the mixing bowl and beat on high speed until smooth and homogeneous, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add the beef and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping the bowl as necessary.
- Using wet hands, form the mixture into 1½-inch round meatballs and place on the prepared rack. (The mixture is very sticky; wet hands help, so keep wetting your hands as you go). Bake for about 25 minutes, until just done. (Note: You'll notice that the rack will leave little marks on the bottom of the meatballs but they will not be too noticeable once the meatballs are covered with sauce.)
- Make the Sauce: Meanwhile, in a large skillet, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, water, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, shallot, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and simmer until warmed through. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter, spear with toothpicks, and spoon the sauce over top. Garnish with parsley, if using. Serve warm.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meatballs and sauce can be frozen in separate containers for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat the meatballs in their sauce on the stovetop over medium heat until hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 85
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Sugar: 6g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 214mg
- Cholesterol: 24mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Hello, Jen… can I just use my hands to.mix the ingredients?
Hi Winnie, Do you have a hand held mixer? That works but if not you can mix with a wooden spoon or by hand.
made these today and it was amazing! perfect tender meatballs with the right seasoning. the thought of using my mixer weirded me out but the results yielded the perfect snap. i now have a go to meatball recipe. thank you so very much for sharing these wonderful recipes, jenn. 🙂
I made these meatballs for my grandaughter’s christening party. They were a BIG hit! Super easy, and the sauce is amazing!
I have shared this recipe and your website many times. These little meatballs were worth the extra effort and I would not use any other recipe again. Amazingly delicious!!
I added two tablespoons of Makers Mark whiskey to the sauce. It was delicious!
Very good, from what I tasted. My family had them gone before I could get to them
EVERYBODY loves these and they disappear at parties. Use those cute toothpicks with the frills and they are irresistible to kids!
I made these yesterday for an Oscar party. They were the perfect combination of savory and sweet and sour. Everyone loved them! As someone who enjoys cooking, it’s so fun and a huge relief to have a resource where the recipes have all been tested and perfected. Thank you, Jen!!
I made these gluten free for my family and also for a work luncheon. They were enjoyed by all. The sauce is great. I have searched many years for a great meatball recipe. This will be my go to recipe from now on. I have also made the Swedish version… so good.
Hi Jenn,
2 questions: I only keep fat free milk in the house, can I substitute this for the heavy cream. Also, can I substitute light brown sugar for the dark brown?
Thanks!
Hi Emily, Yes and yes 🙂
Hi Jen, I love your recipes. For this one, is there anything I can use instead of pork? Thanks, Patricia
Thanks, Patricia! It’s fine to replace the pork with more beef.
Hi Jenn. I was wondering if you had ever frozen the cocktail meatballs? If so, do you bake them first or freeze them raw?
Hi Kelly, Yes, freezing works well. I would freeze them after baking (without the sauce).
My husband loves junk food, however he’s fussy about it, if you can imagine! He loves the grape jelly/cocktail sauce, repulsive meatball concoction that you put in the crockpot. I cringe every time he wants them and I get embarrassed putting the ingredients in my cart at the store!! I’ve tried a few other scratch recipes that went into the garbage because nothing compared to the prepackaged ones, cringe! So, when I saw this recipe I had to try it! When I heard the words these words “these are the best meatballs you’ve made”, I thought victory is mine! Lol!
They are delicious, the sauce is perfect!
They are a bit tough to roll, the mixture is very sticky and you really need to keep your hands wet as the recipe suggests, but they are worth it!
My family doesn’t like most frozen, pre-made meatballs, but love the sauce (cranberry sauce & chili sauce), so I decided to try making your recipe for the Bowl Games yesterday. Wow! So tasty! I loved the texture of the meatballs & the flavor, too. The sauce was so delicious. I may cut back just a tad on the brown sugar next time, but leave all else as is. I haven’t tried one recipe that isn’t fantastic on your site yet. Thanks, Jenn!
I was thinking of making these for a New Year’s Eve party. They need to be gluten free but I cannot use traditional gluten free bread due to other allergies. Any ideas? I will also be using almond milk and all beef. Lastly, I was thinking of putting them on warm in a crock pot so they can stay warm throughout the evening. Can’t wait to try them!
Hi Jacky, Re. the bread, you’ll need something to bind the mixture together, otherwise it will be way too wet to form into balls. What do you typically use for this type of thing? The crock pot will work fine.
Hi, I have a ceramic chaffing dish I’d like to serve these meatballs in with lots of the sauce, so I’m planning on quadrupling the recipe (it’s for a big Open House) and making quite a lot of the sauce. Will the meatballs be Ok and not fall apart while being in the sauce for several hours? I’m not putting them in all at once, of course, just adding more meatballs to the dish as necessary. Thanks!
Hi Nancy, They aren’t delicate so I think they will be fine.
I made these for my nieces first birthday and they were a hit. For time saving on the day of-I made them two days before and the day of I warmed them up in my crock pot on low for a couple of hours. They were awesome! I’m not surprised since everything on this blog is incredible. Thanks, Jenn!
I am going to make these for a holiday party this weekend. If I make them ahead and refrigerate, could I finish them with sauce and refrigerate them prior to reheating? What would you recommend for temperature and timing to reheat? Thank you, these look delicious and so much more appetizing than crock pot meatballs!
Hi Jill, Yes, that’s fine — just re-warm the meatballs in the sauce on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Shouldn’t take long since they are small. Hope everyone enjoys them.
Could you make these in a slow cooker?
Hi Meg, They cook very quickly so not sure a slow cooker would be necessary.
If I use frozen meatballs, should I bake the meatballs first, then heat them in the sauce or can I mix the meatballs with the sauce and bake all together?
Hi Kathy, I’d bake the meatballs first, then warm them with the sauce.
Hi, what other things would the sauce go good with?
Hi Monique, It would be delicious over grilled chicken or pork.
Can I make these ahead of time? I am doing a big christmas cocktail party– would like to make the day before. Any thoughts?
Hi June, That will be absolutely fine to make ahead and reheat. Hope you enjoy!
The best recipe for cocktail meatballs I have ever come across! BIG hit at the party! Great recipe to make ahead of time!
Hi, this recipe looks amazing. The presentation is wonderful. Here is a question though: we are not big fans of ground beef. So can I use ground turkey to make these. If I did would I have to use the veal and pork. I have never used veal. What would you recommend… thanks
P.s. All the recipes on the blog for 10 recipes for picky eaters look absolutely delicious. My goal is to make all of them this month. I am making the Tilapia and Garlic Mayo tonight. I can’t wait to try them all.. sooo ok excited!!!
Hi Monique, It’s fine to replace the beef with turkey; just don’t use extra lean or the meatballs will be dry. I would definitely keep the pork (there’s no veal in the recipe) as it adds a lot of flavor.
For a Christmas Holiday potluck, I need to make recipe without pork. Using one lb. ground beef, will the meatballs be dry and not tasty?
Have followed your website since I found it!!
Hi Maggie, Use 80-20 or 85-15 ground beef and it will be just fine.
This is a great recipe. I have the meatloaf mix: veal, pork and beef. Is it OK to put this combination in the mixer?
Thanks so much.
Hi Margaret, Yes that will work fine.
Thank you so much. I was hesitant; I always hear not to mix too aggressively. Best, Margaret
What could I use for a substitution for All spice?
Hi Suzanne, You can just leave it out.
I don’t have all spice. Will the recipe be okay without it or should I go back to the store?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Sam, Don’t go back to the store — it will be fine!
I make cocktail meatballs every year for our large family gathering using frozen meatballs and bottled ingredients for the sauce– never again. These were the most tender meatballs I have ever made and the difference was obvious to all.
Also, because I like tender meatballs, I am going to try using the mixer technique and baking powder for other types of meatballs. Never would have figured it out on my own. Thanks.
Looks delicious! I will have to try to make for my youngest, who is a picky eater. I think he will love these! Cheers, Blake
So, LOVE the pics! Very easy to follow but looks like you got a pretty fancy mixer going on there… Do I need one like that or can I use an electric egg beater? Also, what type of mixer is that and where can I get one? Can’t wait to make these meatballs. They sound DeLish! Please let me know so I can make them ASAP! Thanks so much!!! -Christina
Hi Christina, I have made this recipe with a hand held electric mixer, so I think the electric egg beater will work! The mixer in the photos is a KitchenAid 5-Quart Stand Mixer; you can find them at Target, Williams Sonoma or online. They are very pricey but last forever. I use mine all the time.
Wow thanks Jenn! It’s so nice to actually get a reply from a REAL person now-a-days… I really love how involved you are. Thanks for getting back to me. Just put my meatballs in the oven and the sauce is almost ready to go! Delicious! I’m sure the end result will be even better! Egg beater worked great! onceuponachef.com Now my favorite site for recipes! Simply better than all the rest! 5 STARS all the way!!!
I never thought I could make something that tastes this good! (And I never thought I’d convince my husband that I can cook!) WOW! Thanks Jenn!
Yay! So glad it turned out well 🙂
These Meatballs are ABSOLUTE PERFECTION!
Thank you for sharing!
I tried these last week, and my boyfriend loved it, i loved it. I send some to my mom who is very picky about food, and she loved it and want the recipe.
These were phenomenal! I have always stayed away from meatball recipes, until this one. Thanks for a simple, delicious dish! I may double it next time, as I had NO leftovers! 😉
These are fabulous!
I made this recipe and have to say that I thought the sauce was too sweet for me. I wonder if you could substitute soy sauce or teryaki to the recipe to give it a little more zing.
Hi Mary, You could add a little soy sauce or just cut back on the sugar.
Have made these twice in one week already! Once for dinner (and yes my family loved them) and then again for our Super Bowl party. Everyone asked me for the recipe and I shared your site with them. Please keep the wonderful recipes coming!
Made these meatballs for dinner for my daughter and I. We ate them over rice as suggested and they were so good and so easy to make.
Made these for dinner using almond milk, all ground beef, and mixed by hand. They were still delicious and a real 30-40 minute meal that my kids devoured! Thanks for the recipe!
Sounds great. Around how many meatballs does this recipe make? Plus, will this work doing it ahead of time and reheating or will it take away from the taste? Or possibly, prepare the meatballs ahead of time and do the sauce before serving?
Hi Jean, The recipe makes about 25 small (bite-sized) meatballs. It is absolutely fine to make the entire recipe ahead of time and reheat.
Sounds wonderful ! I’ve heard of using baking powder to get a crisper crust on fried chicken, but who knew that it was ” Mother’s Little Helper” for meatballs too ?
Thanks so much for sharing your recipes and expertise – I always look forward to seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen 😉
I wish you included a calorie count….also, I use sugar free jelly
Hi Jenn! You can poo-poo the frozen meatball/grape jelly recipe all you want & yours sound great, but for those of us not lucky enough to have a Kitchenaid mixer our friends like them & they will have to do!
Hi Leslie, You could also use a hand held electric mixer for this recipe.
Jen, What would you substitute for pork–turkey, veal, or chicken? Thanks!
Hi Marlene, Veal or more ground beef would work best.
I will be making dairy free by replacing the cream with unsweetened almond milk.
Can ground chicken or turkey replace the pork? Also, can coconut or soy milk replace cream? Trying to make it Kosher : ) Sounds yummy!
Hi Allison, You can replace the pork with more ground beef or veal, and just use water to replace the cream. They’ll still be great.
Oops. . .I just re-read the recipe and got the baking powder
Where does the baking powder come in with the recipe?
Hi Greg, The baking powder is added along with the pork and spices, and helps add a little lightness and lift.
How would you recommend modifying this recipe to be dairy free?
Thanks!
Hi Eliana, You can replace the cream with water.
Looks great Jen! I’m all for spending a bit more time in order to get a superior product!