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20-Minute Pepper Jelly Glazed Meatballs are the easiest appetizer recipe for your party or celebration. Great for game-time tailgating too! Quick & YUMMY! Don’t miss our 5-minute Instant Pot version for these below!
It’s no secret, I love appetizer recipes. I’m pretty sure I could live off just appetizer snacks for a very long time.
Something about snacking on things like these 20-Minute Pepper Jelly Glazed Meatballs instead of having a huge meal is so appealing to me.
It must be that I equate appetizers with game-day or party time, which is always fun. One thing we make a lot of around here (& I can’t believe I haven’t shared them with you before) is meatballs.
It all started back when my grandmother made this super awesome meatball recipe for my high school graduation party. Ever since then I have been obsessed with making all sorts of meatball recipes.
pepper jelly meatballs recipe
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My favorite, these 20-Minute Pepper Jelly Glazed Meatballs. I mean, you get saucy goodness in just 20 minutes with a handful of ingredients – you can’t go wrong there. Plus – pepper jelly, ummmmm- SO GOOD!
But then a few years ago I went on a retreat with some friends who turned me on to the pressure cooker craze. I came home, bought one & have been experimenting with recipes ever since.
That means I just had to give these meatballs a try using that Instant Pot & wow- they are so incredibly easy!
My grandmother’s original recipe called for regular store-bought jam, which is pretty common in most meatball recipes. But over the years we have adapted the recipe to include all sorts of things I really love, like my obsession- pepper jelly. Do you love pepper jelly?
You can find it in stores, but I really love to make my own because that way I have a lot on hand. It only takes a few minutes & I can just pull a jar out of the freezer whenever we are hosting friends & family & need a quick appetizer.
With this meatball recipe only taking 20 minutes (or 5 minutes for the pressure cooker version) to make – it’s a no-brainer to add it to the spread. I gotta say, the pepper jelly is phenomenal when paired with these other flavors. It’s HEAVEN!
Here are some commonly asked questions
How can I make this in the slow cooker?
If you would like to make this meatball recipe in the slow cooker, rather than the pressure cooker or on the stove top- you are in luck.
Just combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker & stir. Cover & set on high for 2-3 hours before serving.
What is the best way to store leftover meatballs?
After serving, place leftover meatballs in an airtight container. Be sure to label with the date before refrigerating. This recipe should keep for up to 3 days if not left out for too long.
As with most things, it is important to get food into the refrigerator within 1 hour after serving to prevent bacteria growth.
How many can this serve?
This will depend greatly on portion sizes & the appetites of your crowd. This recipe feeds our family of 5 for a whole day of game-day snacking.
With about 40 meatballs – this is enough to fill us up. We have 3 young adult children, so we usually don’t have a ton of leftovers of most things, but this was perfect for us all & we had a little bit to enjoy to the next day.
instant pot meatballs
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, no matter which method you use to make these meatballs, you can double this recipe just fine. Most slow cookers or pressure cookers can handle that quantity with ease.
What if I want the leave out the beer?
That’s fine to leave out the beer. Just replace it with a beef broth instead. This will give you more flavor than using water.
HOW DO YOU MAKE PRESSURE COOKER MEATBALLS?
- Place all ingredients in a large saucepan or shallow stockpot. (I used my cast iron dutch oven)
- Bring to medium-high heat. Let cook for 2-4 min.
- Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce heat to a simmer.
- Let cook for 15 minutes or until sauce has darkened & reduced (meatballs are already cooked- so they should just be hot) Remove & serve!
- Enjoy!
- If making in the Instant Pot, combine all of the ingredients in the pot & stir.
- Swap out half of the beer with water – (you don’t want too much carbonation in the pressure cooker)
- Cover & set on seal, manual for 5 minutes.
- Quick release, remove lid & stir again before serving at your game-day or holiday party.
Can this be made with fresh meatballs?
Absolutely. If you want to do this, you will need to saute them first to brown the outsides so they don’t become one giant ball of meat when trying to stir them with the other ingredients.
Jelly Glazed Meatballs
More Awesome Meatball Recipes
BBQ Ale Meatballs
Slow Cooker Blueberry Honey Garlic Meatballs
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Italian Wedding Soup with Pork Meatballs
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
BBQ Meatballs Street Tacos
Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
Oven-Baked Meatball Sandwiches
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
Smoked Meatballs
To make this recipe you will need…
- pre-cooked frozen mini meatballs
- beer
- BBQ Sauce
- pepper jelly
- granulated garlic
- chili powder
- cornstarch
Products I love when making this meatball recipe…
This jelly glazed meatball recipe is so EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you probably already have many of these items on hand.
OR maybe you have never made meatballs before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love how delicious this recipe is. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this side.
- Instant Pot
- Dutch oven
- slow cooker
- this BBQ sauce
- granulated garlic
- chili powder
- cornstarch
Frozen Meatballs Instant Pot
If you love this easy meatballs recipe, you’re going to love these other delicious recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Creamy Chicken Verde Pinwheels
Creamy Chicken RITZ Nachos
Roast Beef Open Faced Mini Sandwich
Don’t forget the pepper jelly!
Oven Baked Meatball Sandwiches
3-Ingredient Soft Pretzels
Homemade Kettle Corn in the microwave
Instant Pot Crack Chicken
Instant Pot Meatballs Recipe
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Rate this Recipe
20-Minute Pepper Jelly Glazed Meatballs
Course Appetizer
Servings: 40
20-Minute Pepper Jelly Glazed Meatballs are the easiest appetizer recipe for your party or celebration. Great for game time tailgating too! Quick & YUMMY!
Prep Time 3 minutes mins
Cook Time 17 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pre-cooked frozen mini meatballs
- 12 oz beer
- 18 oz BBQ Sauce
- 8 oz pepper jelly
- 1 tbsp granulated garlic
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
For pressure cooker
- 6 oz beef broth *replacing 6 oz of the beer
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a large saucepan or shallow stockpot. (I used my cast iron dutch oven)
Bring to medium-high heat. Let cook for 2-4 min
Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce heat to a simmer.
Let cook for 15 minutes or until sauce has darkened & reduced (meatballs are already cooked- so they should just be hot) Remove & serve!
Enjoy!
For pressure cooker
Combine all of the ingredients in the pot & stir.
Swap out half of the beer with water – (you don’t want too much carbonation in the pressure cooker)
Cover & set on to seal, manual for 5 minutes.
Quick-release, remove lid & stir again before serving at your game-day or holiday party.
Notes
To make in the air fryer – use frozen meatballs and cook at 400 for 8-12 minutes. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, then toss the cooked meatballs in the sauce.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Taste of the Frontier cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Love this recipe?Follow @KleinworthCo for even more tasty recipes!
Reader Interactions
Denise says
Do you cook the frozen meatballs first, or do you add them in the saucepan? I didn’t think they would get hot in 15 minutes if frozen. Just clarifying.
Reply
Gina Kleinworth says
If you are using fully cooked but frozen meatballs – just toss them in the pot. They will be plenty hot once they have simmered in the sauce. Obviously, if you are using frozen meatballs that call for baking first (uncooked), you will need to do that prior to making this recipe.
Kristin says
This is absolutely amazing!!!Reply
T.M. says
My family loved it!!Reply
Darlene says
I was wondering if you could use ginger ale instead of the beer?
Reply
Gina Kleinworth says
Sure – the flavor will be different than this recipe, but I’m sure it will still taste fine.
Jennifer Cheek says
What are the prep instructions for a crock pot? Do I just throw everything in and stir?
Reply
Gina Kleinworth says
Looks like you skipped over the slow cooker directions in the FAQs. “Just combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker & stir. Cover & set on high for 2-3 hours before serving.”
Sue says
Is there a type of BBQ sauce that you recommend for this recipe?
Reply
Gina Kleinworth says
Nope, just pick your favorite. We have made this with Sweet Baby Rays, Stubbs, homemade versions (just type bbq sauce in the search bar here to see those) – pick whatever strikes your fancy.
Eileen Strysko says
Is there a certain beer to use light or dark beer
Reply
Gina Kleinworth says
That would be to your personal preference. Depends on how much beer flavor you want to come through.
Suzanne says
Gina, Since finding your recipe I’ve made this dozens of times. Many times just the sauce itself. It’s legit my go to everytime.
Sauces are my thing, yours is a winner….. simply amazing!!Reply
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