Cocktail Meatballs

Cocktail meatballs are an old-school party appetizer that’s here to stay. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun updating the recipe. Instead of the standard two-ingredient grape jelly sauce that constitutes many cocktail meatball recipes, Ree combines chili sauce (often found by the ketchup in the grocery store), apricot preserves, soy sauce, and sriracha for the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. These ingredients get dumped and stirred together directly in the slow cooker before the meatballs—equal parts ground beef and ground pork—are nestled inside and cooked low and slow for four hours. It doesn’t get much easier or more delicious!

What is the secret to good meatballs?

For tender meatballs, you want to avoid over-handling the meat mixture. Over-mixing can lead to toughness when cooked. Grated onion, not chopped, is easier to incorporate into the meat and adds significant moisture, while breadcrumbs and eggs help bind everything together. 

How long should you cook meatballs in a slow cooker?

Meatballs will need two to three hours to cook on high, or about four hours on low, in the slow cooker. They should be warmed all the way through with a temperature of at least 160°F, which is the safe temperature for ground meats according to the USDA. 

Do you have to put eggs and breadcrumbs in meatballs?

Eggs and breadcrumbs help bind meatballs together so they don't just crumble like ground beef when you cook them. If you have an egg allergy you can use an egg substitute. If you don't want to use breadcrumbs you could use oats, gluten-free breadcrumbs of even crushed up croutons, these all work well as breadcrumb substitutes.

Is it better to fry or bake meatballs?

Many meatball recipes call for either baking the meatballs in the oven or pan-frying them first before adding them to the sauce (except ours here, which does the whole thing in the slow cooker!). When you bake the meatballs you can use less oil, but pan-frying them on the stovetop gets the outer edges a bit crispier. Either works well and won't affect the final result too much.