Venison Grape Jelly Meatballs in Slow Cooker
Spicy Venison Grape Jelly Meatballs in Slow Cooker
Grape Jelly meatballs have been around for years. My former boss Helen, from the Mole Hole in Appleton WI., (just a quick skip down memory lane. They say that’s a good way to keep your mind sharp:) gave me this recipe. One day Helen brought in a plate full of grape jelly meatballs and said, “Try one!” I did and the rest as they say is history. That was roughly 20 years ago, and I’ve been making them ever since. Not quite as often as I once did, but often enough all the same. My hubby is the reason for this recipe for Venison Grape Jelly Meatballs. The things we do for love!
Ground Venison
I have made grape jelly meatballs using the standard ground beef but I have made them using ground turkey also. My personal favorite is a mixture of ground beef and pork. Basically making grape jelly “meatballs” with the same ingredients I use to make my “regular” meatballs give or take a few ingredients. I always make my own meatballs, never do I use packaged. I made grape jelly meatballs once using packaged meatballs and I vowed never to do it again!
My hubby has a good friend that does a lot of hunting. Over the winter he gave my hubby venison sausage, venison ring bologna, venison steak and lots of ground venison. In fact, check out my YouTube channel playlists under Air Fryer and you’ll find the recipes there. Not knowing exactly what to do with ground venison, besides the usual, I thought grape jelly meatballs might be good! So I asked my hubby if he’d eat grape jelly meatballs made with ground venison? I mean duh, what’s he going to say “no”?
UP NEXT: Old Fashioned Reuben Sliders
If you are a hunter or you have a hunter in your family, then this recipe is right up your alley. Personally, I’m not a venison eater, so I can’t say if they were delicious or not but my hubby loves venison and he really, really loved this recipe.
Spicy Venison Grape Jelly Meatballs in Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 large jars grape jelly
- 2 bottles chili sauce
- I empty bottle (from sauce) water
- 4 lbs. ground venison
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
- 2 teaspoons smokey paprika
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 - 6 mini sweet peppers, sliced
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 22 drops hot sauce
- 20 drops Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons spicy mustard
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 sleeves buttery crackers
- 4 tablespoons oil
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients together except the 4 tablespoons oil. Form mixture into meatball size balls.
- In large skillet, heat oil. Add meatballs and brown on all sides. Do Not crowd the pan. Remove from pan and set aside to drain. Continue with remaining meatballs.
- Meanwhile, in slow cooker add grape jelly and chili sauce. Heat in low. When the meatballs are finished browning, add then one by one to the slow cooker. Cover and cook in low for 6-8 hours. NOTE: Not all meatballs will fit in slow cooker depending on the size.