Raspberry chipotle meatballs are an easy slow cooker appetizer recipe that is great for parties and game days. Frozen meatballs and a quick five-ingredient chipotle raspberry sauce simmer in the crockpot for a great snack with tons of flavor.
Table of contents
And I’m back with super simple cocktail meatballs! Because what’s a party if you don’t have some tasty meatball snacks along with some toothpicks for easy serving? A party not living up to its potential, I say.
Whether it’s Christmas, New Year’s, the big game, or just a no-reason par-tay with your friends, these raspberry chipotle meatballs need to be on the menu. They take about five minutes to prep, and then they simmer in the slow cooker until they’re tender and saucy.
At the end of this cooking adventure, you get spicy-smoky-sweet meatballs in a raspberry chipotle sauce. They will disappear fast; I can promise you that.
Ingredients
- Chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
- Raspberry preserves
- BBQ sauce
- Worcestershire
- Minced garlic cloves
- Frozen beef meatballs
Recipe Instructions
Whisk the chipotle peppers with raspberry preserves, barbeque sauce, Worcestershire, and minced garlic a bowl.
Place the frozen meatballs in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top. Stir to coat them in the sauce.
Cook the meatballs in the chipotle sauce on high heat for two to three hours or on low heat for four hours. Serve with toothpicks or appetizer skewers.
Tips and Tricks
Feel free to use frozen turkey meatballs or homemade meatballs. If you use homemade, be sure to brown them on the stove before cooking them to the sauce in the slow cooker.
Raspberry preserves pair great with the spicy chipotle peppers, but other fruit preserves will work, too. Try strawberry, apricot, peach… experiment!
You can adjust the heat level by adding more or less peppers. For a hint of heat, use one chipotle pepper. If you don’t like spice, omit the peppers and just use the adobo sauce.
These meatballs will hold well if you leave the slow cooker on the warm setting. No need to transfer them to a bowl – let everyone help themselves straight from the crockpot.
Most of the time, you plan the appetizers after planning the party. In this case, these raspberry chipotle meatballs are the reason to plan the party. So, check the calendar and make a batch to share – you’re going to love them.
Happy snacking,
More Party Snacks
📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe along with your recipe star rating.
PrintRaspberry Chipotle Meatballs
Raspberry chipotle meatballs are an easy slow cooker appetizer that is great for parties and game days. Frozen meatballs and a quick five-ingredient chipotle raspberry sauce simmer in the crockpot for a great snack with tons of flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2–3 chopped chipotles in adobo + 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 13 ounces raspberry preserves
- 20 ounces BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 32 ounces frozen beef meatballs
Instructions
- Whisk the chipotle peppers with raspberry preserves, barbeque sauce, Worcestershire, and minced garlic in the slow cooker.
- Add the frozen meatballs and stir to coat them in the sauce.
- Cook on high heat for 2 to 3 hours or on low heat for 4 hours. Serve with toothpicks or appetizer skewers.
Nutrition
- Calories: 199
- Sugar: 17.9g
- Sodium: 444.2mg
- Fat: 8.5g
- Saturated Fat: 2.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 24.7g
- Fiber: 1.4g
- Protein: 5.7g
- Cholesterol: 24.9mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Gary says
Made these for a small gathering of friends last weekend, and they were a big hit. They didn’t last long, and I will be sure to make them again!
★★★★★
Rob says
Made these over the holidays. Great flavor and the right combination of sweet and tangy. And, very easy to make. Five-stars all around!
★★★★★