Instant Pot Blackberry Jalapeño BBQ Meatballs, an easy sweet and spicy cocktail meatball appetizer for holiday parties or game day.
I brought a jar of blackberry-jalapeño conserves home this summer because someone told me it makes great BBQ meatballs. You know, the sweet and spicy sticky ones often found on the party buffet table. So I mixed the conserves (jelly/jam) with BBQ sauce and frozen cocktail meatballs, and made in the pressure cooker. Super easy, super fast, and super good.
We're talking three ingredients here, hello? I never realized how those sweet and spicy cocktail meatballs were actually made. I just loaded my plate up with them at Super Bowl parties, graduation parties and holiday open houses. They are tasty and gone in a flash.
I'm not sure why my jar of blackberry-jalapeño stuff is called conserves, I got it from a small Amish farm in Illinois. It looks like and has the consistency of a cross between jam and jelly. Use whatever it is called, as long as it's sweet and spicy like blackberry~jalapeño.
HOW TO MAKE SWEET AND SPICY BBQ COCKTAIL MEATBALLS IN THE INSTANT POT
- Place trivet in the Instant Pot insert and some water. Add frozen meatballs and cook for 5 minutes under high pressure.
- Remove meatballs and discard water. Add jelly and BBQ sauce. Turn on sauté setting.
- Stir until jam/jelly is melted and sauce is smooth.
- Add cooked meatballs back to sauce and toss and coat. Yum!
If you can't find blackberry jalapeño jam or jelly, try something else that's spicy. I've seen strawberry jalapeño, raspberry jalapeño or just mix regular pepper jelly, the green stuff, with a berry fruit jam. That'll work! Look in the specialty areas in the grocery stores or your favorite fruit and vegetable stand for these specialty jams and jellies.
I'm pretty sure this mixture of blackberry-jalapeño jam and BBQ sauce is similar to the gazillion slow cooker cocktail meatball recipes made with grape jelly. It's the same thing, except changed up to blackberry jelly with a spicy kick from the jalapeño and made in about a half hour total in the Instant Pot. Pretty cool!
Next time you're tasked with making or bringing an appetizer for a crowd, you can't go wrong with these sweet and spicy BBQ meatballs. Have a good one, Kelly
Need more ideas for a crowd? Try this Texas Caviar, it, too, disappears fast! And you can never go wrong with this favorite, Chipped Beef Dip!
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Instant Pot Blackberry Jalapeño BBQ Meatballs
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen cocktail meatballs
- 16 ounces blackberry jalapeno jelly/jam/conserves (2 cups)
- 16 ounces BBQ sauce (2 cups)
Instructions
- Place trivet in Instant Pot insert and 1 cup water. Add frozen meatballs. Seal and cook under high pressure for 5 minutes. Quick release pressure. Remove meatballs and set aside. Discard cooking water.
- Add blackberry jalapeño jelly and BBQ sauce to insert. Set to low on sauté feature. Stir until jelly is melted and sauce is smooth.
- Return meatballs to Instant Pot and toss to coat thoroughly. Switch to warm and serve, or remove to serving bowl and serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
KathyB
Sunday 6th of November 2022
Omg, these are FABULOUS! I combined a cup of plain blackberry jam with a cup of jalapeño pepper jelly dice it was what I had in the fridge. And Duke’s Southern BBQ sauce. I served them with plain white rice. So SO good!
Pam
Tuesday 4th of October 2022
Also try Major Grey's Chutney as the sauce. Sooo good.
Meathead
Thursday 27th of December 2018
You'll hit the Jackpot with these Instant Pot Meatballs!