These brandy meatballs are always a guest favorite. Easy and fast plus #delicious. A perfect addition to any party, holiday gathering, or even weeknight dinner!
A classic cocktail meatball with a twist - brandy! This cocktail meatball recipe is the best mini meatball appetizer we have made yet PLUS #easy #fast.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Use your favorite meatballs, add a few additional ingredients and you have meatball appetizers your guests will devour!
- Meatballs - Make your own or use a pre-made, fresh or frozen meatball.
- Paprika - Any paprika will work, sweet, smokey, or spicy paprika.
- Blackberry jelly - Use a seedless jelly, either homemade or store bought.
- Brandy - For that depth of flavor.
- Pantry staples - Red wine vinegar, corn starch, salt and pepper.
Meatballs
Use your favorite meatballs, homemade or store bought, in this party meatball recipe. Lean ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork, or a combination of them all works great. We found a 2-3 teaspoon sized cookie scoop is the perfect size for a cocktail meatball. Make them bigger or smaller depending on your event and how you are serving them.
Equipment Used
Picks. We do not recommend using colored toothpicks as the color can come off on the food. We like to use a reusable toothpick, but recognize if you are hosting a large party this may not be feasible. For large parties use a decorative toothpick when possible - like a bamboo knotted toothpick. These are found at most party stores, some grocery stores, or restaurant supply stores. Here are a few of our favorite pick sources.
- Wooden toothpicks - Least expensive and easy to get
- Knotted bamboo toothpicks - Inexpensive and easy to get at many locations
- Bamboo w/’pearl’ - Step up from basic pick and available at Amazon
- Metal cocktail pick - Most expensive option but reusable!
We use a cookie scoop to form our homemade meatballs. A silicone baking mat helps the meatballs slide right off the baking sheet. No silpat? Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a glass baking dish instead.
Substitutions
If you can find them, use red currant jelly instead of blackberry jelly and cherry brandy instead of regular brandy. Great flavors! Play with the fruit flavor and find your favorite; apricot, raspberry, cherry, will all go great with brandy.
Make this cocktail meatball sauce alcohol free by using juice - apple, white grape, pear - instead of brandy. If the juice is very sweet mix it with water to reduce the sweetness in the sauce.
Brandy Meatball Tips
This meatball recipe is so easy and ready in no time using the oven and stove top, but these can also be made (and served) using a crock pot or slow cooker. Mix together the sauce ingredients in the slow cooker until well combined. Add the cooked, paprika covered meatballs and heat until warm. Serve on the low or warm setting.
Use pre-made, fresh or frozen meatballs. Most frozen meatballs will be be pre-baked already, but unbaked works too. Just toss with the paprika and bake per package instructions then proceed with the recipe as directed.
Make Ahead
If making your own meatballs, make them ahead of time and store in the refrigerator, up to 5 days, or in the freezer up to 2 months. You can bake them before or after storing.
Make the meatball sauce up to 3 days in advance and keep in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to heat and serve the meatballs.
How to Serve Brandy Cocktail Meatballs
Keep these appetizer meatballs warm by serving them in a chafer, crockpot, or a dish on a warming tray. We want them to stay at a food safe temperature and also be warm and appetizing.
After serving these at hundreds of catering events, we found if served with a spoon, guests will eat MANY, MANY more than if we serve them with a pick. Place a dish of picks next to the warm meatballs. We like shot glasses to hold our clean picks. Place a few picks in the meatballs and continue to do so throughout the event as meatballs and picks are removed.
Saving Leftovers
The FDA recommends discarding any perishable food that has been out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
If you are within the FDA recommendations, these meatballs store great in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the oven.
We don't recommend freezing the leftover meatballs in sauce. While it will work and be safe to eat, we find the texture of the sauce can sometimes get a little gummy when frozen, thawed, and reheated. If they have to be frozen and thawed in the sauce, try adding a little more liquid (water or brandy) when reheating.
Other Favorite Cocktail Meatball Recipes
FAQ's
It depends on the meatballs used. If there are no gluten products, like bread crumbs, in the meatballs then this dish is probably gluten free. Brandy, jelly, and corn starch are usually gluten free. To be sure, confirm the actual brands you are using are gluten free.
We like meatballs for a party to be small bite sized. Usually a meatball that is about 1 ounce is perfect for an appetizer size. If making your own this is usually a small 2-3 teaspoon size cookie scoop.
Tough question! It depends on what else you are serving, what type of party it is, and the time of your event. In general, people LOVE these meatballs and eat a lot. If this is a super bowl party with lots of snack-y food, people will graze on them for hours - serve in a crockpot or chafer to keep them warm. If this is a Christmas party with lots of hearty foods, people will probably eat 4-5. At the catering company we would always double or even triple the amount we made because they were so good. We always recommend making more than you think you need, they will be eaten!
📖 Recipe
Brandy Meatballs
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 24 pieces 1x
Description
Easy, delicious, fast to make, and a favorite whenever served! These Brandy Cocktail Meatballs are a perfect addition to any party, holiday gathering, or just dinner!
Ingredients
- 24 meatballs, cooked
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika (see notes if making your own meatballs)
- ⅔ cup seedless blackberry jelly
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- ⅓ cup brandy
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toss meatballs with paprika and heat in oven until warm.
- Combine seedless blackberry jelly, red wine vinegar, and cornstarch in a sauce pan and heat over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until warm and slightly thickened.
- Carefully stir in brandy and cook 1-2 minutes more until well combined and warm.
- Add meatballs to sauce.
- Serve. We recommend serving in a chaffer or warming dish. Add toothpicks to each meatball or have toothpicks in a small container (we like using a shot glass) next to the meatballs.
Notes
Meatballs. We like making our own meatballs but pre-made and pre-baked meatballs work just as good. To make your own basic meatball, mix 1 pound ground meat (beef, chicken, pork, turkey or combination) with salt and pepper until well combined. Use a 2-3 teaspoon scoop to form small balls and roll between your hands to form your meatball. If making your own meatballs, sprinkle paprika over meatballs before cooking. Gently toss to coat evenly and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.
Sauce. We use a plain brandy for this recipe but if you can find cherry brandy grab it! It adds so much depth to this sauce. We initially used a red currant jelly for this and it is great with the cherry brandy. However, it is sometimes difficult to find.
Serving. We recommend serving these in a dish to keep them warm. A chaffer, warming dish, or hot plate will all work. We like adding a few toothpicks to the meatballs in the dish so people understand how to serve them. Then place a small container, like a shot glass, full of toothpicks next to the meatballs. NOTE: THESE ARE GOOD! When we have served these with a spoon people consistently eat 2-3 times more than when we serve them with toothpicks. Plan accordingly!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 103
- Sugar: 3.7 g
- Sodium: 287.8 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.2 g
- Protein: 4.3 g
- Cholesterol: 18.7 mg
Sarah says
I made these mini meatballs to celebrate a family birthday and they were a big hit! Will definitely be adding them to our party favorites!
Sarah Licata says
YIPPEE! We're so glad you enjoyed them!
Mike says
Perfect for quick and easy group snack. I used a bag of meatballs in the freezer and they turned out perfectly. So savory and tasty and everyone wanted more, so I'll be adding these to the list!
Rhonda says
Glad you liked them and love to hear everyone wanted more!