These Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs are made with the help of your slow cooker and have a unique sweet and sour taste that everyone will love. Serve over rice, noodles, or as a fun party appetizer!
You just can't go wrong with serving meatballs for dinner or as an appetizer! There are so many ways to make them, and so many different flavors you can try, and this crockpot sweet and sour meatballs recipe is a new favorite!
Frozen meatballs are added to a slow cooker along with sweet pineapples, bell peppers, and an easy Asian-inspired sauce made from simple ingredients you may already have in your pantry! Let everything slowly cook together until the meatballs are thawed tender and the sauce has developed its unique flavor.
Serve this Asian crockpot recipe over a bed of rice, your favorite noodles, or even alongside roasted vegetables. You can also serve them as a party appetizer for an event or game day!
Why You’ll Love Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- The sweet and salty flavor is unique and keeps you coming back for more.
- It’s an easy crockpot recipe that only requires a few simple ingredients you may already have on hand.
- You can make it as a main dish or as an appetizer for a party or an event.
- Frozen meatballs save you time and energy, making it the perfect weeknight meal!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Frozen Meatballs - Take a shortcut and use your favorite frozen meatballs for this recipe. You can use larger sizes or cocktail sizes depending on which way you're serving them.
- Cornstarch - Helps thicken the sauce ingredients as they slowly cook together.
- Canned Pineapple Chunks - Gives the sauce a naturally sweet flavor with the pineapple juice, while the pineapples add a great texture.
- Bell Peppers - Adds a garden fresh bell pepper taste that pairs well with the sauce.
- Onion & Garlic - This gives this dish a bold garlic and onion flavor that pairs well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Brown Sugar - Adds sweetness to the sauce along with a light molasses flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - Gives the sauce its tangy acidity, making it sour.
- Ketchup - Adds thickness along with tomato flavor and sweetness.
- Worcestershire Sauce & Soy Sauce - Both of these ingredients add a rich, salty, umami flavor that brings the sauce together.
How To Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs In The Crock Pot
Prepare the meatballs: Add the frozen meatballs to a gallon freezer bag along with the cornstarch. Shake the bag until the meatballs are completely coated in the cornstarch, then add them to the bottom of the slow cooker along with the diced bell pepper and onion.
Assemble the sauce: To a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the juice from pineapple chunks, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and garlic. Stir together and pour over meatballs and vegetables.
Cover and cook: Add the lid to the crockpot and cook. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2½ hours or LOW for 4½ to 5½ hours. 30 minutes before the cooking time is complete, add in the pineapple chunks, cover again, and finish cooking.
Garnish and serve: Remove the meatballs from the crockpot and serve over grains or vegetables with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- When purchasing meatballs, make sure they are plain flavored, as Italian meatballs can throw off the taste of the dish.
- Make sure you do not add the pineapple chunks until the end, as they can become mushy if cooked for too long.
- If you're using this recipe as an appetizer, purchase smaller cocktail-sized meatballs and serve with toothpicks.
- The sauce will thicken as it begins to cool, so if you want a thinner sauce, add in additional pineapple juice or chicken broth.
Variations
- Give this recipe a kick of heat by adding in sriracha sauce, diced jalapeños, or red pepper flakes.
- For a vegetarian option, use vegetarian meatballs.
- If you don't have fresh bell peppers, feel free to add frozen bell peppers to the crockpot.
- Make it a main dish by serving over rice, quinoa, or your favorite grain.
- Add in extra vegetables such as carrots, celery, snow peas, or water chestnuts.
- To make them gluten-free, use GF meatballs, tamari, and arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch. Also, make sure to check the labels on any other ingredients used.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Cooled leftovers can be removed from the crockpot and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Freezing: Let the leftovers cool completely before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container. Label and freeze for up to three months. When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over low heat until warm.
FAQ
No, there is no need to thaw the meatballs before adding them to the crockpot, as they will thaw as the sauce slowly cooks together.
Yes, this recipe can use beef, pork, turkey, lamb, chicken, or vegetarian meatballs. Just make sure they are plain flavored so as not to throw off the taste of the sauce.
Yes, it is possible to overcook meatballs in the crockpot as they are already cooked. Check on them periodically so they do not dry out or become tough.
These meatballs are deliciously served over rice, quinoa, roasted vegetables, or with a side of steamed broccoli.
More Crockpot Meatball Recipes
- Crockpot Meatballs
- Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs
- The Best Grape Jelly & Chili Sauce Crockpot Meatballs
- French Onion Meatballs
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Crock Pot Sweet And Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 (32 oz) bag frozen meatballs
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup pineapple chunks (Do not drain. The juice will be used in sauce.)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (cut into 1" pieces)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (cut into 1" pieces)
- 1 cup yellow onion (cut into 1" pieces)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
Instructions
- Add meatballs and cornstarch to a 1 gallon freezer bag. Shake until completely coated.
- Place coated meatballs, green pepper, red pepper, and onion to the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl add juice from pineapple chunks, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and garlic. Stir together and pour over meatballs and vegetables.
- Cover and cook on high for 2½ hours (or low for 4½ to 5½ hours). 30 minutes before the cooking time is complete, add in the pineapple chunks and recover, and finish cooking.
- Serve over rice and garnish with fresh green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
- The meatballs can be added directly from the freezer without the need for thawing beforehand.
- When buying meatballs, ensure that they are unseasoned as Italian-style meatballs may alter the flavor of the recipe.
- To prevent the pineapple chunks from becoming mushy, adding them towards the end of the cooking process rather than cooking them for too long.
- The sauce will thicken as it begins to cool, so if you want a thinner sauce, add in additional pineapple juice or chicken broth.
- Storing: After cooling the leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a maximum of five days.
- Freezing: Ensure that the leftovers have cooled down completely before transferring them to a container or bag suitable for freezing. Label the container or bag and freeze for up to three months. To serve, thaw the leftovers in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat them gently over low heat on the stovetop until they are warmed through.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Jackie Torreyson says
Very simple recipe but super flavorful. I stirred mine halfway through cooking. Wasn't overly sweet. Defiantly want to make sure you use regular meatballs not Italian ones. Turned out great will be adding to my weeknight meal rotation.
Jackie says
Quick and easy to make. Loaded with flavor. I stirred mine about halfway to make sure everything was coated. I would recommend turning on high towards the end to help thicken the sauce. You will want to make sure you use regular meatballs and not the Italian kind. Super yummy will be adding to my weeknight rotation.
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you thought is was good enough to add to your weeknight rotation. Happy eating!!