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Home » Dinner

Crock Pot Sweet And Sour Meatballs

September 7, 2022 by Ryan Allen Leave a Comment

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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!

Pin These Sweet and Sour Meatballs For Later!

Close up of Crock-Pot sweet and sour meatballs over rice in a white bowl and garnished with sesame seeds.

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 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 This Recipe

  • 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.
  • Worchestershire 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!

Overhead look at sweet and sour meatballs in a slow cooker.

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.
Overhead look at two white bowls of Crock-Pot sweet and sour meatballs garnished with sesame seeds.

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

Should I thaw meatballs before putting them in the crockpot?

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.

Can I use a different type of meatball?

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.

Can you overcook frozen meatballs in the slow cooker?

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.

What can I serve crockpot sweet and sour meatballs with?

These meatballs are deliciously served over rice, quinoa, roasted vegetables, or with a side of steamed broccoli.

Crock-Pot sweet and sour meatballs in a slow cooker and in a white bowl.

More Crockpot Meatball Recipes

  • Crockpot Meatballs
  • Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs
  • The Best Grape Jelly & Chili Sauce Crockpot Meatballs    

Share It & Rate It

I would love it if you would leave a 5 Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below. Then follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Close up of Crock-Pot sweet and sour meatballs over rice in a white bowl and garnished with sesame seeds.

Crock Pot Sweet And Sour Meatballs

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!
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 35 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 555 kcal

Equipment

  • My Favorite Slow Cooker
  • Slow Cooker Liners

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

  • 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.
  • Storing: Cooled leftovers can be removed from the slow cooker 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 stove top over low heat until warm.
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based ingredients, brands and changing cooking methods listed in recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Nutrition

Calories: 555kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 27gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 420mgPotassium: 710mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 796IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Slow Cooker Sweat and Sour Meatballs, Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Hi, I'm Ryan. Welcome to Slow Cooker Meals. I have created tasty Crock-Pot meals that your family will love. New recipes are posted weekly to help you get out of that dinner rut.

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