These Crockpot Sweet and Sour Meatballs work equally well as an appetizer or as a main course. They’re made with either frozen or fresh meatballs, and covered in a delicious sweet and sour sauce along with pineapples, onions, and peppers.
As a main course, you can serve Sweet and Sour Crockpot Meatballs over rice or noodles. Or, for an easy party appetizer or game day snack, serve with toothpicks and a little extra sauce for dipping.
Crockpot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
The combination of flavors in these Sweet and Sour Crockpot Meatballs are so good, and so stinking easy to achieve. Just pop a bag of frozen meatballs, diced pineapple, diced red onion, and diced red pepper into a crockpot, cover with a couple cups of your favorite sweet and sour sauce, and away you go.
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I will often serve Sweet and Sour Meatballs over white rice for an easy dinner, however they also make a perfect game day appetizer. While frozen meatballs make this recipe oh-so-easy, you could use homemade meatballs if you’d like. No matter what, you can be sure they will be gobbled up in no time.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs Ingredients
- Meatballs – you can use any size of frozen store bought meatballs for this recipe. I recommend sticking with a classic variety rather than using a flavored meatball. You can also use homemade ground beef meatballs, or even ground turkey. The only difference is that if they aren’t frozen, you may need to cook for slightly less time.
- Pineapple – I recommend cutting into 1” pieces so that they are small enough to eat but not so small that they will become too soft.
- Red Onions – I like to use red onions because of the flavor, but also because they retain some of their crunch even after being cooked. You can cut into 1” wedges for this recipe.
- Red Peppers – red bell peppers add a nice color, but you could also use green or yellow peppers.
- Sweet and Sour Sauce – you can use any brand of sweet and sour sauce that you like.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs in the Slow Cooker
- Add ingredients to the crockpot. Spray a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, then add the frozen meatballs, diced pineapple, red onion, and diced red pepper. Top with the sweet and sour sauce, stirring until everything is coated.
- Cover and cook. Cover and cook for about 2 hours on high, 4-5 hours on low, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Serve. Serve warm as an appetizer or over cooked rice. Enjoy!
Sweet and Sour Meatball Variations
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Pineapple: Adding pineapple chunks to the sauce gives these meatballs a tropical twist. The acidity of the pineapple also helps to balance the sweetness of the sauce.
- Teriyaki Meatballs: For a more savory umami flavor, try adding teriyaki sauce to the meatballs.
- Cranberry Meatballs: A perfect dish for the holiday season, add a little cranberry sauce to the slow cooker. The tangy and sweet flavor of cranberry sauce complements the meatballs so well.
- Mushroom Sweet and Sour Meatballs: Adding mushrooms to the sauce gives these meatballs an earthy and savory flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no need to thaw the meatballs first. You can just toss them in with the rest of the ingredients, cover, and let the crockpot do the cooking.
If you are using frozen meatballs, this recipe should take you about 2 hours to cook on high or about 4-5 hours to cook on low. You just want to cook until the vegetables are tender and everything is warmed through.
Yes! If you would rather use homemade meatballs, feel free to use them in this recipe. The only difference is that you may not need to cook for quite as long. The meat will need to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If you go the homemade meatballs route, make the meat mixture and either brown them in a large skillet or toss them directly into the crockpot.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: to freeze, transfer cooled leftovers to freezer bags and store frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- To reheat: you can either microwave the meatballs, or reheat in a saucepan over medium heat. You may want to add an extra splash of water, soy sauce, or sweet and sour sauce while it warms.
Crockpot Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Beef Meatballs, frozen
- 1½ cups pineapple, cut into 1' pieces
- 1 medium Red Onions, cut into 1" wedges
- 1 large red pepper, cut into 1" pieces
- 2 cups Sweet and Sour Sauce
Instructions
- Spray a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, then add the frozen meatballs, diced pineapple, red onion, and diced red pepper. Top with the sweet and sour sauce, stirring until everything is coated.
- Cover and cook for about 2 hours on high, 4-5 hours on low, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Serve warm as an appetizer or over cooked rice. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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This Sweet and Sour Meatballs slow cooker recipe is full of flavor yet so simple to make. Served in a delicious sauce with pineapples, onions, and peppers, they work great as an appetizer or served over a bed of rice for an easy dinner.
Yum! My entire family loved these and I love how easy they are to make in the slow cooker.
These meatballs were so easy to make and had great flavor. Everyone really enjoyed them!