Sweet and Sour Crock Pot Meatballs (Printable)

Tender meatballs in tangy-sweet peach preserve sauce. Effortless appetizer or main dish ready in 3 hours.

# What You’ll Use:

→ Meatballs

01 - 2 lbs frozen fully-cooked meatballs

→ Sweet and Sour Sauce

02 - 1 cup peach or apricot preserves
03 - 1/2 cup ketchup
04 - 1/4 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
05 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
06 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar
07 - 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, optional
08 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
09 - 1/2 tsp ground ginger
10 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

# How-To:

01 - Place frozen meatballs into the slow cooker bowl
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together preserves, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard if using, garlic powder, ginger, and red pepper flakes until smooth
03 - Pour sauce over meatballs and stir gently to coat all meatballs evenly
04 - Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours until meatballs are heated through and sauce is bubbling, stirring once or twice during cooking if possible
05 - Serve hot as an appetizer with toothpicks or over rice as a main dish

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It requires almost no prep work, just toss everything in and let the slow cooker do the magic.
  • The sweet peach preserves balanced with tangy vinegar create a sauce that clings to every meatball perfectly.
  • It works beautifully as a casual appetizer or a weeknight dinner served over rice.
  • Guests always ask for the recipe, convinced it took hours of effort.
02 -
  • Stir gently when coating the meatballs so they stay intact and do not break apart in the sauce.
  • If the sauce looks too thick after cooking, stir in a tablespoon or two of water to loosen it up.
  • Do not skip the vinegar, it is what keeps the sweetness in check and makes the sauce truly sweet and sour.
03 -
  • Use a slow cooker liner for the easiest cleanup, especially if you are taking this to a potluck.
  • Taste the sauce before pouring it over the meatballs and adjust the sweetness or tang to your preference.
  • Keep the crock pot on warm after cooking so guests can help themselves without the meatballs drying out.
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