Sweet and Sour Crock Pot Meatballs (Printable)

Frozen meatballs in tangy-sweet peach preserve sauce, slow-cooked to perfection for easy entertaining or dinner.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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
08 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
09 - 1/2 tsp ground ginger
10 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

# How-to Steps:

01 - Place frozen meatballs into the slow cooker bowl
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together peach or apricot preserves, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, 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 Hints:

01 -
  • Five minutes of prep means you can start them before your coffee even finishes brewing.
  • The sauce caramelizes into something glossy and irresistible without any babysitting.
  • They work as a quick dinner over rice or as the appetizer everyone hovers around.
  • Frozen meatballs mean no rolling, no browning, no mess.
02 -
  • Don't cook them on HIGH unless you're in a real rush—the sauce can get too thick and almost candied instead of glossy.
  • Stir at least once during cooking so the meatballs on top don't dry out while the bottom ones hog all the sauce.
  • If the sauce looks too thin after cooking, leave the lid off for the last 20 minutes and it'll reduce beautifully.
03 -
  • Use a slow cooker liner if you want zero cleanup—just lift it out and toss it when you're done.
  • Double the sauce recipe if you're serving over rice; everyone will want extra to drizzle on top.
  • Make these the night before a party and keep them on warm—they'll be ready whenever your guests arrive.
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