Easy Sweet Sour Crock Pot Meatballs (Printable)

Tender meatballs coated in a delicious tangy-sweet sauce, prepared easily in your slow cooker. Ideal for any occasion.

# What You Need:

→ 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, for extra tang)
08 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
09 - 1/2 tsp ground ginger
10 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)

# Directions:

01 - Place the frozen meatballs into the bowl of a slow cooker (crock pot).
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the peach or apricot preserves, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard (if using), garlic powder, ginger, and red pepper flakes until smooth.
03 - Pour the sauce over the meatballs and stir gently to coat all the meatballs evenly.
04 - Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours, or until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is bubbling. Stir 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 -
  • The sauce comes together in literally five minutes with pantry staples you probably already have
  • Frozen meatballs mean zero prep work, but the finished dish tastes like you spent all day on it
02 -
  • The sauce thickens as it cooks, so resist the urge to add more liquid unless it looks absolutely dry
  • Substituting grape jelly for the preserves creates a sweeter, more traditional party flavor that kids especially love
03 -
  • Double the sauce recipe if you're serving over rice—everyone will want that extra drizzle
  • For a gluten-free version, swap in GF meatballs and tamari instead of soy sauce
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