Sweet and Sour Crock Pot Meatballs (Printable Version)

Tender meatballs in a fruity peach-apricot glaze, perfect for parties and weeknight dinners.

# What You Need:

→ Meatballs

01 - 2 pounds frozen fully cooked meatballs

→ Sauce

02 - 1 cup peach or apricot preserves
03 - 1/2 cup ketchup
04 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
05 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
06 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
07 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

10 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
11 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

# How To Make It:

01 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together peach or apricot preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, ground ginger, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
02 - Place frozen meatballs into a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
03 - Pour prepared sauce over meatballs and gently toss to ensure even coating throughout.
04 - Cover and cook on LOW setting for 3-4 hours or on HIGH setting for 1.5-2 hours, until meatballs are heated through and sauce reaches a gentle boil.
05 - Stir gently before serving. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve warm as an appetizer with toothpicks or over rice as a main dish.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Five minutes of prep means you can literally forget about dinner until guests arrive.
  • The slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you handle everything else on your plate.
  • Works equally well as party appetizers or spooned over rice for a proper meal when you need it to stretch.
02 -
  • Don't use fresh meatballs unless you want to cook them first—they'll release too much liquid and make your sauce watery.
  • The sauce tastes significantly better after an hour or so; all those flavors need time to meld and stop tasting like separate ingredients.
03 -
  • Make the sauce the night before and refrigerate it; in the morning, just add meatballs and turn on the slow cooker for completely stress-free entertaining.
  • If the sauce tastes too acidic after cooking, stir in another tablespoon of preserves or a pinch more brown sugar to balance it out—taste as you adjust.
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