Easy Sweet and Sour Crock Pot Meatballs (Print version)

Tender meatballs in a tangy peach-apricot glaze. Perfect effortless appetizer or party dish.

# What You'll 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

# Directions:

01 - In a medium 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 fully combined.
02 - Place frozen meatballs in a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker, then pour the prepared sauce over the meatballs.
03 - Gently toss the meatballs to ensure even coating with the sauce.
04 - Cover and cook on LOW setting for 3 to 4 hours or on HIGH setting for 1.5 to 2 hours, until meatballs are heated through and sauce is bubbly.
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 Tips:

01 -
  • You literally just dump everything in a slow cooker and forget about it while life happens.
  • That sweet-sour-savory balance somehow works like magic and disappears faster than you'd expect.
  • It's the kind of dish that looks like you tried way harder than you actually did.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd your slow cooker or the meatballs won't cook evenly—if you're doubling the recipe, use two cookers or work in batches.
  • The sauce thickens slightly as it simmers, which is perfect, but if you want it thicker or thinner, you have that control in the last 15 minutes.
03 -
  • Use a slow cooker liner to avoid cleanup entirely and still get that perfect glossy sauce with zero sticking.
  • If your meatballs seem dry after cooking, it means your sauce was too thick—next time add a splash of water or chicken broth to loosen it up before cooking.
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