Slow Cooker Sweet And Sour Meatballs

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Slow cooker sweet and sour meatballs are tangy and scrumptious. Perfect to serve as an appetizer, game day snack game or even as an entree! Kosher for Passover option included

Meatballs are the culinary equivalent of a Little Black Dress. Add upscale "accessories" like gourmet sauce and frilly toothpicks, and they are ready for a cocktail party.

For a casual gathering, throw on some red sauce and add them to a bowl of pasta. Voila, a great family dinner.

Layer them in BBQ sauce and they are ready to head outside for a picnic. Want to lighten them up? Just sub out the ground beef for ground turkey.

Jump to:

• 📃Shopping list
• 🍲How to make this dish
• Kosher For Passover Recipe
• 🍽Serving suggestions
• Storing leftovers
• 😉Hacks and Hints
• 📖 Recipe

Any easy slow cooker meal that can go from party appetizer to delicious dinner is my kind of dish! This recipe also has the great option of being made with homemade meatballs OR premade frozen meatballs. Just the kind of versatility you need during a busy holiday season

The whole family will love these - even your picky eaters!

📃Shopping list

To make this super easy recipe you will need these simple ingredients:

FOR HOMEMADE MEATBALLS

• Ground beef - lean ground beef is a must
• Eggs
• Onion - grated
• Potato - grated
• Bread crumbs - or matzo meal

SAUCE

• Ketchup
• Water
• Brown sugar
• Raisins
• Nonstick cooking spray

🍲How to make this dish

This favorite meatball recipe couldn't be easier to make! The sweet and sour sauce gets mixed together right in your slow cooker. Just add in all the ingredients and give it a stir. Then, place the meatballs right into the sauce to cook

🥣The sauce

This simple 4-ingredient sauce includes ketchup, brown sugar, raisins, and water. Just add the ingredients directly into your slow cooker and stir. If you will be making your own meatballs from scratch, set the sauce on high. This will give it a slight head start warming up while you prepare your meatballs

🧆Meatballs

Like the sauce, these meatballs are made with just four basic ingredients: ground beef, grated potato, grated onion, and bread crumbs. Mix ingredients together in a large bowl and you are set.

Use your hand to gently roll meatballs that are approximately 1.5"- 2" in diameter. For reference, I would say I make mine about the size of a golf ball. Smaller meatballs are great too if you will be serving as an appetizer.I prefer to use gloves when rolling meatballs.

Drop each meatball directly into the sauce in your crock pot. Cover and cook. Cooking time on high is 3-4 hours and the low setting for 6-8.

PRO-TIP: To make this dish even easier, use pre-made frozen meatballs! If you are buying them already cooked, try to avoid Italian meatballs if possible to keep the flavor neutral. Turkey meatballs work well in this great recipe also.

If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!

Kosher For Passover Recipe

Slow cooker sweet and sour meatballs is one of my favorite recipes to make for Passover. They make a great appetizer or extra meat dish when you are serving a large crew. Alternatively, if you are just DONE with matzo pizza and matzo ball soup, they make for a great mid-holiday-week change of pace.

To make this recipe kosher for Passover, just substitute out bread crumbs for matzo meal.

🍽Serving suggestions

This sweet and sour meatball recipe is great served as either an appetizer or main course. They are a big hit as a tasty appetizer. Just place them in a bowl with some toothpicks or mini serving forks and watch them disappear.

It is easy to turn this dish into a main course. Serve over white rice or cauliflower rice. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds for a perfect finish. Add some green beans or steamed broccoli on the side and you have an amazing complete meal.

Storing leftovers

Leftovers of this meatball recipe can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag. They will last several days in the refrigerator and 3-4 months in the freezer. They are easy to reheat in the microwave.

😉Hacks and Hints

1. The recipe calls for grating both a potato and onion. I usually opt to buy frozen, shredded potato and frozen chopped onion. While still frozen, I put them in a food processor and give them a few pulses to make the shreds into smaller pieces.
2. Meatballs are safe to eat when they reach an internal temperature of 160℉
3. These meatballs go well with savory sauce as well as sweet. Try this sauce if you aren't in the mood for sweet and sour.
4. If you want to lighten up the calorie load in this, you can substitute out the ground beef for ground turkey. You can also sub out the brown sugar for my favorite brown sugar alternative, Swerve.
5. This is a great dish if your people will be eating at different times. It stays really well on the warm setting of your slow cooker.
6. I always recommend using a slow cooker liner for easy clean-up. This is a fully optional step. I usually buy liners in bulk for the best per-piece price. 
7. In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!

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Have you tried this recipe? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below! 💕