Sweet and Sour Crock Pot Meatballs (Printable)

Tender meatballs in a tangy peach-apricot glaze, perfect for effortless entertaining

# 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

# How to Make It:

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 well combined.
02 - Place frozen meatballs in a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker, then pour the prepared sauce over the meatballs and gently toss to coat evenly.
03 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, or on HIGH for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is bubbly.
04 - Gently stir the meatballs 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 -
  • The meatballs miraculously absorb all the tangy sweetness while staying perfectly tender, something I learned after years of rushing other recipes.
  • You can literally toss everything together in under five minutes, making this your secret weapon for those days when life catches you completely unprepared for feeding people.
02 -
  • Never stir these meatballs too vigorously or too often during cooking, as I learned when half of mine crumbled into meat sauce during a dinner party disaster.
  • The sauce thickens considerably as it cools, so if serving as a stand-alone appetizer, keep them slightly saucier than you think they should be.
03 -
  • Line your slow cooker with a disposable liner before adding ingredients, and cleanup becomes as effortless as the recipe itself, something I wish Id known the first dozen times I scrubbed dried sauce from every crevice.
  • If your sauce ever separates or looks too thin, a quick slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water stirred in during the last 20 minutes of cooking will restore that perfect glossy thickness.
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