Sweet and Sour Crock Pot Meatballs (Printable)

Frozen meatballs in tangy peach preserve sauce—effortless appetizer or main dish ready in your slow cooker.

# 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

→ Garnish

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 fully combined.
02 - Place frozen meatballs in a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Pour prepared sauce over meatballs and gently toss to coat evenly.
03 - Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours until meatballs are heated through and sauce is bubbly.
04 - 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 -
  • Zero stress cooking that frees you up to handle everything else while these simmer away untouched.
  • The sweet and tangy sauce tastes like you fussed over it for hours, but you barely lifted a finger.
  • Works as an elegant appetizer or a casual weeknight dinner, so you're never stuck with just one option.
02 -
  • Don't skip whisking the sauce smooth before it goes in the slow cooker—lumpy preserves create uneven flavor distribution, and you'll have pockets of pure sweetness that throw off the balance.
  • If your meatballs seem to be cooking faster than the sauce is heating, turn it down to LOW even if you started on HIGH, because overcooked meatballs turn grainy and sad.
03 -
  • Buy the best meatballs you can afford—they're the star here, and a quality brand makes a noticeable difference in texture and flavor compared to bargain frozen varieties.
  • Don't peek constantly at the slow cooker; every time you lift the lid, you add fifteen minutes to the cooking time, so trust the process and let it work undisturbed.
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