Description
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs combine tender frozen meatballs with vibrant bell peppers and pineapple in a tangy sauce made from brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce. This easy-to-make dish is perfect for a hassle-free, flavorful meal, slow-cooked to perfection and ideal served over white rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 (28 oz) bag frozen meatballs
- 1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained
- 1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- Reserved pineapple juice from the can
Instructions
- Prepare Pineapple Juice and Meatballs: Drain the pineapple chunks and reserve the juice in a separate bowl. Place the frozen meatballs evenly in the slow cooker and top them with the drained pineapple chunks and roughly chopped green and red bell peppers.
- Mix Sauce: In the bowl with the reserved pineapple juice, whisk together the brown sugar, white vinegar, ketchup, cornstarch, and soy sauce until fully combined and smooth.
- Combine and Cook: Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the meatballs and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on the low setting for 4 to 5 hours or on the high setting for 2 to 3 hours until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve: Once cooked, serve the sweet and sour meatballs warm, ideally with white rice for a complete meal. Enjoy your flavorful, easy slow cooker dish.
Notes
- Use frozen meatballs for convenience, but you can substitute with fresh homemade meatballs if preferred; just adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Drain the pineapple chunks well to prevent the sauce from becoming too watery.
- For a thicker sauce, you can add an additional tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with cold water and stir halfway through cooking.
- Serve with steamed white rice or noodles to soak up the delicious sauce.
- Adjust sugar and vinegar to taste if you prefer a sweeter or tangier sauce.
- If soy sauce needs to be gluten-free, use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
