Slow Cooker Sweet n Sour Meatballs with Pineapple
Sweet and sour meatballs made easy in the slow cooker! Juicy meatballs simmer in a tangy pineapple sauce with bell peppers and a hint of Chinese five spice for bold flavor.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 (20 ounce) can can pineapple chunks, with juice
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon five spice powder
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 28 ounces frozen meatballs homemade or store-bought about 3 cups
Instructions
- Pour the can of pineapple chunks into the crockpot, along with all the juices in the can.
- Add the red and green bell peppers, then toss in the brown sugar, vinegar, water, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire, five spice powder, and cornstarch. Give the mixture a stir until the cornstarch is blended in well.
- Place the frozen meatballs in the crockpot and give it a stir.
- Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 4 to 5 hours. Stir the sauce during the last hour.
- If you use low heat, some slow cookers may not get hot enough to thicken the sauce. If that happens, increase the heat to high for 1 hour.
Notes
- If the sauce doesn’t thicken on low, switch to high for the last hour of cooking.
- Be sure to include the pineapple juice—it’s key to the sauce's flavor.
- Use homemade or store-bought meatballs; both work great.
- Mix the cornstarch into the liquids thoroughly to avoid lumps.
- Swap the bell peppers for other veggies like zucchini or snap peas if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 524mg | Potassium: 552mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 745IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
