Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe
- Prep time: 30 Minutes
- Cook time: 8 Hours & 15 Minutes
- Total time: 8 Hours & 45 Minutes
- Serves: 6
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500 g (1.1 lb) ground beef
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp garlic, crushed
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 440 g (15.5 oz) can pineapple pieces, unsweetened juice (Do not drain)
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp ginger, crushed
- ΒΌ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 large bell pepper, quartered
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 carrot, peeled & sliced
Thickener
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, parsley, and breadcrumbs. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Roll the mix into balls. Two tablespoons per meatball should be enough.
- In a fry-pan over medium heat, brown the meatballs and then put to the side.
- In the slow cooker, combine the brown sugar, ketchup, ginger, apple cider vinegar, pineapple juice, and soy sauce.
- Add the meatballs, bell pepper, pineapple pieces, onion, and carrot.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Just before you go to serve, mix the water and cornstarch until it forms a paste.
- Add the cornstarch paste to the slow cooker and mix until well combined.
- Cook on high for about 15 minutes or until thickened.
- Serve & Enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- As with any type of slow cooking, you do not need to fry the meatballs before adding them to the slow cooker. However, you may notice a difference in taste and texture. The meatballs, in this case, may fall apart if you do not brown them beforehand.
- If you do not mind a super runny sauce, then you do not need to add the cornstarch. Unfortunately, one side effect of slow cookers is their tendency to be very soupy. This is because the cooking method does not allow moisture to evaporate.
- You can cook this dish on high if you need it faster. I would reduce the cooking time to three to four hours.