Slow Cooker Chinese Meatballs

Skip the takeout and instead, try these easy Slow Cooker Chinese Meatballs! Paired with crisp vegetables and a thick, sweet pineapple-soy glaze, these Asian-style meatballs make for an easy dinner or flavorful appetizer with only 15 minutes of prep time!

I have yet to meet a child who doesn’t love meatballs, so a bag of frozen bite-sized turkey or beef meatballs has become a staple in my kitchen.

Whether I’m making Dump-and-Bake Meatball Subs, Weeknight Meatball and Tortellini Soup, or my 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Barbecue Meatballs, frozen meatballs are a versatile option that takes the guesswork out of dinnertime.

And now, I’ve got one more delicious option to add to my list: these slow cooker Chinese meatballs with bell peppers, onion, and rice!

Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Asian Meatballs Recipe

• Easy: between the frozen meatballs and simple sauce, there’s hardly any work involved. It’s make-ahead and freezer-friendly and makes plenty for leftovers!
• Versatile: you can serve these tasty slow cooker meatballs as a complete meal, but they also make the perfect appetizer!
• Asian Flavors: sweet and savory thanks to pineapple juice and the classic flavors of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar.

You know what I love most about this simple Crock Pot dinner? It doesn’t taste like a slow cooker recipe – it tastes like your favorite Asian take-out at home! The sauce is thick and rich (not watered down and thin), and the vegetables are crisp and bright (not soft or mushy). It’s the perfect dinner, party appetizer, or family-friendly meal on the busiest days.

Can I use homemade meatballs in this recipe?

Yes, you can make your homemade meatballs! This Asian meatball recipe would be delicious with ground beef, ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey meatballs.

Season the ground meat mixture with a variety of Asian-inspired seasonings, such as ginger, garlic, Chinese five-spice, onion, and sesame oil. Eggs will help hold the meat together. You can bake or pan-fry the meatballs until they’re cooked and slow-cook them the rest of the way in your Crock Pot with the pineapple sauce for 1-2 hours on low.

Can I put raw meatballs in the slow cooker with the sauce?

Yes, you can cook homemade meatballs from raw in the slow cooker! Since we cook the sauce prior to adding it to the slow cooker, it’s already hot when we add everything to the slow cooker. Cover them with the sauce and cook them on high for 3-4 hours.

What other seasonings can I add to the pineapple sauce?

The sweet, tropical flavor of pineapple pairs well with a variety of flavors, especially Asian-inspired! Minced fresh garlic cloves are perfect for this recipe. Red pepper flakes, a sweet chili sauce, or chili paste can add sweet heat. Hoisin sauce is another popular Asian ingredient that pairs well with the sweet flavors of pineapple. You could even use an Asian BBQ sauce to add more zing!

What other vegetables can I use in this Chinese meatballs recipe?

I like to keep it simple with sliced bell peppers and onions. They’re perfectly sweet, crispy, and colorful – but you can use plenty of other veggies to bulk up this recipe. Green beans, pea pods, matchstick carrots, broccoli, or Thai chilis are all great options. You could even add pineapple chunks to complement the juice in the tangy sauce.

Making the Sweet Pineapple-Soy Sauce

While the pineapple-soy sauce glaze requires an extra few minutes in a saucepan, it’s TOTALLY worth the effort. The sweet-and-savory combination is the key to these delicious meatballs!

By simmering the sauce on the stovetop before it goes into the slow cooker, you get an incredibly thick, rich glaze that coats the meat and vegetables and gives the dinner that Chinese restaurant-takeout taste. And please, please, please — don’t skip the sesame oil! It gives the dish a classic Asian flavor that you just can’t duplicate with a different oil.

Cook’s Tips for Slow Cooker Chinese Meatballs

After years of testing and re-testing slow cooker dinners, I’ve learned a few good tricks along the way. Here are a couple of my favorite tips for the perfect slow cooker Chinese meatballs:

• Start with a really thick, flavorful sauce because the water from the condensation in the pot will thin the sauce as it cooks.
• Wait to add your vegetables during the final hour of cooking time. This way, they stay crisp-tender rather than becoming too soft.
• When you grab frozen meatballs from the grocery store, make sure to grab homestyle meatballs, not Italian meatballs!
• To make this a freezer-friendly meal, cook the sauce as instructed and allow it to cool completely. Then, combine the sauce and frozen meatballs in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Leftover meatballs will keep for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
• You can easily double or triple this recipe, but you’ll need at least an 8-quart or larger slow cooker to accommodate a larger crowd.
• Be sure to give the meatballs a good stir throughout cooking to ensure everything is well-coated with the sauce and cooking evenly.

More Delicious Meatball Recipes

Slow Cooker Barbecue Meatballs

3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Aunt Bee’s Swedish Meatballs

1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Baked Chicken Meatballs

1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Homemade Meatballs

45 minutes mins

Slow Cooker Chinese Meatballs

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 3 hours hours

0 minutes minutes

Total: 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 438.9 kcal

These slow cooker Asian-inspired meatballs are cooked in a sweet and savory pineapple soy sauce, onions, and peppers! Perfect as a main dish or party appetizer, these meatballs are a hit with everyone!

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 25 oz. bag frozen fully-cooked turkey or beef bite-sized meatballs
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 sweet bell peppers seeded and sliced
• 1 sweet onion sliced

Sauce Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• ½ cup less-sodium soy sauce
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup brown sugar

Serving + Garnish

• White rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice
• Sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

• In a large saucepan, whisk together cornstarch and pineapple juice until smooth. Add soy sauce, vinegar, water, and brown sugar, whisking to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking constantly, just until thickened (about 3-5 minutes).
  4 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 cups pineapple juice, ½ cup less-sodium soy sauce, ½ cup rice vinegar, ½ cup water, ¼ cup brown sugar
• Pour sesame oil in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place meatballs in the slow cooker and pour sauce over top. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours.
  2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, 1 25 oz. bag frozen fully-cooked turkey or beef bite-sized meatballs
• Stir in bell peppers and onion. Cook on LOW for 1 more hour, or until vegetables are tender and meatballs are heated through.
  2 sweet bell peppers, 1 sweet onion
• Serve over rice and garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds, if desired.
  White rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, Sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds

Notes

• Start with a really thick, flavorful sauce because the water from the condensation in the pot will thin the sauce as it cooks.
• Wait to add your vegetables during the final hour of cooking time. This way, they stay crisp-tender rather than becoming too soft.
• When you grab frozen meatballs from the grocery store, make sure to grab homestyle meatballs, not Italian meatballs!
• To make this a freezer-friendly meal, cook the sauce as instructed and allow it to cool completely. Then, combine the sauce and frozen meatballs in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Leftover meatballs will keep for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
• You can easily double or triple this recipe, but you’ll need at least an 8-quart or larger slow cooker to accommodate a larger crowd.
• Be sure to give the meatballs a good stir throughout cooking to ensure everything is well-coated with the sauce and cooking evenly.

Cooking Just for Two? Cut the ingredients in half and prepare the dish in a small 2- or 3-quart slow cooker. The rest of the instructions remain the same.

Want to Prepare these Chinese Meatballs on the Stovetop? Start by making the sauce in a large pot, as instructed. Whisk in the sesame oil and add the meatballs; cover, and simmer over low heat for about 20-30 minutes (or until meatballs are completely heated through). Add vegetables and continue to cook (covered) over low heat until tender.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipeCalories: 438.9kcalCarbohydrates: 46.9gProtein: 20.2gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 1.8gCholesterol: 69.4mgSodium: 1523.5mgFiber: 0.9gSugar: 11.1g

Keyword: chinese food, chinese meatballs, Meatballs, Slow Cooker Dinner, slow cooker meatballs

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Chinese

Author: Blair Lonergan

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