Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe

Name: Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 190 min
Ingredients: 10 ounces sweet and sour sauce (1 bottle); ¼ cup brown sugar; ¼ cup soy sauce; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 2 pounds frozen meatballs; 1 red bell pepper (medium, cubed); 1 green bell pepper (medium, cubed); 1 onion (medium, diced); 20 ounces pineapple chunks (1 can, drained)

Sweet and Sour Meatballs with pineapples and peppers are delicious hot appetizer or quick dinner that made in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker.

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Get dinner on the table fast with this Sweet and Sour Meatballs recipe. Made with frozen homestyle meatballs and a simple sweet and sour sauce, this dish comes together quickly in either the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker, delivering a deliciously sweet and tangy flavor only a few minutes of prep.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe:

We love this super simple and delicious sweet and sour recipe. From one busy mom to another, this is a great recipe to make on those nights where I either don’t have time to cook, or simply just don’t feel like it. It is easy to make in the slow cooker or turn it into an Instant pot recipe.

The best thing about this sweet and sour meatballs recipe is that you can’t tell it is only a matter of dumping pantry staple ingredients into the slow cooker and letting it do it’s thing. The flavor you get with this easy recipe is amazing.

With how expensive groceries are for large families, this is the perfect recipe because it is a budget-friendly dinner recipe that you can pull out when you need something easy and on the cheaper side. So, make sure you add this to your dinner menu this week. It also makes for a delicious appetizer, too!

“Made this tonight and we loved it! My hubs said he wanted me to add it to my list of frequent meals.” — Teresa Lusk

A countertop with chopped green and red bell peppers, an onion, a knife on a cutting board, and various ingredients including meatballs in a slow cooker, brown sugar, soy sauce, and a red sauce.

A crockpot with meatballs, a wooden board with chopped bell peppers and onions, a bowl of brown sugar, a cup of soy sauce, a measuring cup of red liquid, canned pineapple chunks, and measuring spoons.

Key Ingredients and Flavors:

Sweet and sour sauce is a key player for creating the best best sauce in this easy dinner recipe. Get a bottle of your favorite, mix it together with a few more pantry staples for a delicious sauce.

Frozen meatballs are the best way to go with this recipe. No need to mess with a meat mixture, just dump the frozen homestyle meatballs in the slow cooker.

Using a can of Pineapple chunks is a great way to add that sweet tangy flavor that goes so well with the sweet and sour sauce.

Meatballs with pineapple chunks and red bell peppers on a white plate, with a dish of more meatballs and a small container of toothpicks in the background.

How to Make Sweet and Sour Meatballs:

Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray to avoid the meatballs from sticking to the bottom and sides. Or make this recipe even easier (especially for clean up) by using a slow cooker liner! Thank us later. 😉
Then pour the sweet sauce into the slow cooker, along with the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder and then mix it all up. No need to use a bowl to mix it in advance.
Add in the frozen meatballs, cubed red bell pepper, cubed green bell pepper, diced onion, and drained can of pineapple chunks.
Now place the lid on the slow cooker and turn it on low and allow the meatballs to cook for 2-3 hours or on high for 1-2 hours (or until meatballs are warmed through). If your sauce it too thin for your liking, you can also do a cornstarch slurry and add in right into the slow cooker.
When there is about 20-30 minutes left in the cooking time, make your favorite rice according to the package. (Instant rice is always a great option!)
Then just serve the sweet and sour meatballs over white rice and enjoy!

Slow cooker filled with glazed meatballs placed on a light green cloth.

A slow cooker filled with chopped green and red bell peppers, pineapple chunks, white onions, and brown sugar, with a wooden spoon. A gray cloth is partially visible under the cooker.

Pro Tips:

Preserve some of the pineapple juice if you like your meatballs with a little more sauce.
Make this dinner in the Instant Pot for when you need this dinner quick!

How to Serve Sweet and Sour Meatballs:

We love to serve this sweet and sour recipe over white or brown rice for aanother quick addition. Those boxed rices would be perfect.

Lentils would be another great dinner option and are nutrient dense and are pretty nuetral taste wise and will absorb well into the sweet and sour sauce.

You can also always just serve these as an appetizer or by themselves. They are great for serving a crowd for the next game day.

A slow cooker filled with chopped red and green bell peppers, onions, and garlic cloves, ready to be cooked.

Three meatballs on skewers are arranged on a small white plate, with a dish containing more meatballs slightly out of focus in the background.

FAQ for Cocktail Meatballs

How to convert to a freezer meal:

You may wonder if this freezes well. Yes it does! Put all the ingredients into a gallon-sized freezer meal bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal bag closed. Place freezer bag into freezer for up to 90 days.
When ready to use next time, spray inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and dump ingredients from bag into slow cooker. Place lid on top and set timer for 2-3 hours on LOW heat or 1-2 hours on HIGH heat or until meatballs are warmed through. Follow the rest of the instructions as written.

Do I Need To Thaw The Meatballs First?

In this recipe, we use frozen ground beef meatballs. You can also substitue turkey meatballs if you would like to make a healthier version of this recipe.
You can also make your own homemade meatballs if you want too. If you want to go that route, try Gimme Some Oven’s meatball recipe in place of the frozen meatballs. Just be sure to cut down on the time if you don’t freeze the meatballs beforehand.

Can I Make The Cocktail Meatballs Ahead Of Time?

If you want to make this recipe ahead of time, we suggest prepping everything and placing it into a large ziplock bag and then you are ready to dump everything into the slow cooker.

More appetizer recipes:

If you love some spicy meatballs, our Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Meatballs are the perfect ones to make.

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs go deliciously with tender egg noodles. For more sweet meatballs, Sweet and Tangy Meatballs or Sweet Polynesian Meatballs are also amazing recipes.

5 from 20 votes

Sweet and Sour Meatballs with pineapples and peppers are delicious hot appetizer or quick dinner that made in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker.

8 servings

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 10

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Ingredients

▢ 10 ounces sweet and sour sauce, 1 bottle
▢ ¼ cup brown sugar
▢ ¼ cup soy sauce
▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 2 pounds frozen meatballs
▢ 1 red bell pepper, medium, cubed
▢ 1 green bell pepper, medium, cubed
▢ 1 onion, medium, diced
▢ 20 ounces pineapple chunks, 1 can, drained

Equipment

Instructions

To Make in Slow Cooker

Spray inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
Place all ingredients inside the slow cooker and stir gently.
Place lid on slow cooker. Cook on low for 2-3 hours or on high for 1-3 hours. (or until meatballs are warmed through)
Serve over rice as a main dish or serve with toothpicks for a yummy appetizer.

To Make in Instant Pot

Place meatballs in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Top with the peppers, onions and undrained pineapple chunks.
In a small bowl, mix together sweet and sour sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Pour on top of meatballs and vegetables.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the knob to SEALING.
Push the PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL button and set the timer for 7 minutes.
When the timer is finished, turn the knob to VENTING to do a QUICK RELEASE of the pressure. Remove the lid and stir.
Serve over rice as a main dish or serve with toothpicks for a yummy appetizer.

Notes

In a gallon-sized freezer meal bag, add all ingredients. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal bag closed. Place freezer bag into freezer and it will last 60-90 days. When ready to use, spray inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and dump ingredients from bag into slow cooker. Place lid on top and set timer for 2-3 hours on LOW heat or 1-2 hours on HIGH heat or until meatballs are warmed through. Follow the rest of the instructions as written.

Nutrition

Calories: 385 kcal · Carbohydrates: 21 g · Protein: 21 g · Fat: 24 g · Saturated Fat: 9 g · Cholesterol: 82 mg · Sodium: 473 mg · Potassium: 518 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 18 g · Vitamin A: 564 IU · Vitamin C: 39 mg · Calcium: 40 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Cuisine: American

Cost: $13

Author: Steph Loaiza

Course: Main Course

Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.

Questions & Reviews

Kym says:

Oh YUM! I love sweet and sour meatballs! I usually skip on the peppers and onions because my husband is "allergic" ... I also use a similar recipe for sweet and sour kielbasa! Delish!

Heather says:

We're making the classic southern grape jelly meatballs today. Your sweet and sour recipe looks delish!

Betsy says:

Sounds yummy! Can't wait to try it.

Meghan says:

Oh I am so making this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sinea says:

This recipe is great. Love anything "sweet n sour". Slow cooker makes it even better!

OneSpecialDeeDee says:

what type of meatball did you use? I have frozen swedish ones would those work in this dish?

Thanks'Diane

Rachel O. says:

Oh man, it's all about the food for me, too! It's the best part of football :)

Six Sisters says:

Frozen Swedish meatballs are perfect! We've used Swedish meatballs and the Italian meatballs. Both are great! -The Six Sisters

OneSpecialDeeDee says:

YUMMY thanks so much cannot wait to try these this coming weekend!!!'
Diane
PS Love love love your site!!!

Cindy Hunwhatsfordinner says:

Wow these meatballs look fantastic! Thank you so much for linking up to Simple Supper Tuesday!

Katherines Corner says:

sweet and savory yumminess Thank you for sharing at the hop xo

Blissful Kids says:

These meatball are so awesome~* I mixed regular and italian to see what I liked best. I thought regular was way better. Next time, I will serve the rice separately and make vege rolls. Thanks for this awesome recipe. I love your website!

MissCandiquik says:

Definitely pinning these for the future! :)

Meagan says:

Hi, I'm thinking of making this recipe to take over to my friend's house (she just had her 5th baby). Could you use homemade meatballs that are cooked and then frozen?

Charlotte says:

I always make homemade meatballs and freeze for later use in a slow cooker...They are VERY versatile!!! I cooked and then froze 14 lbs meatballs before school started for LOTS of quick meals!!! Just put in slow cooker with whatever sauce/gravy you want and serve with rice, pasta, or on toasted hoagie buns!

Carolyn says:

My family really loved this meal. Will put the bell pepper and onion in half way thru cooking next time. I used frozen turkey meatballs and they were great! Super easy and good. Thank you!!

deborah says:

I looking to make this for an appetizer for our pre wedding bbq. i'm doing a test run this weekend on the recipe. I was wondering how many people this fed as i'm not good at double recipes. for some reason it just never turns out. is there anyway you can help so I don't mess up the recipe when I make a bigger batch. i'm having about 12-16 people.

deborah says:

how come you are putting the bell peppers and onion in half way? were they do soft putting them in at the beginning?

Cyd says:

You can put them in during the beginning also.

Lindsey says:

I have been loving my slow cooker, so this is perfect!

Jeneese says:

I'm definitely trying this. I use to make thes all the time in the Wok when I was a kid and into early adult. But one moving day we lost the whole thing some how. But I love my slow cooker. My question is that I have 3 lbs of meatballsb and your recipe calls for 2 lbs . What would be a good adjustment to the ingredients so it's just right? Thank you for your help. I'm tring this out for this weekends halloween party. This will be a life saver.

Cyd says:

Just 1 1/2 the recipe and it will work great.

Sandy says:

Can you use Turkey meatballs for this? Doing a potluck at work and some don't eat beef but the recipe looks good.

Cyd says:

Turkey meatballs would be delicious!! :)

Kaitlyn says:

Where did you find the jar of sweet and sour sauce? And what brand is it? You don't make the sauce homemade?

Cyd says:

We use all kinds of sweet and sour sauce. We like to keep things simple and just used store bought sweet and sour sauce! :)

Lauren says:

Hello, I thought I read somewhere that it's not safe to cook frozen food in a slow cooker. What are your thoughts? Are there certain foods that are safer than other to cook while still frozen?

Cyd says:

Frozen meatballs and some chicken breasts seem to do fine. We have heard that controversy too. Not sure what to believe. So far we have not had any problems.

barbara says:

The sauce was okay, tasty, but it was too thin. Had to add flour to get sauce to a good consistency to stick to meat.

Johnetta G says:

I usually throw in a jar or 2 of drained button mushrooms for the last 1 1/2 hour cooking time (on low)

Nae says:

Do the meatballs have to be frozen? We have a ton of ground elk meat that i would love to make meatballs with but i'd have to thaw and roll them myself. What would the cook time be for non-frozen meatballs?

Cyd says:

You could make your own meatballs. Just need to be sure they hold their shape after being cooked and when stirred occasionally that they won't break apart. This recipe really just needs to be heated through and have the peppers and onion cooked to your liking. You should be fine with the cooking times, but check on it every now and then to be sure it's not overcooked.

cleeo2 says:

I am not very confident with my Crock-Pot and am never sure to cook things on high or low. Did you find better results at one of the temperatures? I am thinking of serving these for a party so I would like to time them right. I would want the vegetables cooked, but not mushy and the meatballs hot(I believe they are already pre-cooked)?

Cyd says:

We put what temperature setting and length of time on our recipes! You should be fine to follow those instructions.

serita says:

I made this and it was enjoyed by several different people. I did have to add cornstarch to the juices to thicken...it was a little too thin. I t was served over rice.

Lynne G. says:

After cooking in crock pot, can this be put in containers and frozen?

Cyd says:

This is a great recipe to freeze any leftovers.

Shelly says:

My whole family loves this recipe! Second time in a week😁😁😁

bonnie says:

Hi, I was wondering if it is because you are using a "pot" and not a crockpot that you poured the whole can of pineapple into it? The recipe says drained. Thanks

Doreta says:

We made your Sweet and Sour Meatball recipe in the Instant Pot for dinner tonight. Got the recipe from your YouTube video. It says to use the can of pineapple - and NOT to drain it but still add 1/2 cup water. Although it smelled GREAT, we found it REALLY runny....way too much liquid. Next time can we NOT put in the 1/2 cup of water ??

Stacy says:

I made the Instant Pot version of this tonight for dinner. I thought it turned out really yummy. My son loved it too.

Moriaelini says:

Because my family is not too keen on all the peppers and onions, I added a bag of frozen stir fry veg to it instead. Was a great way to use up some leftover rice.

Moriaelini says:

I found in runny in the instant pot too, so I just kicked on the saute and added a cornstarch slurry to mine to thicken it.

Teresa Lusk says:

Made this tonight and we loved it! My hubs said he wanted me to add it to m list of frequent meals.

Momma Cyd says:

Yes! We are so glad he liked it!!

Terri Moore says:

Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit!

Kathleen West says:

Made this recipe for dinner last night. At first I was concerned the sauce to runny, but once added on top of rice it seems to actually thicken up. This is a winner which hubby and I enjoyed. Have enough let over for one more dinner.

Madalynn Hayes says:

I love your recipes so much. I enjoy making freezer meals because they save me so much time on workdays. I was wondering if this could be cooked in the Instant Pot.

Momma Cyd says:

https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-sweet-and-sour-meatballs-recipe/

Angie says:

My family loves this! I want to take it to a party but need to times the recipe by 5. I want to bake it in the oven in a large pan. Are there any changes that should be made in order to do this?

Kaitlyn C says:

This might be a dumb question, but why is it less time in the slow cooker if you have made it into a freezer meal first? (In the notes it says to freeze everything in a bag and then cook 1-2 hours on high heat, but the recipe calls for 4-5 hours of cooking)?

Momma Cyd says:

Thanks for letting us know. We will get that fixed.

Momma Cyd says:

You may have to experiment a little if baking in the oven. It's super easy in the slow cooker and you could easily double it in a large slow cooker. Maybe borrowing a few from family and friends would be worth it.

Carol Newman says:

How long does it take to come to full pressure in the Instant Pot?

Bobbi @ Six Sisters says:

This will take between 5-10 minutes to dome to full pressure

Join The Discussion

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Kym says:

Oh YUM! I love sweet and sour meatballs! I usually skip on the peppers and onions because my husband is "allergic" ... I also use a similar recipe for sweet and sour kielbasa! Delish!
Heather says:

We're making the classic southern grape jelly meatballs today. Your sweet and sour recipe looks delish!
Betsy says:

Sounds yummy! Can't wait to try it.
Meghan says:

Oh I am so making this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sinea says:

This recipe is great. Love anything "sweet n sour". Slow cooker makes it even better!
OneSpecialDeeDee says:

what type of meatball did you use? I have frozen swedish ones would those work in this dish?

Thanks'Diane
Rachel O. says:

Oh man, it's all about the food for me, too! It's the best part of football :)
Six Sisters says:

Frozen Swedish meatballs are perfect! We've used Swedish meatballs and the Italian meatballs. Both are great! -The Six Sisters
OneSpecialDeeDee says:

YUMMY thanks so much cannot wait to try these this coming weekend!!!'
Diane
PS Love love love your site!!!
Cindy Hunwhatsfordinner says:

Wow these meatballs look fantastic! Thank you so much for linking up to Simple Supper Tuesday!
Katherines Corner says:

sweet and savory yumminess Thank you for sharing at the hop xo
Blissful Kids says:

These meatball are so awesome~* I mixed regular and italian to see what I liked best. I thought regular was way better. Next time, I will serve the rice separately and make vege rolls. Thanks for this awesome recipe. I love your website!
MissCandiquik says:

Definitely pinning these for the future! :)
Meagan says:

Hi, I'm thinking of making this recipe to take over to my friend's house (she just had her 5th baby). Could you use homemade meatballs that are cooked and then frozen?
Charlotte says:

I always make homemade meatballs and freeze for later use in a slow cooker...They are VERY versatile!!! I cooked and then froze 14 lbs meatballs before school started for LOTS of quick meals!!! Just put in slow cooker with whatever sauce/gravy you want and serve with rice, pasta, or on toasted hoagie buns!
Carolyn says:

My family really loved this meal. Will put the bell pepper and onion in half way thru cooking next time. I used frozen turkey meatballs and they were great! Super easy and good. Thank you!!
deborah says:

I looking to make this for an appetizer for our pre wedding bbq. i'm doing a test run this weekend on the recipe. I was wondering how many people this fed as i'm not good at double recipes. for some reason it just never turns out. is there anyway you can help so I don't mess up the recipe when I make a bigger batch. i'm having about 12-16 people.
deborah says:

how come you are putting the bell peppers and onion in half way? were they do soft putting them in at the beginning?
Cyd says:

You can put them in during the beginning also.
Lindsey says:

I have been loving my slow cooker, so this is perfect!
Jeneese says:

I'm definitely trying this. I use to make thes all the time in the Wok when I was a kid and into early adult. But one moving day we lost the whole thing some how. But I love my slow cooker. My question is that I have 3 lbs of meatballsb and your recipe calls for 2 lbs . What would be a good adjustment to the ingredients so it's just right? Thank you for your help. I'm tring this out for this weekends halloween party. This will be a life saver.
Cyd says:

Just 1 1/2 the recipe and it will work great.
Sandy says:

Can you use Turkey meatballs for this? Doing a potluck at work and some don't eat beef but the recipe looks good.
Cyd says:

Turkey meatballs would be delicious!! :)
Kaitlyn says:

Where did you find the jar of sweet and sour sauce? And what brand is it? You don't make the sauce homemade?
Cyd says:

We use all kinds of sweet and sour sauce. We like to keep things simple and just used store bought sweet and sour sauce! :)
Lauren says:

Hello, I thought I read somewhere that it's not safe to cook frozen food in a slow cooker. What are your thoughts? Are there certain foods that are safer than other to cook while still frozen?
Cyd says:

Frozen meatballs and some chicken breasts seem to do fine. We have heard that controversy too. Not sure what to believe. So far we have not had any problems.
barbara says:

The sauce was okay, tasty, but it was too thin. Had to add flour to get sauce to a good consistency to stick to meat.
Johnetta G says:

I usually throw in a jar or 2 of drained button mushrooms for the last 1 1/2 hour cooking time (on low)
Nae says:

Do the meatballs have to be frozen? We have a ton of ground elk meat that i would love to make meatballs with but i'd have to thaw and roll them myself. What would the cook time be for non-frozen meatballs?
Cyd says:

You could make your own meatballs. Just need to be sure they hold their shape after being cooked and when stirred occasionally that they won't break apart. This recipe really just needs to be heated through and have the peppers and onion cooked to your liking. You should be fine with the cooking times, but check on it every now and then to be sure it's not overcooked.
cleeo2 says:

I am not very confident with my Crock-Pot and am never sure to cook things on high or low. Did you find better results at one of the temperatures? I am thinking of serving these for a party so I would like to time them right. I would want the vegetables cooked, but not mushy and the meatballs hot(I believe they are already pre-cooked)?
Cyd says:

We put what temperature setting and length of time on our recipes! You should be fine to follow those instructions.
serita says:

I made this and it was enjoyed by several different people. I did have to add cornstarch to the juices to thicken...it was a little too thin. I t was served over rice.
Lynne G. says:

After cooking in crock pot, can this be put in containers and frozen?
Cyd says:

This is a great recipe to freeze any leftovers.
Shelly says:

My whole family loves this recipe! Second time in a week😁😁😁
bonnie says:

Hi, I was wondering if it is because you are using a "pot" and not a crockpot that you poured the whole can of pineapple into it? The recipe says drained. Thanks
Doreta says:

We made your Sweet and Sour Meatball recipe in the Instant Pot for dinner tonight. Got the recipe from your YouTube video. It says to use the can of pineapple - and NOT to drain it but still add 1/2 cup water. Although it smelled GREAT, we found it REALLY runny....way too much liquid. Next time can we NOT put in the 1/2 cup of water ??
Stacy says:

I made the Instant Pot version of this tonight for dinner. I thought it turned out really yummy. My son loved it too.
Moriaelini says:

Because my family is not too keen on all the peppers and onions, I added a bag of frozen stir fry veg to it instead. Was a great way to use up some leftover rice.
Moriaelini says:

I found in runny in the instant pot too, so I just kicked on the saute and added a cornstarch slurry to mine to thicken it.
Teresa Lusk says:

Made this tonight and we loved it! My hubs said he wanted me to add it to m list of frequent meals.
Momma Cyd says:

Yes! We are so glad he liked it!!
Terri Moore says:

Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit!
Kathleen West says:

Made this recipe for dinner last night. At first I was concerned the sauce to runny, but once added on top of rice it seems to actually thicken up. This is a winner which hubby and I enjoyed. Have enough let over for one more dinner.
Madalynn Hayes says:

I love your recipes so much. I enjoy making freezer meals because they save me so much time on workdays. I was wondering if this could be cooked in the Instant Pot.
Momma Cyd says:

https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-sweet-and-sour-meatballs-recipe/
Angie says:

My family loves this! I want to take it to a party but need to times the recipe by 5. I want to bake it in the oven in a large pan. Are there any changes that should be made in order to do this?
Kaitlyn C says:

This might be a dumb question, but why is it less time in the slow cooker if you have made it into a freezer meal first? (In the notes it says to freeze everything in a bag and then cook 1-2 hours on high heat, but the recipe calls for 4-5 hours of cooking)?
Momma Cyd says:

Thanks for letting us know. We will get that fixed.
Momma Cyd says:

You may have to experiment a little if baking in the oven. It's super easy in the slow cooker and you could easily double it in a large slow cooker. Maybe borrowing a few from family and friends would be worth it.
Carol Newman says:

How long does it take to come to full pressure in the Instant Pot?
Bobbi @ Six Sisters says:

This will take between 5-10 minutes to dome to full pressure