Sweet and sour meatballs with cranberry sauce is an easy recipe that cooks itself in your slow cooker. Store bought frozen meatballs simmer in your crockpot with just 4 more ingredients for amazingly saucy Sweet and Sour Meatballs! A perfect appetizer for the holidays, game day get togethers and movie night too!
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Looking for a fast, impressive and super easy appetizer that cooks itself? Our sweet and sour meatballs with cranberry sauce are your answer!
First Published:November 26, 2013… Last Updated: November 6, 2019
Just 5 ingredients combine in your slow cooker making a delicious and saucy appetizer. So easy, and fabulously delicious, you’ll be making them for every occasion. Their cranberry flavor makes then especially perfect for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season.
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Simply put frozen meatballs in your crockpot, top with just a few ingredients and let slow cooker sweet and sour meatballs cook themselves. You’ll end up with amazingly saucy meatballs that your guests will go crazy over! Bet you can’t just eat one! I know I can’t!
Prefer to use homemade meatballs? No worries! Feel free to use my homemade ground beef meatball recipe or my Baked Meatballs Provolone recipe, doubling both of the recipes for the meatballs and shaping into mini meatballs. For best results, I recommend browning the meatballs in a skillet before adding them to your slow cooker.
Ingredients you will need to make this recipe
- frozen cocktail-size meatballs
- whole berry cranberry sauce
- sweet & sour dipping sauce
- dried cranberries
- Balsamic vinegar
- chopped parsley
Can a slow cooker recipe be cooked in an instant pot?
The answer is yes. To cook this recipe in an instant pot:
- Place ingredients in instant pot as directed in recipe and set to slow cooker setting.
- For slow cooker low, cook on normal setting 3-4 hours.
- For slow cooker high, cook on high setting 1-2 hours, adding an extra 15 minutes for each hour.
ALWAYS CHECK YOUR INSTANT POT’S USER MANUAL FOR INSTRUCTIONS AS INSTRUCTIONS FOR SLOW COOKING MAY VARY WITH MODELS AND MANUFACTURERS.
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This recipe is part of Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck
- 1 pkg. (32 oz.) frozen fully cooked Italian-style cocktail-size meatballs
- 1 can (14 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce or jellied cranberry sauce
- 3/4 cup sweet & sour dipping sauce , such as Kikkoman, from 1 bottle (12 oz.)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbs. chopped parsley
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Place frozen meatballs in slow cooker.
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In bowl combine cranberry sauce, sweet & sour dipping sauce, dried cranberries and Balsamic vinegar. Whisk or stir until blended. Pour over meatballs.
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Cook 4 hours on low.
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Serve in crockpot or transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley.
Makes 16 servings; 4 meatballs per serving.
Instant Pot Directions:
Place ingredients in instant pot as directed above and set to slow cooker setting.
For slow cooker low, cook on normal setting 7-8 hours. For slow cooker high, cook on high setting 3-4 hours, adding an extra 15 minutes for each hour.
ALWAYS CHECK YOUR INSTANT POT'S USER MANUAL FOR INSTRUCTIONS AS INSTRUCTIONS FOR SLOW COOKING MAY VARY WITH MODELS AND MANUFACTURERS.
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