Vegan Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Meatballs
Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Meatballs! These meatballs are packed in a sweet and spicy pepper and pineapple sauce. So delicious and perfect for weeknight dinners! Throw everything in a slow cooker, and dinner is ready when you are!
I can’t wait for you to try these slow cooker sweet and spicy vegan meatballs. I’m always looking for more recipes to use in my slow cooker, especially this time of year.
Raise your hand if you love your slow cooker. While I also adore mine, it gets a special place in my heart this time of year. If you love hearty meatballs, then you will love these slow cooker sweet and spicy meatballs.
Why This Recipe Works
What I love most about this recipe is how incredibly easy it is to put together. This dish reminds me of the recipes you’d find in the back of a church cookbook. A true dump recipe: throw everything in, turn it on, and dinner is ready a few hours later.
These crock pot meatballs are healthier than other slow cooker meatball recipes made with grape jelly and heinz barbeque sauce.
We’re essentially making a spicy, tangy BBQ sauce first, letting the meatballs, peppers, and pineapple soak up all of the sweet and spicy goodness as it cooks. Subtly sweet, thanks to the addition of maple syrup, yet spicy and rich at the same time.
To save time, I’m using premade vegan meatballs but any meatballs will work.
How to Make These Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Meatballs
Cook the Onions and Peppers
Place crockpot on high setting. Add the olive oil and chopped onion. Stir and let cook until onion is slightly cooked, then add the bell and jalapeno peppers.
Make the Sauce
In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch, maple syrup, pineapple juice, tomato sauce, allspice, ginger, garlic powder, and liquid smoke (if using). Stir together until blended and pour onto the pepper mixture.
Add the Meatballs and Cook
Stir in the frozen meatballs and diced pineapple. Cover and let cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with chopped parsley or sliced green onions, if desired.
Serving Notes
I prefer these slow cooker sweet and spicy meatballs served over cooked rice as the sauce is so yummy that you’ll want something else to help soak it up. Of course, this takes it out of a true one-pot recipe, so you can either make rice ~30 minutes before you’re ready to serve dinner or use microwave rice or instant rice packets. I actually love white rice instead of brown rice here, but that’s just my personal preference.
To enjoy these meatballs as an easy appetizer for game day or your next party, serve with toothpicks and forgo the rice.
If you have leftovers, you can serve the meatballs and peppers into a hoagie roll for a tropical twist on a meatball sub!
More Meatball Recipes
- Vegan Thanksgiving Meatballs
- Meatballs Sliders
- White Bean Meatballs with Mojo Sauce
- Vegetarian Stroganoff Meatballs
- Eggplant Meatballs with Lemon Sauce
If you try these slow cooker sweet and spicy meatballs, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge. I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Vegan Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, sliced thin
- 1 cup plain tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional, but recommended
- 20 ounce can diced pineapple, drained, 1/3 cup liquid reserved
- 16 ounce bag frozen vegan meatballs* (We love the Whole Foods and Trader Joe's brand, but any will work)
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Place crockpot on high setting. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and chopped onion. Stir and let cook until onion is slightly cooked about 10 minutes.
- Add bell and jalapeno peppers, stir into the onion mixture and let sit for another 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch, maple syrup, pineapple juice, tomato sauce, all spice, ginger, garlic powder and liquid smoke (if using). Stir together until blended and pour onto the pepper mixture.
- Stir in the frozen meatballs and diced pineapple.
- Cover and let cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. The sauce should be reduced and thick, with meatballs heated all the way through.
- Serve over cooked rice, if desired.