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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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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 used frozen meatballs here but if you want to make your own, I love my mushroom meatball recipe!
Tag @delishknowledge on Instagram and hashtag it #delishknowledge
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(15 comments) leave a comment
These were great! I made them as a freezer meal to eat on maternity leave. I’m fairly certain I just put all the ingredients in a ziploc and froze (without cooking or sautéing. ) I put the whole frozen meal in the crockpot for 4 hours and it turned out perfect. Even my kids enjoyed it-We didn’t find it spicy at all. Thanks!
Love the idea of a “dump” crockpot meal. Thank you!
Whaoooo! My husband loved it but next time I’ll use only ONE jalapeno. Very spicy but sooooo good and flavorable.
I am looking forward to cooking this on Sunday. But I have a question about the pineapple. how big a can? is it 8oz?
Great question! I used a 20 ounce can (the regular can size)
I am looking forward to cooking this on Sunday. But I have a question about the pineapple. how big a can? is it 8oz?
Midwestern cuisine is entirely foreign to me, and just a little bit terrifying because I’ve only heard about it involving meat and potatoes, through and through. What an enlightening- and fun- read!
Yum! This looks really delicious!
Thanks Kelly!
It’s making me hungry looking at it!
Your post cracks me up! My husband grew up in South Carolina eating exclusively southern food. When we first started dating, he didn’t even know what guacamole was. Seriously. Fast foward 8 years and the last meal he cooked for me was a quinoa, black bean and grilled vegetable salad!
Ha! Sounds like a good transition for both of you 🙂 I look back at some of our earlier meals together and just have to laugh! That salad sounds delicious!
I love spicy foods! Especially during the fall/winter because it’s great to warm up to on a cold brisk day.
I’m not a vegan myself, but I do often cook meatless, and especially on Mondays for Meatless Mondays. I’m always on the search for new vegan recipes to try.
I’ve never tried putting maple syrup in meatballs, but maple syrup is definitely delicious, so it should be good in just about anything! I also like the addition of pineapples. I really enjoy cooking with it, but I don’t see many recipes calling for it.
What type of vegan meatballs did you use in this recipe?
Thanks Elle! Me too, I love spicy foods and this recipe is definitely a comfort meal 🙂 I used Trader Joe’s vegan meatballs for this recipe.
The recipe says vegan gluten free but TJ’s vegetarian meatballs are not gluten free. Do you know where else I may find them?