Easy Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs Appetizer Recipe

The slow cooker makes dump-and-cook recipes a breeze. With only 4 ingredients, these sweet Swedish meatballs are a perfect appetizer.

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Simple recipes are the best, especially when you are making them to share. When I worked in a doctor’s office years ago, we did a lot of potluck lunches. I usually made my taco dip because everyone asked for it, but would sometimes branch out to other recipes.

Another favorite is sweet meatballs. They are easy to make and delicious! 

This recipe couldn’t be easier. Measure out your ingredients, dump it all in the slow cooker, and let it cook. You may want to give it a stir occasionally, just to prevent any sticking. But, there have been times I forget to stir and haven’t had an issue.

Using the slow cooker for a potluck recipe is also nice because you can plug it in and keep it on warm. Then you don’t have to worry about your sweet meatballs getting cool or drying out since they are still in the warm sauce.

Note: If you are looking for a recipe that is similar to Ikea meatballs, you’ll want one that includes a creamy gravy sauce typically made with cream of mushroom soup or similar ingredients.

Serving Suggestions & Tips

• Serve with a bowl of sour cream for dipping. 
• Make this a complete meal by putting the meatballs over cooked egg noodles in a large bowl and adding diced bell peppers and onions. 
• Turn this into a creamier meatball sauce by adding a little bit of heavy cream or cream cheese.
• Add other flavors such as Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce, or chicken broth.
• The best sides for Swedish meatballs are mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, or corn bread. 

What Type of Meatballs Works Best?

The best meatballs are the ones you have on hand or can easily get. Since this is cooked in the slow cooker, I suggest frozen meatballs that have been pre-cooked. Otherwise, if you make homemade Swedish meatballs, you’ll want to cook them partially or fully before adding them to the crock pot. Just make sure you prepare small meatballs so they cook long enough and absorb the flavors of the creamy sauce. 

As for flavor, you can use any juicy meatballs for this Swedish meatballs recipe. Try using ground pork, ground beef, or any other ground meat or meat mixture. You can make Italian meatballs or traditional meatballs. 

Swedish Meatballs Step by Step

Ingredients

• 2 lbs frozen meatballs, homestyle
• 10 oz grape jelly
• 1 cup coca-cola
• 12 oz chili sauce

Preparation

Pour all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and stir to coat.

Cook on low for at least 4-5 hours before serving, stirring occasionally.

Swedish Meatballs Leftovers

Storage: Place leftover Swedish meatballs in an airtight container after they have cooled to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. 

Reheating: The best way to reheat the meatball mixture is to pour the meatballs and sauce into a saucepan or a large skillet. Heat over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, until warmed through. If they are dry, add a little bit of beef broth or water as they warm. 

Recipe

Slow Cooker Sweet Meatballs

The slow cooker makes dump-and-cook recipes a breeze. With only 4 ingredients, these sweet meatballs are a perfect appetizer.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Course:

Appetizer

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

beef

|

meatballs

|

slow cooker

Dietary Needs:

Dairy-Free

|

Egg-Free

|

Gluten-Free

|

Nut-Free

Meat:

Beef

Cooking Method:

Slow-Cooker

Servings: 10

5 from 13 votes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs frozen meatballs (homestyle)
• 10 oz grape jelly
• 1 cup coca-cola
• 12 oz chili sauce

Recommended Equipment

• Slow Cooker/Crock Pot

Instructions

• Pour all ingredients into a slow cooker and stir to coat
• Cook on low for at least 4-5 hours before serving, stirring occasionally

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Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Sweet Meatballs

Amount Per Serving (10 meatballs)

Calories 362 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 7g35%

Cholesterol 65mg22%

Sodium 516mg22%

Potassium 409mg12%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 19g21%

Protein 16g32%

Vitamin A 238IU5%

Vitamin C 9mg11%

Calcium 26mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Slow Cooker Sweet Meatballs FAQs

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