Sweet And Spicy Sausage Slow Cooker

asian meatball recipe pinterest graphic

asian sausage meatballs pinterest graphic

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With just 6 ingredients, these Asian sausage meatballs are easy to make AND a total crowd pleaser… Finished in the slow cooker, they perform double duty as a game day appetizer or as an easy weeknight dinner when served over rice or noodles!

asian sausage meatballs with a sweet and spicy sauce over rice with green onions

This post is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council. All opinions are my own.

Asian Sausage Meatballs

In case I haven't made it abundantly clear, I am a sucker for all things sweet and spicy. Case(s) in point: this sweet & spicy pineapple salsa, this sweet & spicy bacon wrapped dates, this sweet & spicy bacon wrapped corn… Should I go on?

So when I tasted these sweet and spicy Asian pork meatballs at a luncheon hosted by the Ohio Pork Council and Bob Evans last week, I knew one thing for certain — I was NOT leaving without the recipe!

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asian meatballs recipe clipped with a red pig paperclip

Sausage Meatball Recipe From The Bob Evans Test Kitchen

Luckily, they presented us with printed recipe cards for all of the dishes they served, including these yummy Asian meatballs. And they were all clipped together with the freaking CUTEST EVER pig paperclip. Seriously, I just can't even!

The Ohio Pork Council even generously sent us on our way with an insulated tote full of Bob Evans roll sausage, so I swung by Kroger on my home to pick up a jar of Thai chili garlic sauce (the only ingredient I didn't already have on hand).

Incidentally, you can find this ingredient in the International aisle, and it's great for adding a spicy kick to just about any meal. I was super happy to note that it does not need to be refrigerated, because my fridge is currently at its maximum condiment capacity.

Asian meatballs crockpot view with sweet and spicy sauce and a black and white kitchen towel

Easy Asian Meatballs Crockpot Recipe

I'd estimate that there are at least a dozen reasons to love these Asian meatballs, not the least of which is their tangy sweet & spicy flavor. I won't bore you with all of them, but to name a few… They're:

Easy to make — this Asian meatball recipe contains just SIX ingredients! The sausage meatballs are made up of Bob Evans maple roll sausage, an egg, panko bread crumbs, and maple syrup. The Asian meatball sauce contains an additional two: the Thai chili garlic sauce I mentioned earlier and soy sauce, plus more maple syrup.

Finished in your slow cooker — while the sausage meatballs do need to be baked in the oven to start, you finish them off with the sauce in your slow cooker. Which means you can prepare the sausage meatball recipe ahead of time, and then refrigerate or freeze the meatballs for a later meal (or appetizer!).

Perfect for game day OR dinner — these sweet and spicy crock pot meatballs can be served as is for a delicious appetizer that hungry fans will gobble up, or they're also an easy weeknight dinner served over some coconut milk rice of noodles!

Easy, delicious, and versatile — how can you go wrong? Oh, wait… I forgot to mention that they're inexpensive, too! Thanks to using budget-friendly pork sausage, which is pretty versatile in and of itself. It easily replaces ground beef in almost all of your favorite recipes, adding a little extra flavor boost in the process. We often use it in our spaghetti meat sauce for a change of pace.

Asian pork meatballs over rice in bowls with green onions and a dark blue napkin

Asian Pork Meatballs For The Win

Needless to say my starving teenagers (can you hear my sarcasm coming through?) gobbled these meatballs up. They were literally jostling each other out of the way to try to find the biggest ones… But the joke's on them! I used my trusty small cookie scoop to ensure they were all uniform in size.

One batch makes about 24 meatballs — so I doubled it for my BIG EATERS. I did find that the sauce was plentiful enough that it didn't need doubled. Though, if you're taking these to an event where they'll be cooking for awhile, I'd recommend increasing it, as it will surely thicken up more the longer it cooks.

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place all of the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Work together until fully combined, but do not overwork the meat or the meatballs will be tough and dense.
Portion out meatballs using a small cookie scoop, shape into balls, and place onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees until browned and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.
Add all of the sauce ingredients to your crockpot and stir together. Turn heat to low and add the cooked meatballs.
Heat for 30 minutes and turn the crockpot to warm before serving.

Notes

These meatballs are amazing served as is for an appetizer, or serve over coconut milk rice for an easy weeknight dinner.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 4 meatballs
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246 Total Fat: 22g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 47mg Sodium: 652mg Carbohydrates: 3g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 1g Protein: 10g