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Sweet Chili Meatballs

These sweet chili meatballs, made with ground beef or turkey, are slow-cooked in a sticky glaze that makes them perfect for appetizers or a simple dinner over rice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 24 meatballs
Course: Appetizer, Dinner
Cuisine: American, Asian
Calories: 70
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatball ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey) Use lean beef (80/20) for juiciness.
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs Panko or regular.
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper To taste.
Sauce ingredients
  • 1 cup sweet chili sauce Store-bought Thai sweet chili works great.
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce Tamari for gluten-free option.
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar Apple cider vinegar can be used as a swap.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef (or turkey), breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined.
  2. Roll the mixture into approximately 1-inch meatballs, aiming for uniform size for even cooking (about 24 meatballs).
  3. Arrange the raw meatballs in a single layer in the crockpot.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Pour over the meatballs.
Cooking
  1. Cover and cook on low for 4–6 hours or high for 2–3 hours until meatballs are safely cooked through (beef should reach 160°F, turkey 165°F).
Serving
  1. Serve warm directly from the crockpot as an appetizer or spoon over rice for a meal.

Notes

To lighten the dish use ground turkey. For gluten-free, swap with gluten-free breadcrumbs and tamari. For a spicy kick, add sriracha to the sauce.