These Sweet and Sour Meatballs are easy to make and the perfect delicious cocktail appetizer for parties or gatherings.

What You’ll Love About These Sweet and Sour Meatballs

They’re delicious – each tender meatball is coated in the most delicious sweet and tangy sauce for the perfect bite.
Easy to make – this recipe is loosely based on the sweet and sour meatball recipe I grew eating but I tried to make it even easier to make. The result is delicious meatballs that pretty simple to pull together.
Perfect for gatherings – these meatballs are perfect for parties or holiday gatherings. They can stay warm in the crockpot for hours which make them a great self-serve appetizer option.

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Meatball Ingredients

Ground Turkey: lean ground turkey is the perfect choice for these meatballs. I like to use dark meat ground turkey for these meatballs.

Egg: you’ll need one large egg to help bind the meatballs together.

Almond Flour: traditionally breadcrumbs are used to help keep the meatballs moist, but almond flour is a great grain and gluten free substitute that also helps to keep the meatballs tender.

Yellow Onion: this helps to build in some delicious flavor in the meatballs.

Seasonings: for the meatballs and the sauce you’ll need a combination of various spices and seasonings like, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.

Ketchup: this works as the base for the sweet and sour meatball sauce.

Brown Sugar: to give the sauce that classic sweetness you’ll need a bit of dark brown sugar.

Apple Cider Vinegar: and for that classic sour tang this recipe uses apple cider vinegar.

Ingredient Substitutions

ground turkey – you can easily swap the ground turkey in this recipe for ground chicken or ground beef if you prefer.
almond flour – can’t use almond flour? swap it for breadcrumbs instead.
brown sugar – you can replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar if you prefer.
Worcestershire sauce – if you need a gluten free replacement for Worcestershire sauce, try swapping it for coconut aminos.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

mixing bowls
measuring spoons
measuring cups
slow cooker

How to Make These Cocktail Meatballs

Step One: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.

Step Two: Add the ground turkey, whisked egg, almond flour, onion, dried parsley, salt, pepper, and minced garlic to a mixing bowl and use your hands to gently mix together until well combined. Use a tablespoon measure to scoop and roll the ground turkey into meatballs.

Step Three: Drizzle the olive oil over the lined sheet pan and then place the meatballs on the sheet pan. Bake the meatballs at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Step Four: Whisk together the ketchup, dark brown sugar, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar.

Step Five: Once the meatballs are done cooking transfer them to the base of your slow cooker. Pour over the sauce and gently toss the meatballs to ensure they are covered. Cook the meatballs on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.

Step Six: Serve warm, garnished with thinly sliced green onion and toothpicks for serving.

Recipe Tips

If you want to make the meatballs on the smaller side, I’d recommend using a half a tablespoon size scoop to measure the meatballs and bake them for just 10-15 minutes until cooked through.
Once the meatballs have cooked in the slow cooker, place the slow cooker on keep warm or turn it off completely until you’re ready to serve.
If your sauce thickens a bit too much you can add a bit of water or broth to thin it out.
You can serve the meatballs on a platter with toothpicks for a quick grab and go option or leave them in the slow cooker.

Storage and Reheat Instructions

Store: You can store your meatballs in the slow cooker or transfer them to an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Reheat: I like to reheat the meatballs in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time until warmed through. Be sure to cover them with a wet paper towel to prevent the sauce from splattering in the microwave.

Reader Favorite Appetizer Recipes

I hope you give these Sweet and Sour Meatballs a try! They are so easy to make and delicious! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

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Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 20 meatballs 1x
Category: Appetizer
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

These Sweet and Sour Meatballs are easy to make and the perfect delicious cocktail appetizer for parties or gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup finely ground almond flour
1/2 cup finely diced or grated yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Make the meatballs: Add the ground turkey, whisked egg, almond flour, onion, dried parsley, salt, pepper, and minced garlic to a mixing bowl and use your hands to gently mix together until well combined. Use a tablespoon measure to scoop and roll the ground turkey into meatballs.
Drizzle the olive oil over the lined sheet pan and then place the meatballs on the sheet pan. Bake the meatballs at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees.
Make the Sauce: Whisk together the ketchup, dark brown sugar, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar.
Once the meatballs are done cooking transfer them to the base of your slow cooker. Pour over the sauce and gently toss the meatballs to ensure they are covered. Cook the meatballs on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
Serve warm, garnished with thinly sliced green onion and toothpicks for serving.