All the flavors of a sweet and savory Kung Pao dish in an easy to make, slow cooker recipe that starts with frozen meatballs. Serve over rice for a complete meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re looking for a fun and simple twist on your favorite Asian take-out, you’ve got to give these Slow Cooker Kung Pao Meatballs a try!
If you’ve been a Let’s Dish reader for long, you know I’ve got a lot of recipes that use prepared, frozen meatballs. They’re pretty much a pantry–technically a freezer–staple around here.
Of course, I love a good homemade meatball, but I don’t always have time to make them from scratch. And since my husband and kids all love the frozen version, it’s pretty much a win-win for me.
Plus, frozen meatballs are so versatile! Trust me, they’re not just for traditional Italian-style dishes. These Asian-inspired meatballs are a perfect example.
However you choose to use them, I definitely recommend keeping a bag or two of frozen meatballs on hand at all times!
As if this dish wasn’t simple enough already, preparing it in the slow cooker makes it even easier. It’s not quite a dump-and-go recipe, but it’s pretty close.
We always serve these meatballs over hot cooked rice, so just be sure to get your rice started about 30 minutes before you plan to eat.
Of course, if you prefer, you can always make your meatballs from scratch. This recipe would work well with ground chicken meatballs, or meatballs made from a mixture of beef and pork.
I like to add the peanuts and green onions just before serving, so both are nice and crunchy. Honestly, the peanuts are my favorite part, so I always throw in an extra handful or two.
If you’re stuck in a recipe rut and want to serve something quick, easy and different for dinner, I highly recommend these Slow CookerKung Pao Meatballs. They’re always a hit at my house!
Be sure to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Ingredients
- Frozen meatballs
- Soy sauce
- Beef broth
- Sesame oil
- Rice vinegar
- Brown sugar
- Cornstarch
- Produce: garlic, green onions, red bell pepper
- Dried red chilies
- Spices: ground ginger, salt and pepper
- Peanuts
Slow Cooker Kung Pao Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2-3 dozen frozen meatballs
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 dried red chilies
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 cup shelled roasted peanuts
- Rice for serving
Instructions
- Place meatballs in a lightly greased slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, beef broth, sesame oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch, garlic, ginger and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over meatballs.
- Stir dried chilies into meatballs and sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until sauce is thickened and bubbly.
- About 30 minutes before serving, stir in red pepper, green onions and peanuts. Serve over rice. Garnish with more green onions and peanuts, if desired.
Nutrition
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2 comments
k
Where do you get your dried red chilies? I think I’m going to have to order them and they range from mild to very hot…what do you recommend?
andrea-maybe it's just me
I am gathering support to try this one out! Yum!