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    Slow Cooker Asian Sesame Meatballs

    These Slow Cooker Asian Meatballs are bold, saucy, and absolutely irresistible! Made with a savory blend of beef and pork and bathed in a sweet and tangy Asian-inspired sauce, they're the perfect crowd-pleasing appetizer or an easy weeknight dinner served over rice.
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 24 meatballs

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1 pound ground pork
    • 2 whole eggs
    • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tablespoons chives, (green and white parts) chopped
    • salt and pepper
    • 1 tablespoon canola oil
    • 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
    • 4 teaspoons brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
    • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • sliced green onions for garnish, if desired
    • sesame seeds for garnish, if desired

    Instructions

    • Add ground beef, pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic and chives to a large bowl.
    • With your hand or a spoon mix to combine. Do not overmix.
    • Roll into 24 meatballs.
    • Heat a large skillet with oil. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side. You do not want to cook the meatballs just brown them.
    • Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil and garlic. Set aside.
    • Add the browned meatballs to the slow cooker and top with the soy sauce mixture.
    • Cook on low for 2 hours. Stir gently a couple of times making sure not to break up the meatballs.
    • Serve with green onions and sesame seeds for garnish, if desired.

    Notes

    • Don't overmix. Combine the meatball mixture just until the ingredients come together. Overmixing can make the meatballs tough and dense instead of tender and juicy.
    • Brown before slow cooking. Don't skip the browning step! Searing the meatballs in a hot skillet first locks in flavor and gives them a delicious crust that holds up in the slow cooker.
    • Use a cookie scoop. For evenly sized meatballs, use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion them out. This ensures they all cook at the same rate.
    • Make it gluten-free. Simply swap the panko breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs and use tamari in place of soy sauce for an easy gluten-free version.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 123kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 229mgPotassium: 122mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 31IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg