Sticky Asian Meatballs are sweet and a little bit spicy. I typically serve these meatballs over rice, with some steamed or roasted vegetables on the side. However, they work great as a party appetizer too.

Crockpot Asian Meatballs

I’ve made this recipe quite a few times in the past couple of months and my kids aren’t tired of it yet. That’s a good thing because easy dinner recipes don’t get a whole lot easier than these Asian Meatballs you can make in the crockpot or on the stove.

They’re great cooked either way, but the crockpot is my go-to. It’s almost too easy. Pour in the meatballs, stir together the sauce, pour sauce over the meatballs, stir, and walk away.

Asian Meatball Sauce

Are you familiar with chili paste? It’s exactly what it sounds like – chili peppers made into a paste. It’s typically found in the international aisle of most grocery stores and is a fairly common item there.

At first glance, the sauce might appear to be crazy spicy with 1-4 tablespoons of chili paste listed in the ingredients. However, the sugar and soy sauce balance the heat nicely.

If you’re leery of the heat, I recommend beginning with just 1 tablespoon of the chili paste the first time you make this recipe.

My husband likes this best when I make it with the full 4 tablespoons of chili paste and it isn’t too spicy for him at all. (The meatballs do have a bit of heat to them at that level though.)

Sticky Meatball Recipe

To make these meatballs, stir together the brown sugar and cornstarch. Add the soy sauce, chili paste, and garlic to the sugar mixture and stir to combine.

Place the meatballs in the crockpot and pour the sauce over the meatballs. Stir well to coat all of the meatballs with sauce. Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-5 hours.

Stir again to ensure that all of the meatballs are well coated with sauce. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds before serving, if desired.

More Easy Crockpot Dinners

Tender chicken, salsa, green chile, and black beans are slowly cooked together in the crock-pot and then scooped into warm tortillas to create the easiest, tastiest, tacos and burritos.

For easy shredded pork with a spicy twist, this southwest-inspired pulled pork is made with taco seasoning and orange juice, cooked to fall-apart perfection in the slow cooker.

Hearty meatballs, sweet pineapple, and colorful bell peppers are tossed with your favorite barbecue sauce to create a crockpot full of sweet and sour meatballs that the whole family craves.

Sticky Meatballs in white round bowl with napkin

Slow cookers or crockpots are an appliance of which I have more than one. If you are an avid slow cooker user like I am, you might understand the need for more than one. So, let’s talk about my favorites:

First up is this 6-quart slow cooker that has a locking lid. These crockpots are fantastic for transporting foods. Mine has gone everywhere from church potlucks to barbecues, game nights to Thanksgiving dinner. However, fair warning, these slow cookers run crazy hot. Low is closer to a boil than a simmer, the warm setting actually simmers. So trust me when I say HIGH is high.

My everyday slow cooker is this 8-quart Crockpot. It’s my go-to appliance for cooking large roasts and big batches of chili. Fun fact: did you know that a full 4-quart cooker, actually cooks more slowly than a half-full 8-quart cooker?

For just cooking a few pounds of chicken to shred for enchiladas or other smaller recipes, this 3-quart version is perfect.

If you aren’t a fan of the idea of keeping more than one slow cooker in the house, these CrockPockets are a game-changer when it comes to preparing and holding multiple dishes at the same time. They slide into a standard 6-quart crockpot, dividing it into two sections that are perfect for serving different side dishes or keeping taco fillings warm for parties.