These easy slow cooker apple cider glazed meatballs are sweet, tangy, and full of cozy fall flavor. Frozen meatballs simmer low and slow in a simple apple cider glaze made with apple cider, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and warm spices until they are tender and coated in the most delicious sticky sauce.
They are the perfect easy appetizer for football parties, Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, holiday potlucks, or any fall gathering when you need something warm that everyone will actually eat. Best of all, this slow cooker meatball recipe takes just a few minutes to throw together.
If you love easy fall recipes with apple cider, you will also want to make this Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork. Both recipes have that sweet-and-savory autumn flavor that is perfect for feeding a crowd.
More Meatball Recipes You’ll Love
Why You’ll Love These Apple Cider Meatballs
- Only a handful of simple ingredients
- Uses convenient frozen meatballs
- Sweet, savory, tangy fall-flavored glaze
- Easy make-ahead party appetizer
- Keeps warm right in the Crockpot
- Great for Thanksgiving, game day, and holiday parties
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Frozen fully cooked homestyle meatballs
- Apple cider
- Brown sugar
- Ketchup
- Dijon mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Ground cinnamon
- Garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper
- Cornstarch and water, for thickening the glaze
- Fresh parsley, optional, for serving
How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Cider Glazed Meatballs
Add the frozen meatballs to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the apple cider, brown sugar, ketchup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently toss until coated.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, stirring once or twice if you can.
About 20 minutes before serving, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry. Stir it into the slow cooker, cover, and cook on HIGH until the apple cider glaze thickens and clings to the meatballs.
Serve warm with toothpicks and a sprinkle of fresh parsley if you’d like.
Tips for the Best Crockpot Meatballs
Use apple cider, not apple juice. Apple cider has a deeper, fresher apple flavor that gives the glaze that cozy fall taste.
Choose homestyle or Italian-style meatballs. Homestyle meatballs keep the flavor classic, while Italian meatballs add a little extra seasoning. Either works beautifully.
Do not skip the cornstarch slurry. It turns the cooking liquid into a thick, glossy glaze instead of a thin sauce.
Keep them on the warm setting for serving. Once thickened, these meatballs can stay on WARM for a couple of hours for parties and potlucks.
Make It Your Own
Add a little heat with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce.
For a smokier flavor, swap half of the ketchup for barbecue sauce.
Add cooked crumbled bacon just before serving for sweet-and-savory apple cider bacon meatballs.
Use turkey or chicken meatballs for a lighter option.
For an extra holiday look, garnish the serving platter with thin apple slices, rosemary sprigs, or fresh parsley.
What to Serve with Apple Cider Glazed Meatballs
These slow cooker apple cider glazed meatballs are made for fall entertaining. Add them to a cozy football Sunday spread with Big Mac Nachos, Crispy Cowboy Butter Chicken Wings, and a warm dip or two from my Game Day Food Ideas for a Crowd collection.
They are also a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving appetizer table. Serve them before dinner with Classic Cranberry Marshmallow Salad, then round out the meal with Chicken Sausage and Apple Stuffing and a juicy Dry Brine Turkey.
For more easy holiday menu ideas, browse my complete Thanksgiving Dinner Menu.
PrintSlow Cooker Apple Cider Glazed Meatballs
This easy slow cooker apple cider glazed meatball recipe is tender, sweet, tangy, and coated in a sticky apple cider brown sugar glaze. The perfect Crockpot appetizer for fall parties, Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, holiday entertaining, and game day.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 appetizer servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen fully cooked homestyle meatballs
- 1 ½ cups apple cider
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Add the frozen meatballs to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the apple cider, brown sugar, ketchup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Pour the apple cider sauce evenly over the frozen meatballs. Gently stir to coat.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2½ to 3 hours or on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the meatballs are hot throughout.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until completely smooth. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce is thickened, glossy, and clings to the meatballs.
- Switch the slow cooker to WARM for serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Use refrigerated apple cider for the best rich apple flavor. Apple juice can be used in a pinch, but the sauce will be sweeter and less complex.
- Frozen fully cooked homestyle or Italian-style meatballs both work well.
- Keep the meatballs on the WARM setting for up to 2 hours for serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To make ahead, cook and cool the meatballs, then reheat in the slow cooker on LOW until hot.
- For a little heat, add ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce to the sauce.
Can I Make These Meatballs Ahead of Time?
Yes. Cook the meatballs as directed, let them cool, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the slow cooker on LOW or in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot.
You can also freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use homemade meatballs?
Absolutely. Just make sure they are fully cooked before adding them to the slow cooker.
Can I use fresh meatballs instead of frozen?
Yes, as long as they are cooked first. Raw meatballs should not be added directly to this recipe.
What kind of apple cider should I use?
Use refrigerated fresh apple cider from the grocery store’s produce or dairy section if possible. Spiced apple cider is fine too, but it may make the finished glaze sweeter.
How do I keep the sauce from getting too thin?
Stir in the cornstarch slurry near the end of cooking, then let the sauce cook on HIGH until thickened. Leaving the lid slightly ajar for the last few minutes can also help excess moisture evaporate.
Final Thoughts
If you need an easy fall appetizer that feels special without adding more work to your day, these slow cooker apple cider glazed meatballs are it. The sweet-tangy apple cider sauce makes basic frozen meatballs taste completely party-worthy, and the Crockpot does almost all of the work for you.
