Crockpot Middle Eastern Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs
Growing up, it was never Rosh Hashanah or Chanukah without my mother’s famous sweet ‘n sour meatballs- each bite was a taste of heaven! But alas, the ingredients weren’t the healthiest and through trial and error, I created this cleaner version for today’s more sophisticated palettes which gets its sweetness naturally from dried fruit and sweet potatoes. The addition of aromatic spices gives this dish a warming Middle Eastern twist. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 teaspoons olive or grapeseed oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1/2 cup whole wheat or gluten-free bread crumbs *swap with ground matzo meal for Passover
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or grapeseed oil divided (or as needed for browning)
Vegetables and Sauce
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 small eggplants cut into chunks (peel if desired)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes diced
- 3/4 cup chopped unsweetened dried apricots
- 1/2 cup dried dates
- 1 teaspoon each ground cumin coriander and turmeric
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
- Cayenne or red pepper flakes as desired
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger minced (or more if you like)
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup 100% pomegranate juice like POM
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- Chopped fresh cilantro and/or parsley
Instructions
- Meatballs: in a medium pan, heat oil over medium-high setting until hot. Sauté chopped onions and garlic for about 8 minutes or until softened and just beginning to brown. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine all remaining meatball ingredients well (including sautéed onions and garlic); form into 1-inch meatballs. (should make about 30 meatballs) Heat oil over medium-high setting until hot. Brown meatballs in batches; about 2 minutes on all sides. Drain meatballs on paper towels. Set aside.
- Vegetables and Sauce: assemble all ingredients in crockpot. Add meatballs, submerging in sauce.
- Cooking: cover crockpot and cook on High setting for 1 hour and Low setting for about 7 hours or until sauce has thickened and all vegetables are cooked through and soft. (can also cook on Low setting for about 8 hours) As crockpots vary, adjust cooking time if needed. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Taste; adjust salt and seasonings as desired. Garnish with chopped cilantro and/or parsley.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: Meatballs may be prepared (but not browned) up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate. (It is not recommended to brown meatballs ahead of time.) If desired, vegetables and sauce may be prepared and stored (uncooked) in the crockpot, up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Cook as directed; allowing additional time as mixture will be cold. (probably up to an hour longer)
Leftovers may be reheated in the crockpot on Low, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour or until hot. For faster reheating, transfer to a large pot; cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This dish may be frozen for up to 4 months.
Delicious served with jasmine or brown rice, Israeli couscous, quinoa, farro, spaghetti squash or your favorite greens. (not for Passover)
Another favorite meatball recipe you may like is Confetti Turkey Meatballs.
