Slow cooker guava glazed meatballs is a great dish to serve at parties! This recipe is a unique spin on traditional slow cooker meatball recipes.
The first time I truly understood the power of the slow cooker meatball as a powerhouse appetizer was at my baby sister’s rehearsal dinner. To keep costs down, they opted to have a casual rehearsal dinner with a mix of homemade and store-bought foods. I made a few easy desserts and large lasagnas and bagged salad was purchased at a warehouse club. For appetizers, we served a few assorted purchased items, and slow cooker meatballs. Can you guess what disappeared first?
It wasn’t even a small slow cooker full of meatballs. We had a huge bag of meatballs cooked in my mom’s mega “makes enough main dish servings for a family of 8-10”-sized slow cooker. I couldn’t believe how quickly the meatballs disappeared, and took that as a sign to file away the idea for use later. You knew I wasn’t going to follow just any old recipe though, didn’t you? 😉
Borrowing from Cuban cuisine, I decided to replace the standard fruit preserve flavors traditionally seen in slow cooker meatballs with guava! Guava preserves or guava paste are usually sold in the Hispanic food section at the grocery store and are staples in most Cuban households. Not only does a slice of guava paste on a cracker make the world’s easiest dessert, add a bit of cheese and maybe turkey and you have an easy appetizer or sandwich filling. That’s versatility, darlings.
Grab frozen meatballs to keep preparations simple. I was going to but the Godfather quickly vetoed that idea and made me fresh meatballs using his burger patty recipe. For party purposes, just buy the frozen meatballs. The other ingredients are very basic and you just pour into your slow cooker. The result is a delicious sweet and savory glazed slow cooker meatball dish that is sure to be a hit at your next soiree! As written, the recipe is not spicy at all, so if you want a bit of kick, add another jalapeno pepper.
I hope you enjoy this easy party appetizer recipe, darlings!
Slow Cooker Guava Glazed Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cooked frozen meatballs
- 16 ounces guava paste, cut into 1/2" cubes, a standard package of guava paste is 16 ounces
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 jalapeno, diced and seeded
- 1 tbsp soy sauce, dark if you can find it
- green onions or sesame seeds for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and set the heat to high.
- Stir after about 1 hour to ensure even flavor distribution.
- Cook 3-4 hours on high (7-8 on low) and stir once more before serving. Top with green onions or sesame seeds to garnish if desired.
