March 11, 2019

Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs

Name: Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 125 min
Ingredients: 28 ounce package frozen meatballs; 1/4 cup peanut butter; 2 14.5-ounce cans coconut milk; 2 tablespoons red chile paste; 4 teaspoons fish sauce; 3 tablespoons sugar; chopped peanuts and parsley (to garnish)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

These Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs take just five minutes to prepare and are the delicious answer to getting dinner on the table quick!

Keep in touch! Subscribe to receive Melanie Makes recipes direct to your inbox.

Original content posted March 2013. Updated March 2019.

We kind of have a thing for meatballs at our house. Our second oldest requests spaghetti and Easy Baked Meatballs at least once each week. We also love to have Chili Garlic Meatballs or Sharp Cheddar Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf Meatballs for game day or appetizers with friends.

But sometimes, I’m just plain tired – mama of four, checking in! – and don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen to meet our meatball fix. Enter my Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs.

These delicious meatballs have two shortcuts which means I’m in the kitchen for a total of five minutes to prep dinner. How many main dish recipes do you have in your arsenal that can say that?!

My first shortcut is using my trusty slow cooker. We usually have two slow cooker meals during the week because of our chaotic schedules. I love coming home and knowing that dinner is ready and we just need to set the table before eating.

Although I love to make homemade meatballs, I also have plenty of days when time is limited and it just isn’t in the cards. For this recipe, my second shortcut is to use store bought frozen meatballs. They’re typically fully cooked so the slow cooker to bing used to simply heat them through and to take on the flavor of the five ingredient Thai chili peanut sauce they’re heated in.

These Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs take just five minutes to prepare and are the answer to getting dinner on the table quick! Turkey meatballs are simmered in a peanut butter and coconut milk sauce and are delicious served over rice or pasta.

How to Make Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs

[1] Add frozen meatballs to 6 quart slow cooker.

TIP: I like to make this recipe in this slow cooker – it comes in 4, 6 or 8 quart options – or using the slow cooker function of my Instant Pot. If using your Instant Pot, you’ll want to use the tempered glass lid instead of the top that comes with it and is used for pressure cooking.

[2] Add peanut butter, coconut milk, red chili paste, fish sauce and sugar.

[3] Stir meatballs and sauce to combine.

TIP: Don’t worry about the coconut milk fat solids that don’t mix well. As they are heated, they will melt and form a sauce which you can easily stir later.

Cook on HIGH 2-4 hours or on LOW 4-6 hours.

[4] Stir meatballs and sauce to combine.

Cook on HIGH uncovered an 30 minutes to allow sauce to thicken.

How to Serve Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs

I love these meatballs served over riced cauliflower as the vegetable soaks up all of the delicious sauce. Garnished with chopped peanuts, fresh parsley and red pepper flakes, these meatballs are one of our family’s favorite meals. You could also serve these meatballs over rice or pasta, as well.

Not only do these Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs make an amazing main dish, but they also are a crowd pleasing appetizer as well. Simply forego the rice or pasta and set some toothpicks near the slow cooker for family and friends to snag meatballs easily.

If you’ve tried these Slow Cooker Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs or any other recipe on Melanie Makes, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I love hearing from you and respond to each and every comment!

You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more delicious recipes.

Print Recipe

4.75 from 12 votes