Honey Garlic Meatballs

Meatballs coated in a thick, glossy brown sauce are being stirred with a wooden spoon in a pot.

These honey garlic meatballs cook in the slow cooker until hot and coated in a sticky, glossy sauce. Using frozen meatballs keeps the prep simple while the sweet and savory sauce adds plenty of flavor.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Main Dishes

Cuisine American, International

Keyword add the meatballs, appetizer, brown sugar, chili sauce, crockpot, crowd-pleasing, frozen meatballs, game day, homemade meatballs, honey garlic meatballs, honey garlic sauce, ketchup, meatball, meatball recipe, mince, minced garlic, noodle, savory, serve over rice, sesame seeds, slow cooker, soy sauce, stir to coat, thicken, weeknight

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4

Servings Servings

Calories 390kcal

Author Zuzana Paar

Equipment

Ingredients

32 Ounces Frozen Cooked Meatballs
2 Cups Ketchup
1½ Cups Brown Sugar
½ Cup Honey
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Garlic minced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the frozen meatballs directly to the slow cooker and measure the sauce ingredients.
Whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, and garlic until smooth, then pour over the meatballs.
Cover and cook on low for 3–4 hours or high for 2 hours, stirring once halfway through.
Stir in chili sauce if desired, garnish with sesame seeds, and serve warm.

Notes

Every time you lift the lid on a slow cooker, you add 15 to 20 minutes to the actual cook time because the heat that builds up inside escapes immediately. Resist the urge to check more than once and trust the timing.
If the honey garlic sauce is thinner than you want when the cook time is up, remove the lid, turn to high, and let it simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. The sauce will reduce and thicken without cornstarch or extra steps.
Whisk a tablespoon of sriracha or chili sauce into the honey garlic sauce before it goes over the meatballs to add background heat that doesn't overpower the sweetness. Start with 1 tablespoon, taste, and add more before you put the lid on.
For the stovetop version, combine everything in a wide pot over medium heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often so the brown sugar does not burn on the bottom. The result is slightly less tender than the slow cooker version but ready in under 30 minutes.

Nutrition