Description
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs are tender, flavorful, and easy to prepare with a perfect balance of sweet honey and savory garlic. This hands-off recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and slow cooking to deliver juicy meatballs coated in a rich, sticky sauce, making it ideal for family dinners, meal prepping, or quick weeknight meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground meat (beef, pork, turkey, or a blend)
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Honey Garlic Sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Garnish
- 2 green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground meat, bread crumbs, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly to avoid tough meatballs. Then, roll the mixture into uniform bite-sized meatballs to ensure even cooking.
- Make the Honey Garlic Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together honey, minced garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, and rice vinegar. This flavorful sauce will soak into the meatballs as they cook, creating that signature sticky, savory coating.
- Layer Meatballs and Sauce in Slow Cooker: Place the meatballs in the slow cooker in an even layer. Pour the honey garlic sauce over them, making sure every meatball is generously coated to absorb maximum flavor.
- Cook Low and Slow: Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours. The slow cooking gently infuses the meat with sauce and keeps the meatballs tender and moist.
- Garnish and Serve: Once cooked, sprinkle chopped green onions on top for freshness and color before serving your Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs.
Notes
- Roll meatballs to about the same size to cook evenly.
- Eggs and bread crumbs keep meatballs from falling apart during slow cooking.
- Pour sauce over meatballs evenly to coat all surfaces for full flavor.
- Use fresh minced garlic for the best aroma and flavor.
- Cooking on low heat preserves tenderness and develops deeper sauce flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs with sauce
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
Keywords: slow cooker meatballs, honey garlic meatballs, easy meatballs, family dinner, make ahead meal, gluten free meatballs