Go Back
–+ servings
A white plate filled with slow cooker garlic honey meatballs in sauce, steamed rice, and mixed vegetables including carrots, green beans, and squash. Another similar plate is blurred in the background.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Garlic Honey Meatballs

These Garlic Honey Meatballs combine sweet honey, savory soy sauce, and aromatic garlic in a slow cooker for the perfect appetizer or dinner. Ready in just 3 hours with frozen meatballs!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 6
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds frozen meatballs
  • 1 ½ cups ketchup
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar white or apple cider
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • cooked rice and veggies optional for serving

Instructions

  • Add the meatballs to your slow cooker.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic until well combined.
  • Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the slow cooker. Stir gently to coat all the meatballs evenly.
  • Cook on low for 3–4 hours or on high for 2–3 hours. (Until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is thickened.)
  • Serve hot over rice with steamed veggies on the side.

Video

Notes

Slow Cooker Size: A 4-6 quart slow cooker works perfectly for this recipe. Too large and the sauce spreads too thin; too small and the meatballs won't heat evenly.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions:
  • You can use all honey or all brown sugar in this recipes if you'd like instead of doing half and half. 
  • The sauce has a lot of flexibility to make additions as you'd like. Adding hot sauce or ground ginger are my two favorite additions if I think of it. 
  • Adding red pepper flakes or a drizzle of hot sauce during the last hour transforms these from sweet to sweet-and-spicy. Start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust to your family's preferences.
  • Fully cooked frozen meatballs are most convenient - beef, turkey, or chicken all work great. I prefer Italian-style or plain meatballs so the honey garlic sauce really shines through.
Serving Suggestions:
  • You can serve this over rice with a side of vegetables for a complete meal, use what you like or have on hand.
  • Serve over egg noodles instead of rice.
  • Tuck into sub rolls for the ultimate meatball sandwich.
  • And don't forget to spoon that gorgeous sauce over everything!
Storing & Reheating Leftovers: Store leftover honey garlic meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. The sauce may thicken when cold - just add a splash of water when reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1172mg | Potassium: 648mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 319IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.

qr code