Easy Garlic Honey Meatballs

A wooden spoon holds three glossy, sauce-covered meatballs above a bowl or pot of additional meatballs.

These honey garlic meatballs cook in a small slow cooker with a sticky, sweet, and savory sauce. Using frozen cooked meatballs keeps the prep simple, making them a great small batch appetizer with very little cleanup.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Main Dishes

Cuisine American, International

Keyword appetizer, crockpot, frozen meatballs, homemade meatballs, honey garlic meatballs, honey garlic sauce, ketchup, make this recipe, meatball, meatball recipe, slow cooker, soy sauce

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Servings Servings

Calories 390kcal

Author Zuzana Paar

Equipment

Ingredients

16 Ounces Frozen Cooked Meatballs
1 Cup Ketchup
¾ Cup Brown Sugar packed
¼ Cup Honey
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Garlic minced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Measure the sauce ingredients and place the frozen meatballs in the slow cooker.
Whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, and garlic until smooth.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs and stir until evenly coated.
Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or high for 2 hours, then serve warm.

Notes

Add a pinch of chili flakes directly into the sauce before pouring if you want background heat without changing the overall sweet and savory balance.
Toothpicks make these easier to serve as a stand-alone appetizer. For a meal portion, ladle extra sauce over rice or a small bed of greens.
Toasted sesame seeds scattered over the top right before serving add a bit of crunch and a nutty flavor that plays well against the sweetness.
If you do not have a slow cooker, the notes already mention the stovetop option, but a low oven at 300°Fahrenheit (200°Celsius), covered in a small baking dish for 30 to 40 minutes, works just as well and gives a similar glossy finish.

Nutrition