I’m sharing my Easy Honey Garlic Meatballs recipe that uses fully cooked meatballs with honey, ketchup, brown sugar and soy sauce in a slow cooker sauce, and there’s a little twist you won’t expect.
I love sneaking little tricks into simple dishes, and these honey garlic meatballs are my favorite quick trick. Using fully cooked frozen meatballs and a slick of honey, I get sticky, slightly sweet bites that have people asking whats in them.
Theyre perfect when school nights turn chaotic, a true Kids Meal Ideas lifesaver, and they feel like the Easy Honey Garlic Meatballs you’d see on a late night craving list. I wont tell you all my secrets but this one hits sweet, savory and oddly comforting, and you’ll want to test it on friends just to see their faces.
Ingredients
- Meatballs: ready cooked protein, filling and hearty, often higher in fat and sodium
- Honey: natural sweetener, gives sticky glaze and quick carbs, use sparingly
- Soy sauce: salty umami boost, adds depth but watch sodium if your watching salt
- Garlic: pungent, low calorie, brings bold flavor and some antioxidants
- Rice vinegar: bright mild acid, balances sweetness with gentle tang
- Cornstarch: thickens and gives glossy coating, mostly carbs, no real nutrients its true
- Brown sugar: adds molasses warmth and caramel notes, increases sweetness and calories
- Green onions: fresh mild bite, low calories, bright garnish
- Sesame seeds: nutty crunch, contains small healthy fats and minerals
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 pounds fully cooked frozen meatballs (about 40 meatballs)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 green onions, sliced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
How to Make this
1. Put 2 pounds fully cooked frozen meatballs into your slow cooker in an even layer.
2. In a bowl whisk together 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (break up any clumps), 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar until smooth.
3. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir so they’re coated, try not to mash them.
4. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours or on high for 1 to
1.5 hours, stirring once halfway so sauce distributes.
5. About 10 to 15 minutes before serving mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to make a smooth slurry.
6. Remove the lid, turn the cooker to high, slowly pour in the slurry while stirring and let it cook uncovered for 8 to 12 minutes until the sauce thickens and glazes the meatballs.
7. Taste and tweak if needed: add a splash more soy sauce for salt, more honey or brown sugar for sweetness, or a little extra vinegar if it needs brightness.
8. Garnish with sliced green onions and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds if you like, serve hot over rice or with toothpicks for a party snack.
Equipment Needed
1. Slow cooker (6 to 8 qt), big enough for 2 lbs of meatballs
2. Medium mixing bowl for the sauce
3. Whisk or fork to blend the honey, ketchup and brown sugar (a fork works if you dont have a whisk)
4. Measuring cups and spoons, especially 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp
5. Small bowl and spoon for the cornstarch slurry
6. Chefs knife and cutting board for mincing garlic and slicing green onions
7. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon to gently stir so you dont mash the meatballs
8. Slotted spoon or tongs for serving, or toothpicks if youre making party bites
FAQ
Honey Garlic Meatballs Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Honey: substitute with pure maple syrup (use 1:1), or agave nectar (1:1) — maple has the closest flavor, agave is milder; you can also dissolve 1/2 cup packed brown sugar in 2 tbsp hot water if you need a pantry fix.
- Ketchup: swap for tomato paste thinned with a little sweetener and vinegar (2 tbsp paste + 1 tbsp water + 1 tsp sugar + 1 tsp vinegar replaces ~2 tbsp ketchup), or try BBQ sauce or sweet chili sauce for a different twist.
- Low sodium soy sauce: use tamari (gluten free, same amount), coconut aminos (slightly sweeter, use 1:1 and add a pinch of salt if needed), or regular soy sauce if you don’t mind more salt.
- Cornstarch: replace with arrowroot powder or potato starch (use 1:1), or use all purpose flour at about double the amount (flour will make the sauce less glossy and needs a bit longer to cook).
Pro Tips
1) For better texture, broil the glazed meatballs for 2 to 4 minutes after slow cooking to get little charred edges, watch them close tho because they burn fast. If you want crispness before adding sauce, quickly brown frozen meatballs in a hot skillet first, just dont crowd the pan.
2) Cornstarch tips: always mix the cornstarch with cold water first until totally smooth, then add it slowly while stirring. If it still seems thin after a few minutes make another small slurry, and if it gets too thick thin with a splash of water or soy sauce.
3) Flavor balance is everything, taste as you go. Add tiny amounts at a time: more soy for salt, more vinegar or a squeeze of lemon for brightness, more honey or brown sugar for sweetness, and if you like heat a little sriracha or red pepper flakes — a little goes a long way.
4) Easier cooking and cleanup: spread meatballs in a single even layer so they heat evenly, and try not to stir too roughly or youll mash them. Line the slow cooker with foil or a slow-cooker liner to make cleanup fast, and leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days so you can make this ahead.
Honey Garlic Meatballs Recipe
I’m sharing my Easy Honey Garlic Meatballs recipe that uses fully cooked meatballs with honey, ketchup, brown sugar and soy sauce in a slow cooker sauce, and there’s a little twist you won’t expect.
8
servings
416
kcal
Equipment: 1. Slow cooker (6 to 8 qt), big enough for 2 lbs of meatballs
2. Medium mixing bowl for the sauce
3. Whisk or fork to blend the honey, ketchup and brown sugar (a fork works if you dont have a whisk)
4. Measuring cups and spoons, especially 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp
5. Small bowl and spoon for the cornstarch slurry
6. Chefs knife and cutting board for mincing garlic and slicing green onions
7. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon to gently stir so you dont mash the meatballs
8. Slotted spoon or tongs for serving, or toothpicks if youre making party bites
Ingredients
-
2 pounds fully cooked frozen meatballs (about 40 meatballs)
-
1/2 cup honey
-
1/2 cup ketchup
-
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
-
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
-
3 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
-
1 tablespoon cornstarch
-
2 tablespoons cold water
-
2 green onions, sliced (optional)
-
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
Directions
- Put 2 pounds fully cooked frozen meatballs into your slow cooker in an even layer.
- In a bowl whisk together 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (break up any clumps), 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar until smooth.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir so they’re coated, try not to mash them.
- Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours or on high for 1 to
- 5 hours, stirring once halfway so sauce distributes.
- About 10 to 15 minutes before serving mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to make a smooth slurry.
- Remove the lid, turn the cooker to high, slowly pour in the slurry while stirring and let it cook uncovered for 8 to 12 minutes until the sauce thickens and glazes the meatballs.
- Taste and tweak if needed: add a splash more soy sauce for salt, more honey or brown sugar for sweetness, or a little extra vinegar if it needs brightness.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds if you like, serve hot over rice or with toothpicks for a party snack.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 176g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 416kcal
- Fat: 23.2g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Polyunsaturated: 6.9g
- Monounsaturated: 12.5g
- Cholesterol: 79mg
- Sodium: 1307mg
- Potassium: 365mg
- Carbohydrates: 36.1g
- Fiber: 0.4g
- Sugar: 33.9g
- Protein: 19.6g
- Vitamin A: 200IU
- Vitamin C: 1.5mg
- Calcium: 36mg
- Iron: 0.8mg
