These honey garlic meatballs are coated in a sticky, sweet-savory sauce and made right in the slow cooker. Serve them as an appetizer or over rice for an easy dinner the whole family will love.

Honey garlic meatballs in a black bowl garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.

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Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs

One of my favorite meatball recipes to make is this slow cooker honey garlic meatballs. They come together with minimal effort and the sauce is genuinely hard to stop eating.

This meatball recipe works great as a crowd-pleasing appetizer or a simple main dish over rice. The sauce is so good I even used it as a marinade for my grilled honey garlic chicken!

Why This Recipe Works

  • Effortless prep: The slow cooker does all the heavy lifting. Just mix the sauce, add the meatballs, and come back to dinner ready to serve.
  • The sauce balance is just right: The ratio of honey to soy sauce is what makes it work. Sweet enough to glaze, savory enough to keep you going back for more.

Recipe Ingredients

Honey garlic meatball ingredients including frozen meatballs, honey, soy sauce, and garlic on a counter.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Frozen meatballs: A 32-ounce bag of frozen, fully cooked meatballs is the shortcut that makes this recipe so easy. No mixing, no rolling, no browning required. They hold up well in the slow cooker and soak up the sauce beautifully.
  • Ketchup: Adds a subtle tang and body to the sauce without overpowering the other flavors.
  • Honey: This is where the sweetness comes from. It also gives the sauce that sticky, glossy finish.
  • Brown sugar: Deepens the sweetness and helps the sauce thicken as it cooks.
  • Soy sauce: Balances all that sweetness with a savory, salty note. It’s what keeps the sauce from tasting one-dimensional.
  • Garlic: Fresh minced garlic gives the sauce a little bite and rounds out the whole flavor profile.

How to Make Honey Garlic Meatballs

Honey garlic meatballs with sauce in a slow cooker.
  1. Pour in sauce ingredients. Mix ketchup, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic in the slow cooker.
  2. Add the meatballs. Stir to coat them well with the honey garlic sauce. Season with garlic salt and pepper.
  3. Cook. Either on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 3-4 hours. 
  4. Serve with white rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Stovetop Instructions

No slow cooker? No problem. Add the sauce ingredients to a large pot over medium-low heat and stir to combine. Add the meatballs and bring to a light simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are heated through and coated in the sauce.

Cooking Tips

  • Consider using a slow cooker liner for effortless cleanup, especially if you’re making a large batch for a party or gathering.
  • For even cooking, layer the meatballs and sauce in your slow cooker instead of mixing them. This ensures each meatball gets an even coating of the delicious honey garlic sauce.
  • If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove the meatballs after they are cooked, set the slow cooker to high, and mix in a cornstarch slurry. Let it cook and thicken for an additional 10-15 minutes before adding the meatballs back in.
  • Using fresh meatballs. You can use homemade meatballs. If they’re uncooked, brown them slightly in a pan before adding them to the slow cooker to enhance flavor and texture.
  • Make it ahead: Prepare the sauce and store it separately from the meatballs in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to cook, just combine them in the slow cooker and go.
Honey garlic meatballs coated in sticky glaze in a white bowl.

Serving Suggestions

These meatballs work great two ways. Serve them as an appetizer with toothpicks alongside other game day snacks, or make it a full meal by spooning them over white rice with a sprinkle of green onions and sesame seeds.

For a heartier dinner, they’re also great over noodles or mashed potatoes. The sauce is thick enough to coat everything nicely.

Variations

These sticky garlic meatballs are fantastic as they are, but there are also a lot of ways that you can switch the recipe up depending on your tastes.

  • Hawaiian twist: For a tropical touch, add pineapple chunks to the slow cooker, creating a variation similar to Hawaiian meatballs.
  • Make it spicy: If you like the bit of heat in my firecracker meatball recipe, add a dash or sriracha or sprinkling of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
Honey garlic meatballs served over white rice topped with green onions and sesame seeds.

More appetizer recipes we love include Lil Smokies recipe, meatball sliders and cream cheese and chili queso dip.

More Meatball Recipes

Honey garlic meatballs coated in sticky glaze in a white bowl.

Honey Garlic Meatballs

5 from 14 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 10
Honey garlic meatballs made in the slow cooker with just 5 minutes of prep. Serve as an appetizer or over rice for an easy weeknight dinner.
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Ingredients 

  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen fully cooked meatballs (about 50)
  • garlic salt & pepper , to taste

For serving: Cooked rice, Sliced green onions, sesame seeds

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl or the base of a slow cooker, combine the ketchup, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce and garlic. Add meatballs and stir until coated in sauce. Add a pinch of garlic salt and pepper on top if desired.
  • Cook on high 2 to 3 hours or low 3 to 4 hours. Turn the slow cooker to warm until ready to serve. Season to taste.
  • Enjoy as an appetizer or serve over rice and top with green onions for a main dish.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Stove top instructions: Combine sauce ingredients in a large pot over medium-low heat. Once combined stir in the meatballs. Bring to a light simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until heated. 
Storage: Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 355mg, Potassium: 352mg, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 70IU, Vitamin C: 3.8mg, Calcium: 29mg, Iron: 1.2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make these meatballs ahead of time?

Absolutely! Prepare the meatballs and sauce, store them separately in the refrigerator, and combine them in the slow cooker when you’re ready to cook.

What if I don’t have a slow cooker?

No problem! You can cook the meatballs on the stovetop. Simmer the sauce and meatballs in a pot over low heat for about 20-30 minutes.