Easy 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs
A simple and flavorful slow cooker recipe featuring tender meatballs in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce, perfect for busy weeknights or casual gatherings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 to 4 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken)
- ½ cup honey (120 ml)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup soy sauce (80 ml)
- ⅓ cup ketchup (80 ml)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1 pound (450 g) of ground meat with ½ cup (120 ml) honey, 3 cloves of minced garlic, ⅓ cup (80 ml) soy sauce, and ⅓ cup (80 ml) ketchup. Mix gently until just combined.
- Roll the mixture into roughly 1-inch (2.5 cm) meatballs, about 20 meatballs total.
- Optional: Brown meatballs in a hot skillet with a little oil over medium-high heat until golden on all sides.
- Place the meatballs in the slow cooker and pour any remaining sauce over the top.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours until meatballs are tender and cooked through (internal temperature 160°F for beef or 165°F for poultry).
- If sauce is too thin, stir in a slurry of 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water and cook on high for 10 more minutes to thicken.
- Serve warm with extra sauce spooned over the top.
Notes
Do not overmix the meat to keep meatballs tender. Keep meatballs uniform in size for even cooking. Browning meatballs before slow cooking is optional but adds texture and flavor. Use low heat for best tenderness. Taste sauce before adding salt due to soy sauce saltiness. Sauce can be thickened with cornstarch slurry if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 5 meatballs pe
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Protein: 18
Keywords: slow cooker, honey garlic meatballs, easy dinner, 5-ingredient recipe, crockpot meatballs, simple meal, weeknight dinner