Cozy Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs
These slow cooker honey garlic meatballs are tender, flavorful, and perfect for a cozy dinner. The sweet and savory sauce melds beautifully with juicy meatballs, making it an easy and comforting meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-5 hours (low) or 2-3 hours (high)
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes (low) or 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes (high)
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs (or almond flour for gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup milk (any kind)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (low sodium recommended)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined.
- Form mixture into 1.5-inch meatballs, about 20-24 total. Place on a baking sheet or plate. Optionally, brown meatballs in a skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, ketchup, and vinegar until smooth.
- Place meatballs in the slow cooker and pour sauce evenly over them. Stir gently to coat meatballs without breaking them. Cover with lid.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours until meatballs are tender and sauce thickens.
- If sauce is too thin near the end, stir in cornstarch mixture and cook an additional 15 minutes to thicken.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or pepper if needed.
- Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.
Notes
Optional browning of meatballs adds flavor but is not required. For gluten-free, substitute breadcrumbs with almond flour and use tamari instead of soy sauce. Adjust honey to reduce sweetness if desired. Avoid overcrowding the slow cooker for even cooking. Sauce can be thickened with cornstarch slurry if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 5-6 meatballs
- Calories: 350400
- Fat: 1520
- Carbohydrates: 2025
- Fiber: 12
- Protein: 2530
Keywords: slow cooker, honey garlic, meatballs, easy dinner, comfort food, weeknight meal, sweet and savory, crockpot