These Crockpot Honey Garlic BBQ Meatballs are the perfect appetizer or lunch idea. They're so easy to make with less than 10 ingredients!
Ingredients and substitutions
Meatballs
- Extra-lean ground beef – you could also try making these meatballs with ground turkey for a healthier option.
- Breadcrumbs – try using panko, cracker crumbs or crushed unsweetened cornflakes instead.
- Egg – plain yogurt or buttermilk would also help hold your meatballs together. You can leave this out altogether but your meatballs might fall apart.
- Yellow onion – white onion would be the best substitute here.
- Garlic powder – if you don’t have any garlic powder, try swapping it out for some finely minced garlic.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
Sauce
- BBQ sauce – I suggested using a tomato-based BBQ sauce.
- Ketchup – tomato paste with a bit of maple syrup and apple cider vinegar will provide a similar flavour.
- Honey – maple syrup or agave would be the next best thing.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic is best but garlic powder will work in a pinch.
How to make meatballs in the crockpot
Step 1: Assemble your ingredients.
Step 2: Make the sauce.
Mix together the BBQ sauce, ketchup, honey and garlic.
Step 3: Roll then sear the meatballs.
Mix together the meatballs, then sear them in a skillet until lightly browned.
Step 4: Add the meatballs to the crockpot.
Step 5: Cover the meatballs in sauce.
Add the sauce to the crockpot, then cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Serve the meatballs with steamed broccoli or store for later.
Variations of crockpot meatballs
This recipe is perfect for making meatballs in the crockpot, but there are tons of different ways you can switch things up with different sauces, cooking methods and more.
- Use frozen meatballs: If you want to cut down on prep time, you can use frozen meatballs from the grocery store. Skip the browning step, cover the meatballs and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Make them in the oven: Don't have a crockpot? No worries! You can make these honey garlic meatballs in the oven as well. After rolling the meatballs, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook them in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes at 400° F.
- Swap out the beef: If you want to make these meatballs a bit healthier, you can substitute the ground beef for a leaner protein option like ground turkey. It has a similar flavour but with less calories!
- Try out different sauces: Honey garlic is delicious, but feel free to make your meatballs with other sauces as well! You can make them with store-bought marinara sauce for classic spaghetti and meatballs, with a sticky teriyaki sauce or even Swedish meatball sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t need to brown the meatballs for food safety reasons (they’ll still cook completely if they add them in raw), but browning them first helps them keep their shape as they cook.
These crockpot meatballs need to cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.
There are so many ways to enjoy these honey garlic crockpot meatballs. I usually serve them with some steamed broccoli for an easy and healthy meal prep lunch, but you could also serve them with macaroni and cheese, rice, mashed potatoes or even corn on the cob.
If you're making these meatballs for a party, you can serve them right from the crockpot. Just put it on the ‘Keep Warm' setting and the meatballs should stay warm for up to 3 hours. I wouldn't recommend leaving them in the pot for longer than that, as they might start to overcook.
I used a 6 quart crockpot for this recipe. If you have a smaller crockpot, just ensure you're not overfilling the pot, or the meatballs won't cook properly.
Storing and reheating
These crockpot BBQ meatballs are great as leftovers, and can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in glass meal prep containers. When you're ready to enjoy, reheat them in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes with a bit of water sprinkled over top. You could also reheat them in a pan on the stovetop with some extra sauce!
Freezing this recipe
These honey garlic crockpot meatballs freeze really well. You can cook them either cooked or uncooked for up to 3 months.
If you're freezing uncooked meatballs, flash freeze them on a tray in the freezer first for a bout an hour, then transfer them to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. This prevents them from sticking together! You can freeze them with or without the sauce. From there, you can let them defrost in the fridge overnight and cook as normal.
If you're freezing cooked meatballs, transfer them to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or glass container after they've cooled completely. When you're ready to enjoy them, you can reheat them in the crockpot for 2 hours on high or for 4 hours on low.
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More easy crockpot recipes
MEAL PREP TOOLS
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these meatballs into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my grass-fed beef from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your meatballs are cooked through.
- Use these Ziploc bag holders if you're add the meatballs to freezer bags then freezing them.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Crockpot Honey Garlic BBQ Meatballs {Super Easy}
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 yellow onion, grated
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Sauce
- 3/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Mix sauce together in a large bowl and set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, mix meatballs together until combined. Heat a large skillet over high heat then sear meatballs for 2-3 minutes each side until lightly cooked and browned.
- Gently add meatballs to crockpot with tongs, then cover with sauce. Cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4 hours.
- Serve with toothpicks or in meal prep bowls with steamed broccoli. Leftovers will last up to 5 days in the fridge, and meatballs can be frozen up to 3 months. Enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Lisa says
Taylor, these were sooo delicious!! I doubled the recipe to feed my family of 3 teenage boys and will definitely triple or quadruple in the future. I baked my meatballs at 350 for 15 minutes before adding to crockpot for 2 hours on high. I also ran out of bbq sauce and added about 1/2 cup of runny jalapeno jelly that i made and it really added a dimension of flavor! Will certainly do this again! And it sounds weird but i added these to a salad and drizzled some sauce for the dressing—incredible!!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you all enjoyed! The jalapeno jelly sounds amazing!
Taylor S. says
How much is a serving?
Taylor Stinson says
I don’t provide servings by weight/cup unfortunately. You will need to take the number of servings listed and divide into portions. Each portion is a serving.
Jen says
Could this be made as a meatloaf?
Taylor Stinson says
I think so, I haven’t tried it myself.
Nona says
How many meatballs did you have per serving in order to arrive at all the numbers for the nutrition facts?
Taylor Stinson says
There should be approximately 32 meatballs total, or 4 meatballs per serving including sauce.
Stephanie says
Hi Taylor,
To save time on our busy weekdays I was going to use frozen turkey meatballs. Would I have to defrost them prior to cooking or just throw them in frozen and add some cooking time to the toyal? Thanks for the help
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Stephanie – I haven’t tried this myself but I imagine you could add them in frozen.
Whitney says
How many meatballs is in one serving?
Taylor Stinson says
It depends on how large you make the meatballs. I don’t typically provide servings by number/weight/cup unfortunately. You will need to take the number of servings listed and divide into portions. Each portion is a serving.