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Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs Recipe

A quick, flavourful, and comforting slow cooker dish featuring tender meatballs simmered in a glossy, sweet-savory honey garlic sauce — perfect for family dinners, meal prep, and gatherings.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 320 kcal

Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 2 pounds 900g ground meat (beef/pork blend or choice of protein)
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs or gluten-free alternative
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika optional
  • 1 –2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
  • 1 –2 tbsp neutral oil optional, for browning

Honey Garlic Sauce

  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 4 –6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup ketchup optional
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup optional
  • 2 –3 tbsp water + 2 tbsp cornstarch for slurry
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil optional
  • Red pepper flakes or Sriracha optional

Garnish

  • Sliced scallions
  • Toasted sesame seeds

Instructions
 

Mix the Meatball Base:

  • In a large bowl, add breadcrumbs and milk; allow to soak 2–3 minutes. Add ground meat, egg, garlic, parsley, onion powder, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and soy sauce. Mix gently until just combined.

Shape Meatballs:

  • Wet hands slightly and roll mixture into uniform 1¼–1½ inch meatballs.

Optional Browning (Recommended):

  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs in batches for 1–2 minutes per side (don’t worry about cooking through). Transfer into the slow cooker.

Make the Sauce:

  • Whisk together honey, soy sauce, vinegar, minced garlic, ketchup, and brown sugar in a bowl until smooth.

Combine and Cook:

  • Pour the honey garlic sauce over the meatballs in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 6–7 hours or HIGH 3–4 hours.

Thicken the Sauce:

  • Near the end of cooking, mix cornstarch with water to form a slurry. Stir it into the slow cooker, turn to HIGH, and cook 10–15 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.

Finish and Garnish:

  • Stir in toasted sesame oil (if using). Serve hot meatballs with extra sauce, garnished with scallions and sesame seeds.

Notes

  • Make-Ahead Tip: Form meatballs and freeze raw on a tray before transferring to zip bags for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen with extra slow cooker time.
  • Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freeze cooked meatballs in sauce up to 3 months.
  • Substitutions: Use tamari for gluten-free; ground turkey or chicken for a leaner version; plant-based meatballs for vegetarian.
  • Sauce Adjustments: If sauce is too sweet, add more vinegar or a pinch of salt. To make spicier, stir in red pepper flakes or Sriracha.
  • Thickener Alternatives: Arrowroot or reducing sauce on stove can replace cornstarch.