Easy Crockpot Honey Garlic Meatballs – Kid Approved
A simple, budget-friendly dinner of frozen meatballs slow-cooked in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce. Perfect for busy weeknights, this crowd-pleasing recipe requires just 5 minutes of prep and delivers sticky, glossy meatballs that kids and adults love.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs frozen meatballs (homestyle or Italian-style)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (for thickening, optional)
- Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, low-sodium soy sauce, minced garlic, ketchup, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
- Place the frozen meatballs in a 5-6 quart crockpot in an even layer.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently toss to coat evenly.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until meatballs are heated through and sauce is bubbly.
- Optional: In the last 30 minutes, stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook uncovered until sauce thickens.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve over rice, noodles, or as an appetizer with toothpicks.
Notes
For a thicker sauce, don’t skip the cornstarch slurry. Use low-sodium soy sauce to control saltiness. Double the sauce ingredients if you like extra sauce. Leftovers taste even better the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5-6 meatballs with s
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 700
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 20
Keywords: crockpot meatballs, honey garlic meatballs, easy slow cooker dinner, kid-friendly meatballs, frozen meatballs recipe