You'll love this quick and easy weeknight dinner the whole family will go crazy over! Oven and crockpot recipe instructions included!
It's a perfect weeknight meal with this old fashioned squash casserole on the side.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- That sauce! The soy sauce adds a deep, rich flavor and the honey really balances out the saltiness
- Surprisingly quick to make for a busy weeknight meal and it works as well for family dinners as it does for appetizers.
Easy honey garlic meatballs recipe is baked with a sweet-tangy-spicy sauce that forms a sticky glaze.
And let me tell you - it's a great main dish but these are also one of those easy appetizers that always disappears fast on game days. Just make the meatballs a bit smaller.
Ingredients
📖 Recipe
Honey Garlic Meatballs
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Meatballs
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped or grated
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 pounds ground beef, or a mix of ground meat such as pork, lamb, veal, etc
Honey Garlic Glaze
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ½ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 jalapeno, optional
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs and milk.
- Add the bread crumbs, onion and salt.
- Mix the beef in with your hands until it is completely mixed in.
- Gently shape into balls - larger for dinner servings 1-inch or so for appetizer servings.
- Place in a parchment lined baking sheet with sides.
- Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 12 minutes or until meat registers 155F on an insta-read thermometer.
- Remove from the oven and set aside.
Honey Garlic Glaze
- In a heavy skillet, saute garlic and jalapeno in butter over medium heat until tender - do not let the garlic get brown.
- Stir in the ketchup, honey and soy sauce.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and cover.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce.
- Carefully stir to evenly coat.
- Simmer for 10 minutes more.
Notes
- Although some people feel that fattier meats yield a more tender meatball (80/20) I prefer leaner meats. Try both and see which you like better.
- Some people mix ground meats - beef, pork, veal, lamb. I prefer just beef.
- As a general rule 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat is about right.
- Keep your ingredients icy cold when mixing and forming the meatballs.
- Gently mix with your hands. It just works better.
- Rub a little olive oil on your hands to keep the meatball mixture from sticking.
- Cook a little of your mixture before forming the meatballs and taste it for seasoning. Add more salt as needed.
- Don't pack them together like snowballs. Gently form the meatball so that it's as loose as possible without falling apart.
- This easy meatball recipe is great for appetizers - just make them smaller.
- Undercook slightly and let them stand for 5 minutes or so before serving.
- Make a big batch and flash freeze them when they are almost cooked. Once frozen move them to freezer containers. You'll have meatballs anytime you want
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Make & bake meatballs.
- Saute onion and jalapeno.
- Add soy sauce and remaining ingredients and simmer.
- Add meatballs.
🥘 Slow cooker instructions
I realize that some of y'all will want a
It can be done but the one thing I don't like about it is that the sauce can break and get a little watery. I'd suggest making an extra batch of sauce to have on hand just in case that happens.
It's also very important, if you're make slow cooker meatballs, to use the leanest beef possible. You don't want fat floating around on top of the sauce!
To make this easy meatball recipe even easier in your crockpot make the delicious honey garlic sauce as instructed in the recipe and place half of it in the bottom of the
Just make sure you're using a very lean ground beef.
Cover and cook on low about 4 to 6 hours.
🥫 How to store leftovers
Let the meatballs come to room temperature then store in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap. They're good in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.
You can also freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
⏲️ Make-ahead
I like to make them ahead of time in a big batch, leaving the sauce off, and keep them in the freezer. My homemade meatballs recipe has so much more flavor and fewer weird ingredients than the commercial ones.
You could use the frozen meatballs from the store if you wanted to, though. Just make sure you don't get the Italian seasoned kind.
When I make meatballs I undercook them slightly.
Here's why...
If I am going to freeze them for heating up later I'll cook them to an interior temperature of 150F before flash freezing. This way, when the meatballs are being warmed up they finish cooking and don't overcook.
If I am cooking them to eat immediately I cook them to 160F and let them sit on the counter for 5 minutes or so while I finish dinner prep.
During that time the temperature continues to rise until it's at a perfect 165F and the meatballs are not tough or overcooked.
In this recipe, the meatballs are going to simmer a few minutes in the sauce so they'll finish cooking then.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Use 90/10 ground beef instead of 80/20. They won't be greasy and will still have plenty of delicious flavor!
- Some people mix ground meats - beef, pork, veal, lamb. I prefer just beef.
- If you're going to try these with convenience food just make sure you're not using the frozen Italian meatballs.
- As a general rule 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat is about right.
- Keep your ingredients icy cold when mixing and forming the meatballs.
- Gently mix with your hands. It just works better.
- Rub a little olive oil on your hands to keep the meatball mixture from sticking.
- Cook a little of your mixture before forming the meatballs and taste it for seasoning. Add more salt as needed.
- Don't pack them together like snowballs. Gently form the meatball so that it's as loose as possible without falling apart.
- Use a cookie scoop to keep all the meatballs the same size.
- This easy meatball recipe is great for appetizers - just make them smaller.
- Undercook slightly and let them stand for 5 minutes or so before serving.
- Make a big batch and flash freeze them when they are almost cooked. Once frozen move them to freezer containers. You'll have meatballs anytime you want them for a fraction of the cost of the commercial kind -and without the weird stuff.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
About 50% meat and 50% bread crumbs plus never packing the mixture too tight.
Yes because they keep the meatballs from becoming too dry.
Yes you can but cut down on the rest of the salt you add to the recipe. Crackers are much saltier than breadcrumbs.
📚 Related recipes
I don't know about you but I need a collection of quick weeknight dinners for those days. You know what I'm talking about. Man does not live by easy meatball recipes, alone - am I right?
Here are some of my favorite busy night dinners. I think you'll love them, too.
- Bourbon chicken has a similar flavor to this meatball recipe. It's a copycat of your favorite food court fare!
- Swiss Steak is another old favorite - and it's so easy when you make it in a
slow cooker . - Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork is family friendly - everyone loves it!
- This easy southern meatloaf is always juicy and delicious.
🍽️ Serve with...
And it's delicious over white rice!
What's new? Check out my Restless Chipotle & Co. Store on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of nostalgic goodness! Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!
This easy meatball recipe is a keeper!
I use it often when I have to take a meal to someone at church or a potluck of some sort. Everyone loves them and asks for the recipe.
Make them smaller for appetizers - I like to stick them on cocktail skewers with a candied jalapeno on top.
Next time try this meatball stroganoff.
First published December 11, 2017. Last updated January 23, 2023 for editorial improvements.
Whitney says
This recipe is fantastic!! I’ve already shared it with friends and family. Thank you!!
Marye says
I am so glad you liked it!
Karen Shurley says
Holy honey garlic! My go to appetizer - quick and easy. I’ve had to double the recipe several times ?
Marye says
YAY! I'm so glad you liked them!
Julie Pollitt says
These look delicious!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
Loof?? Can't you tell I'm drinking my wine??
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
Meatballs are great any way you can get them. By the way, Harvest Gold goes with the Avocado -- are we revealing our age? I still have the avocado and harvest gold. Lordy!! I just got rid of our couch (sofa) from the 70's couldn't sell it. Had to donate it!! These meatballs loof fantastic!
Marye Audet says
And orange. My moms kitchen was avocado green, harvest gold, and orange..plus the wallpaper (which contained all those colors) had gold embossing. #stayclassy