These sticky honey garlic slow cooker meatballs are the perfect way to take frozen meatballs to a whole new level! Perfect for an easy appetizer or a quick entertaining dinner!
Slow cooker meatballs are the best! Having friends over for dinner is one of my favorite things to do. But life is busy, two kiddos and a bustling business can easily make it to where by the time I get home the last thing I want to do is think about dinner. One of my secrets to still making entertaining work is to simplify our menu, depend on my freezer and to use my slow cooker.
My grocery store’s freezer section is essential to helping me pull this off which is why I am so excited to be partnering with the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association this year on a series of posts! I always have a large stash of frozen veggies, frozen fruit, ice cream, loaves of interesting bread and rolls, and of course a few bags of frozen meatballs on hand. I know that if time is pinched or friends stop by unexpectedly I can easily toss together a dinner or appetizer easily and quickly. And since March is Frozen Food Month, it’s the perfect time to stock up!
This last week I pulled this recipe together with Rosina’s homestyle meatballs and it made such a great easy meal! Making the quick sauce takes just a few minutes. And allowed me to start the meatballs ahead of time. This is one of my favorite tricks to leave myself extra time to tidy up the house a bit and freshen up myself.
What to serve with slow cooker meatballs?
The fabulous artisan garlic bread had been stashed in my freezer, so that was simple to pull out and warm in the oven while I got ready. Just before dinner I sautéed up some fresh broccoli rabe with a bit of garlic and olive oil, whipped together a few mashed potatoes and we were in business.
The guys all loved it! Keeping Noah (my five year old) out of the meatball pan proved to be a bit of a challenge. He declared them “so good and sticky” as he tried to fit all of his meatballs in his mouth at once. The guys also declared that these slow cooker meatballs must be present at all the football games from here on out! So I am confident in saying that these are a winner.
Our sticky honey garlic sauce is a classic sauce in our family and didn’t disappoint here. It whips together in no time at all with simple ingredients and is so much better tasting than a bottled sauce!
Want the perfect slow cooker meatballs?
It is very adequate to coat the meatballs as an appetizer as the recipe is written. If you want a lot of sauce on the meatballs to serve with mashed potatoes, be sure to double the sauce. Try our slow cooker mashed potatoes for another easy way to keep this dinner ready to serve when your guest arrive!
Enjoy!
p.s. don’t have a full hour but still, want to make this recipe? Toss the meatballs in a cast iron skillet and cook them until they are warmed through. Toss in the sauce and you are good to go!
These sticky honey garlic slow cooker meatballs are the perfect way to take frozen meatballs to a whole new level! Perfect for an easy appetizer or a quick entertaining dinner!
1 26ozpackage of Rosina’s Homestyle frozen meatballs
For the sauce:
⅓cupchicken stock
3tablespoonssoy sauce
⅓cuphoney
2tablespoonsrice vinegar
1tablespoontomato paste
½teaspoongrated ginger
½tablespoonlime juice
2clovesgarlic
1tablespoonbutter
½tablespooncornstarch
Instructions
1. In a small pot whisk all ingredients together except meatballs.2. Bring to a boil.3. Cook until thickened to desired consistency (5-10 minutes).4. Pour over frozen meatballs and cook on high for 1 hour (holds well on warm).5. Serve as an appetizer or with mashed potatoes and veggies for an easy dinner. Enjoy!
Notes
1 batch of sauce is very adequate to coat the meatballs as an appetizer. If you want extra sauce to serve with mashed potatoes etc, doubling the sauce is appropriate.
Disclosure: This post was brought to you in collaboration with our brand partner NFRA. We are grateful for our partnerships as they allow us to continue bringing you delicious beautiful content for free every week!
Camp cooking just gotten taken to a whole new level. From family favorites to cocktails, The Stress Free Camping Cookbook has a recipe for your next trip or backyard fire!
Hi, I’m Dani! I’m most importantly mama to 3 wild little dudes. I spend my days cooking, photographing and exploring the Pacific Northwest. I'm a full time food blogger and online business coach.
