These delicious meatballs are a PERFECT mix of sweet and savory. If you’re looking for a perfect dish for your next potluck, this is it! You can also serve this as a hearty meal with a few side dishes. Honey BBQ Meatballs are super simple with only just a few ingredients that you add to your crockpot and you’re done. You can use the leftover meatballs for a variety of meals.
Honey BBQ Meatballs Recipe
I find that most kids love to eat meatballs. Every time I make this recipe I forget how much my kids love it. This is a kid approved recipe for sure!! I also think kids love to eat meatballs because they are usually bite sized and eat for them to eat.
We love barbecue sauce and we love meatballs, so this recipe was a perfect match. I love this recipe because it is perfect for the whole family and a great recipe for large crowds.
Make sure you check out these other popular meatball recipes on my sites, Homemade Italian Turkey Meatballs, Hawaiian Meatballs, Crockpot Grape Jelly Meatballs, Honey Sriracha Meatballs, and Buffalo Ranch Chicken Meatballs. Take a look now, or pin them for later!
How to Serve Honey BBQ Meatballs
The thing I love about this recipe is that it can be served as a meal or as an appetizer.
How to Serve Meatballs as an Appetizer
When I serve meatballs as an appetizer, I usually serve them out of my crock pot. I find this to be the perfect way to serve, because it keeps them warm. You could also arrange them as individual bites with a toothpick of some kind stuck in each one on a serving platter.
- If you are serving your meatballs in a crock pot be sure to turn your crock pot to the warm mode and stir every now and then.
- If you are serving as an appetizer, place meatballs on a platter with a toothpick. They may be warm when your are placing the toothpick in so be careful not to burn your fingers.
How to Serve Meatballs as a Meal
Below I will list a few of my favorite serving suggestions. I would add a few sides to make this a wholesome meal.
- Over Rice- We like these over rice because it kind of reminds us of Hawaiian Haystacks. Our families favorite kind of rice to use is Jasmine. We use this kind of rice for most of the recipes I make. You could also use Quinoa instead if that’s what you prefer.
- Over Pasta- This is not a traditional way of serving meatballs, but my kids do love pasta. You could choose your favorite pasta to serve this dish with.
- Over Mashed Potatoes- My husband loves this dish with these mashed potatoes.
- With Zoodles- If you are eating a low carb diet, this is a delicious way to eat meatballs.
- Cauliflower – This is a great and filling options for a side. You can cook cauliflower is a lot of different ways. Some of our favorite ways to cook it is roasted, steamed, and mashed. You could also make cauliflower rice and replace regular rice with it.
- Roasted Vegetables– Some of our favorite roasted veggies are zucchini, Brussel sprouts, green beans and sweet potatoes.
- Garlic Toast or the Best Garlic Bread– You can use this delicious bread to soak up the sauce from the meatballs.
If you have a favorite side or way to serve these that I missed, please leave me a note in the comments so that other readers and I can give it a try next time I make it for the family!
How to Make Honey BBQ Meatballs
This recipe is super simple and the best part is the crockpot does all the work. Place your meatballs in the crockpot. Mix all the other ingredients together and pour over top of the meatballs. Then cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
Can I use turkey meatballs in this recipe?
Yes! You can use whatever kind of meatball you would like. You can find beef or turkey meatballs in the frozen section of most grocery stores.
Can I use homemade meatballs in this recipe?
Yes! You can use homemade meatballs in this recipe. If they are frozen you will want to cook as directed, but if they are just refrigerated you will just want to cook them in the slow cooker until they are at a safe temperature for consumption (160˚F for beef and 165˚F for turkey or chicken) then move the crockpot setting to keep warm.
How to store leftover Honey BBQ Meatballs
This recipe is super tasty and you may not have leftovers, but if you do you can refrigerate or freeze the leftovers to use later.
- To refrigerate: store leftovers in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To freeze: place in an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to a month. I like to package them in individual serving sizes so they can be quickly reheated for one.
Honey BBQ Meatballs Leftover Recipe Suggestions
I love when I have leftover meatballs to use in other recipes throughout the week. This makes dinner planning and prepping super easy. Here are some of my favorites ways to repurpose this meal!
- Honey BBQ Meatball Pizza- I like to use refrigerator crusts. They are very similar to pizza store crust. Spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce on your crust. Cover with mozzarella or provolone cheese then chop up the meatballs and sprinkle them over top. Bake as directed.
- BBQ Meatball bowls– This is kind of the burrito bowl of BBQ meatballs! Have a buffet of toppings, like rice, beans, corn, lettuce, tomato, even better, pico de gallo, fresh chopped bell pepper, cheddar cheese, etc. Then set the meat balls out to top things off. Let everyone customize their own Meatball bowls.
- Honey BBQ Meatball stuffed Baked Potatoes– Halve baked potatoes and top with meatballs, cheese, sour cream and chives. This is a favorite at our house!
- Honey BBQ Meatball Subs– Toast sub rolls with some butter and garlic. Layer the meatballs on with plenty of sauce then top with cheese and scallions and bake again until heated through and cheese is melted.
I hope you enjoy these delicious meatballs whether it is as an appetizer or main meal.
Honey BBQ Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 cups barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 lbs frozen meatballs
Instructions
- Combine the barbecue sauce, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the slow cooker and mix until smooth.
- Pour the meatballs in the slow cooker and stir into the sauce until coated.
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or low for 4-6 hours or until they reach 165˚F.
Recipe Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
Nutrition Information
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