Easy Crockpot BBQ Meatballs (2024)

Posted: Dec 9, 2019 · Updated: Feb 12, 2021 by Tonje

Delicious, sticky, sweet Crockpot BBQ Meatballs are a fantastic dish that practically makes itself. Perfect for dinner, as an appetizer, or simply served as a snack.

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Have you ever tried to cook frozen meatballs in your slow cooker? It's so easy, and although the dish takes a few hours to come together, it only requires a few minutes of labor.

These BBQ glazed meatballs are so tender and juicy, and the sauce is incredible. Cooking them in a crock pot means that they stay soft all over, and as long as you remember to prepare the dish a few hours in advance, they are ready to eat exactly when you feel like it!

Ingredients

The main component in this recipe is of course meatballs. You can use store bought or homemade meatballs using your favorite recipe, and they can either be used frozen or fresh.

If you're using frozen meatballs, whether they are uncooked or precooked, you can just throw them directly into the slow cooker. The same applies if you're using chilled, cooked meatballs.

However, if you're using raw chilled meatballs, I highly recommend that you quickly brown them a little in a pan or skillet before you transfer them to your crockpot, otherwise they could dissolve a little as they cook.

Additionally, you will need your favorite BBQ sauce, an onion and some honey.

Check out my collection of slow cooker beef and pork recipes for more meal inspiration!

Instructions

Add your meatballs, honey, BBQ sauce and a finely diced onion to your slow cooker. Place the lid on top, and cook for 3-4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low.

The liquid from the meatballs will mix with the BBQ sauce, so don't worry if it seems like you're not adding enough sauce - you are.

Stir to coat everything evenly, and serve immediately, or leave the crock pot on the warm setting until you're ready to eat.

Top tips

Here is my best advice to help you succeed with this recipe:

• Leave the lid on the crock pot while the meatballs are cooking. This will keep the heat in and allow the meatballs to cook faster and more evenly.
• The honey can be substituted with maple syrup, agave nectar, brown sugar or any other sweetener. You can also omit it completely.
• Use your favorite BBQ sauce! I love Sweet Baby Ray's, but you can also use a homemade sauce, or a different brand.

Serving suggestions

Meatballs can be served on co*cktail sticks as an appetizer or snack, or served with side dishes as an entree. Here are some of my favorite sides to pair them with:

• Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges - These cheesy potato wedges are the absolute best.
• Oven Roasted Green Beans - Crispy, delicious roasted green beans.
• Healthy Mashed Potatoes - Creamy mashed potatoes with Greek yogurt.
• French Potato Salad - A flavorful potato salad with herbs.
• Air Fryer Baked Potato - Easy baked potatoes made in your air fryer.

Variations

With grape jelly: For added flavor, you can replace the honey with grape jelly. This is a popular version of the dish in the US, and is definitely worth trying.

Spicy: Add some chili powder, sriracha or use spicy BBQ sauce to add a little heat to the dish.

Gluten free: Make sure to use gluten free meatballs and BBQ sauce if you want to make gluten free BBQ meatballs.

Low calorie / lean dish: For fewer calories, you can use turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs instead of beef meatballs.

Vegetarian: Use vegetarian meatballs. Keep in mind that different types and brands of veggie meatballs have very different textures, so your results may vary.

Leftovers

You can store leftover BBQ meatballs in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.

Reheat the meatballs in a pot, slow cooker or microwave, and serve them hot. You can also re-use them in a different dish, like a sandwich or casserole.

Frequently asked questions

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