Honey Garlic Meatballs

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Baked Honey Garlic Meatballs — These honey garlic meatballs are easy, can be prepped in advance, and hold well at room temp. They’re juicy, tender, and the honey garlic sauce gives them so much flavor! 

Baked Honey Garlic Meatballs — These honey garlic meatballs are easy, can be prepped in advance, and hold well at room temp. They’re juicy, tender, and the honey garlic sauce gives them so much flavor! 

Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs

Recently I was having an informal get-together with friends and was thinking about what to make that most everyone would enjoy. And that’s easy on me as the cook, that can be prepped in advance, and that holds reasonably well at room temp.

I decided that cocktail meatballs would be great and everyone loved these. You can either serve these honey garlic meatballs more fancy with toothpicks or in a big ole bowl.

They’re juicy, tender, and the honey garlic sauce gives them so much flavor. They’re perfect for parties, events, holidays, game days, tailgating, or just because.

After baking, it’s as easy as tossing them in the delectable honey garlic sauce. The sauce is how the word awesomesauce came to be, I’m sure.

Baked Honey Garlic Meatballs — These honey garlic meatballs are easy, can be prepped in advance, and hold well at room temp. They’re juicy, tender, and the honey garlic sauce gives them so much flavor! 

Honey Garlic Meatballs Ingredients

This honey garlic meatball recipe has two components: the baked meatballs and the honey garlic sauce.

Meatballs:

  • Ground beef
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Sweet Vidalia onion
  • Salt and pepper

Honey garlic sauce: 

  • Unsalted butter
  • Garlic
  • Ketchup
  • Honey
  • Low-sodium soy sauce

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

Baked Honey Garlic Meatballs — These honey garlic meatballs are easy, can be prepped in advance, and hold well at room temp. They’re juicy, tender, and the honey garlic sauce gives them so much flavor! 

How to Make Honey Garlic Meatballs

Baked meatballs with garlic and honey sauce are a breeze to make! Here’s a look at how the meatballs with garlic are made: 

  1. Combine the ground beef meatball ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Scoop the mixture into 2-tablespoon balls.
  3. Bake until the centers of the meatballs are no longer pink and are cooked through.
  4. Meanwhile, stir together the honey garlic sauce in a skillet over medium heat.
  5. Once the meatballs are baked, gently stir into the sauce and continue cooking until the honey garlic sauce has thickened. 

How Long Should You Bake Meatballs?

These baked garlicky meatballs need to bake for roughly 17 to 20 minutes. Keep in mind that I used a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out the meatballs. Larger meatballs will need more time in the oven. 

Make-Ahead Instructions

These sticky honey garlic meatballs can be assembled in advance and then baked off the next day. Here are the exact instructions:

  1. Form the meat mixture into balls.
  2. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
  3. The next day, remove them from the fridge and place on your counter for about 20 minutes before baking. (This brings them closer to room temp and ensures they bake evenly throughout.)
Honey Garlic Meatballs - Juicy, tender, and the honey garlic sauce adds so much FLAVOR!! Perfect for parties, holidays, game days, and more! Everyone LOVES these EASY meatballs!!

Recipe Tips

Be sure to mix the meatball ingredients together until just combined. You don’t want to over work the ground beef, otherwise you’ll wind up with tough meatballs. 

To make cleanup easier, I always line my baking trays with aluminum foil. This ensures the honey garlic meatballs don’t stick to the pan. 

These cocktail meatballs are best fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

What to Serve with Honey Garlic Meatballs

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4.60 from 35 votes

Honey Garlic Meatballs

By Averie Sunshine
These honey garlic meatballs are easy, can be prepped in advance, and hold well at room temp. They’re juicy, tender, and honey garlic sauce gives them so much flavor! 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 20
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Ingredients  

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef or ground sirloin, I used 90% lean ground sirloin
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup milk, I used unsweetened cashewmilk
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • cup sweet Vidalia onions, diced small (yellow or white onions may be substituted)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste

Honey Garlic Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced or finely pressed
  • ¾ cup ketchup
  • cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400F, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  • To a large bowl add the beef, egg, milk, bread crumbs, onions, salt, pepper, and stir to combine.
  • Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop (or your hands) form approximately 18 to 20 meatballs. After scooping out the meatballs with a cookie scoop, use your hands to roll into smooth balls and place on prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1-inch apart.
  • Bake for about 17 to 20 minutes, or until centers of meatballs are no longer pink and are cooked through; set aside.
  • To a large skillet add the butter and heat over medium heat to melt.
  • Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, or until garlic is tender and fragrant.
  • Add the ketchup, honey, soy sauce, and stir to combine.
  • Add the meatballs, toss and stir gently to coat evenly, and simmer over low heat for about 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened some and meatballs well coated; stir intermittently.
  • Transfer meatballs to a serving platter or bowl, insert a toothpick into each meatball if desired, and serve.

Notes

  • Meatballs are best fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 123kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 317mg, Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These meatballs are a new family favorite! So easy to prepare and easy to freeze for future use. I’ve already shared the recipe with several friends and they love them also! Thank you!
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  2. Needless to say but this is the best party-starter ever! Yummy and juicy meatball will make anyone satisifed :) Thanks so much for this Averie!

  3. I made these tonight and they’re amazing! My husband is so picky but he loved them! Your recipes never fail! Made the honey pumpkin dinner rolls tonight as well and they are wonderful. My all time favorite is the soft batch cream cheese chocolate chip cookies! Thank you!

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! And glad picky hubby approved :) Glad you love the cream cheese CCC’s, too! Thanks for all the compliments!

  4. These look so delicious! Like Dorothy said, I’m drooling! You have an amazing knack for creating perfect and beautifully styled photographs, Averie! Pinning, stumbling, etc. etc. etc.

  5. I feel like you can never go wrong with meatballs at a party. Everyone loves them! These look fabulous!

  6. I don’t have a game or party coming up this weekend but I would love to make these anyway (and Jon loves meatballs). The sauce looks incredible! Those oven baked fries would be good with them as well.