Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Meatballs + Video

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Honey Sriracha Meatballs are hot, sweet, tangy, and wildly addictive!! These crockpot spicy meatballs are for the Sriracha lover in you.

titled (and shown) honey sriracha meatballs (crockpot party meatballs)


 

Honey Sriracha Meatballs

This is SUCH a simple appetizer recipe, it just about cooks itself. Add the sauce ingredients, form the spicy meatballs, toss them in the slow cooker, and voila!

Slow cooker meatballs are the best make-ahead game day or any day food. What more could you ask for?

Chad and I fell in love with the Sriracha-honey flavor a few years ago, and ever since, Sriracha sauce has been a staple in my pantry. A little bit here, a little bit there.

After creating my recipe for Honey Sriracha Crockpot Chicken Wings, there was no turning back. The sweet and spicy combination is absolutely incredible.

Tips for Making Sriracha Meatballs

  • Wet your hands. This way, the Sriracha meatballs will form better and crack less.
  • Use a cookie scoop! I find that a 1-tablespoon scoop is the perfect size for slow cooker meatballs, and it guarantees that each one is the same size.
  • Want to thicken the sauce? You can take the lid off after 2 hours to allow the sauce to thicken, or you can transfer the sauce to the saucepan on the stovetop and cook until reduced by half (or to desired consistency).

    Honey glazed meatballs are perfect whether the sauce is cooked down or not. It is a personal preference.
  • Adjust the heat. Sriracha is a spicy Korean sauce, made from HOT chiles. This recipe is for medium-heat honey Sriracha meatballs.

    If you want to increase the spiciness, decrease the amount of honey and increase the amount of Sriracha sauce.

    If you prefer milder heat, increase the honey and decrease the Sriracha.

Serving Suggestions

Honey Sriracha Meatballs are the perfect game-day bite, but they are just as awesome for dinner served over some rice or even potatoes.

I like to make an extra batch and stick them in the freezer for whenever I need a quick appetizer for an upcoming party. Easy peasy!

Slow Cooker Meatballs FAQ

Should you cook meatballs in sauce or brown first?

I prefer to cook my honey Sriracha meatballs directly in the sauce. It gives them a chance to really soak up that delicious flavor, plus it’s one less thing for me to wash!

Browning meatballs does help to lock in the juices, but I find that these honey glazed meatballs are perfectly tender and juicy without the extra step.

Why do my meatballs fall apart in the slow cooker?

It’s important to have a binding ingredient to help hold your meatballs together. For this Sriracha meatballs recipe, we’re using panko breadcrumbs and eggs.

Don’t forget to wet your hands before rolling, which helps them form easier. Then, carefully transfer the meatballs to your slow cooker so they hold their shape.

Enjoy!
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close up: honey glazed meatballs on a plate

sriracha glazed meatballs on platter

Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Meatballs + Video

Donna Elick
Honey Sriracha Meatballs are hot, sweet, tangy, and wildly addictive! This slow cooker meatballs recipe is for any sriracha lover!
5 stars from 1 review
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Method Slow Cooker
Servings 24 meatballs

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup sriracha sauce, * to adjust spiciness, see Notes
  • 1 cup honey, * to adjust spiciness, see Notes
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, approximately 2 limes

Crockpot Party Meatballs

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef, I used 85%
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions
 

  • Add sriracha, honey and lime juice to a slow cooker on high power.
    Taste and add additional honey or sriracha as necessary to suit your spicy heat preference.
  • In a large bowl, add all meatball ingredients except eggs. Set aside.
  • Add 1/4 cup of sauce mixture to meatball mixture. Stir to combine mixture 2 times, then add eggs. Mix well, but do not over mix or you will have tough meatballs.
  • Place a sheet of wax paper (approximately 9"x9") on your countertop.
    Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, portion out meat and place on wax paper. After all meatballs have been scooped, roll into balls and place them into the slow cooker.
    When about half of the meatballs are in the slow cooker, spoon sauce over the tops of them. Continue adding meatballs until they are all in the slow cooker. **You may have to layer them, just be sure the bottom layer is thoroughly coated in sauce before you add the next layer.
  • Reduce crockpot power to low, place lid on top, and cook for 4-8 hours.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Video

Donna’s Notes

If you lightly wet your hands the meatballs will form better and crack less.
You can take the lid off after 2 hours to allow the sauce to thicken or you can transfer the sauce to saucepan on the stove top and cook until reduced by half, or to desired consistency. The meatballs are perfect whether the sauce is cooked down or not. It is personal preference.
Sriracha is a SPICY CHILE sauce. This recipe is medium heat. If you prefer spicier meatballs, decrease the amount of honey and increase the sriracha. If you prefer milder heat, increase the honey and decrease the sriracha.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 meatball | Calories: 115cal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 412mg | Sugar: 12g | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
titled collage for crockpot party meatballs recipe

Originally published November 2014. Updated and republished April 2023

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33 Comments

  1. I don't want to insult your amazing cooking by asking this…. but can I use frozen meatballs and add the sauce?

    1. Of course you can. Cooking in the sauce definitely adds to it, but the dish would be great even using frozen. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.

    1. Mine did not, but you could use a leaner beef if you are concerned about that. 93% would be great too. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.

  2. I'm pretty picky with my meat and have to admit, I rarely touch meatballs. But, I'll also confess, these look pretty delish! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  3. Just put a batch of these in for my husband. I'm not big on siracha sauce but he has been on a hot sauce kick lately. He saw these and asked for me to make them. Hopefully he likes them!

    1. It depends on your slow cooker. They could be done at 4. Press on them, if they are firm like a meatball they are most likely done. Pull one out and break it apart to make sure. Enjoy!

  4. So, I just mix the sauce together then start on my meatballs and then just throw them into the sauce to cook?? Sounds too easy, just making sure before I start..

  5. I made these two nights ago and it was a huge hit! I followed the recipe to a tee, and cooked it on low for 6 hours. They were a bit too spicy for my taste, so next time I make them (there will definitely be a next time!) I will alter the amount of sriracha just a tad. Also, some of my meatballs came out burnt, while most came out perfectly cooked. I don't know why, if was the crockpot I'm using or what, I'm still pretty new at this. Regardless, they were fantastic! 🙂

  6. I've made these before and they were a huge hit. I froze some and took them out to defrost and we picked at them with dinner last night. again, huge hit. So I have a party coming up this weekend and want a double batch. Do you think that would work in one crockpot? I was also thinking I could make a batch Thursday. Make another batch Friday. Then just load them in one crockpot to take to the party? Your thoughts? [email protected]

  7. I have made these once and I'm making them again because my boyfriend and I fell in LOVE. We are the type of people that could put sriracha sauce on anything. The first time was a little spicy so I made it with more honey this time. Thank you for this amazing recipe. I have shared it with some of my coworkers as well because I was bragging about it. hehe.

  8. My child can't eat the dish which has much chili sauce so can i minimum the amount of the sriracha hot chili sauce in this recipe?

  9. These look great. I was wondering if you could help me?i can't find a recipe from last week l think it was a cheesy Italian Alfredo sauce over penne can u help???

  10. I was so excited to try these meatballs. I thought my lips and tongue would never get back to normal. It was way too hot for us. I did adjust the seasonings by adding more honey to it, but it wasn't for us. I had to take a paper towel and get the sauce off it to eat it. We put ranch dressing on the side to downplay the heat. I guess I will have to adjust the sriracha sauce to 1/4 cup and keep the honey the same amount.

  11. Is there a way to thicken the sauce that is not leaving the lid off and without having to reduce it on the stove? I left the lid off for about an hour and it was still very liquidy but if i try to reduce it there wont be hardly anything left to cover the meatballs

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