Description
This Easy Honey Garlic Meatballs Recipe offers a delicious balance of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors, glazed in a luscious honey garlic sauce. Ready in under 30 minutes, these tender and juicy meatballs are perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Made with simple pantry staples, this recipe is versatile, kid-friendly, and adaptable to various dietary needs.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatball Mixture
- 1 lb ground meat (beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or a mix)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (or almond flour/gluten-free crumbs for gluten-free version)
- 1 large egg
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Honey Garlic Sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Garnish (optional)
- Sliced green onions
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatball Mixture: Combine ground meat, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Gently mix until all ingredients are well incorporated, being careful not to overmix to maintain tender and juicy meatballs.
- Shape the Meatballs: Use your hands or a small scoop to form evenly sized meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. This ensures even cooking and an appealing appearance.
- Cook the Meatballs: Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides to lock in flavor and create a delicious crust before adding the sauce.
- Prepare the Honey Garlic Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together honey, minced garlic, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Pour this sauce mixture over the browned meatballs in the skillet.
- Simmer and Glaze: Reduce the heat to low and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for 8-10 minutes, until fully cooked through and coated with a glossy honey garlic glaze.
Notes
- Use fresh garlic for the best and most robust flavor in the sauce.
- Don’t overmix the meatball mixture to keep the meatballs tender instead of dense.
- Make sure all meatballs are uniform in size to ensure even cooking.
- Take time to brown the meatballs well to develop a richer flavor base.
- Adjust the honey amount in the sauce based on your preferred sweetness level.
- For a spicy variation, add crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha to the sauce.
- To make this gluten-free, replace breadcrumbs with almond flour or gluten-free crumbs and use gluten-free soy sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Pan-frying and simmering
- Cuisine: Asian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 meatballs with sauce
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: honey garlic meatballs, easy meatballs, quick dinner, appetizer, sweet and savory, weeknight recipe, gluten-free meatballs, kid-friendly meatballs
