Description
This Buffalo Meatball Crockpot Recipe features tender baked meatballs simmered in a sweet and spicy honey buffalo sauce, perfect as an appetizer or main dish. The slow cooker method allows the flavors to meld beautifully, resulting in moist, flavorful meatballs with a tasty glaze.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup crushed saltine crackers (22 crackers)
- 1/3 cup dried minced onion
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Honey Buffalo Sauce
- 1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Original Sauce, plus more to taste
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
- Mix Meatballs: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs gently, then add all remaining meatball ingredients. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
- Shape and Bake: Roll the meat mixture into desired-sized meatballs, using a cookie scoop for uniform size. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Prepare Sauce: While meatballs bake, whisk all Honey Buffalo Sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl, initially using only 1/4 cup hot sauce to control heat.
- Layer in Slow Cooker: Line the bottom of your slow cooker with a layer of meatballs, drizzle some sauce over them, then add remaining meatballs and top with the rest of the sauce.
- Cook Low and Slow: Cover and cook on low heat for 2 to 4 hours, gently stirring every hour to evenly coat meatballs in sauce.
- Adjust Heat and Serve: Taste the meatballs toward the end of cooking and stir in additional hot sauce if desired to increase spiciness. Keep warm until serving.
Notes
- Watch the recipe video for guidance on making the dish perfectly.
- Doubling the sauce is recommended for those who prefer more glaze and flavor.
- Use a crock pot liner for effortless cleanup.
- Ritz crackers can substitute saltine crackers if preferred.
- A cookie scoop ensures uniform meatball size for even cooking.
- Smaller meatballs are great for appetizers, while larger ones suit as a main dish.
- This recipe yields about 70 one-inch meatballs or 35 two-inch meatballs.
- Browning meatballs before slow cooking seals in juices and maintains shape.
- Adjust cooking time based on meatball size and slow cooker model; test doneness after 2 hours.
- Prepare meatballs ahead by baking and refrigerating or freezing; add 30 minutes to cooking when using chilled meatballs.
- You can freeze meatballs before or after slow cooking; thaw properly before reheating by stove, slow cooker, or oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 200 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
