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    Urban Bliss Life » All Recipes » Slow Cooker Recipes » Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Meatballs

    Published: August 29, 2022 / Updated: August 29, 2022 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Meatballs

    3966 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    side view of several slow cooker honey bourbon meatballs on top of mashed potatoes and with chopped parsley garnish with title text overlay.
    side view of several slow cooker honey bourbon meatballs on top of mashed potatoes and with chopped parsley garnish with title text overlay.
    side view of several slow cooker honey bourbon meatballs on top of mashed potatoes and with chopped parsley garnish with title text overlay.

    These Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Meatballs are the perfect party appetizer, and also an easy weeknight dinner! Serve with pasta, rice, or a salad to make it a complete meal.

    side view of slow cooker honey bourbon meatballs on a bed of mashed potatoes.

    Two magic words: honey bourbon.

    The sweetness of honey with the smokiness of bourbon creates such a delicious, tantalizing flavor combination. That was the inspiration for this Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Meatballs recipe.

    We've been making this dish for parties and family dinners for long before this recipe was first published in January 2015. We recently made it again and have updated the photos and added more helpful content to help you make this delicious recipe!

    Jump to:
    • 🌟 What makes these meatballs amazing
    • 🛒 Ingredient notes
    • ✅ Step-by-step instructions
    • 🍯 Recipe FAQs
    • ⏲ Kitchen equipment
    • 🍽 Serving ideas
    • 🧆 More meatball recipes
    • Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Meatballs

    🌟 What makes these meatballs amazing

    white serving plate with several honey bourbon meatball appetizers with toothpicks in them.

    Apart from the sweet, smoky deliciousness, here are a few more reasons this recipe rocks:

    • Easy to make: I use frozen store-bought meatballs for this recipe so it couldn't be easier. It saves time without sacrificing flavor.
    • Fast prep & little hands-on cook time: There's only about 5 minutes of prep work in making the sauce, then the slow cooker does the rest of the work!
    • Great for large gatherings: These meatballs are perfect to serve at holidays, family gatherings, and to bring to potlucks! This recipe makes about 40 meatballs.
    • Make-ahead dish: You can make these bourbon meatballs up to a day before your party, then simply warm up on the Low setting of your slow cooker before guests arrive. Keep it on the Buffet setting to keep warm during the party.
    • Great to freeze and store: If you have leftovers, store them in the freezer for up to 2 months and use them in other dishes later. They go great with mashed potatoes, rice, couscous, polenta, salad greens, and pasta!

    🛒 Ingredient notes

    several bowls of ingredients to make slow cooker honey bourbon meatballs on a bright blue background.

    For this recipe, you'll need:

    • Two 20-ounce packages of frozen meatballs (about 40 meatballs total)
    • Ketchup
    • Honey
    • Bourbon
    • Brown sugar
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • Lemon juice
    • Salt and pepper

    ✅ Step-by-step instructions

    white bowl with ingredients to make the sauce for slow cooker honey bourbon meatballs on a blue background.
    white bowl with sauce for honey bourbon meatballs and a whisk in the bowl, on top of a blue background.
    1. In a large bowl, mix together ketchup, honey, bourbon, brown sugar, and lemon juice.

    frozen meatballs placed inside the bowl of a slow cooker.
    sauce poured over dozens of meatballs in a slow cooker.

    2. Place frozen meatballs in your slow cooker.

    3. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the meatballs and stir.

    crockpot slow cooker set on high for 1 hour.
    dozens of cooked honey bourbon meatballs in a slow cooker.

    3. Cook on high for one hour. Stir occasionally to evenly coat the meatballs with the sauce.

    4. After one hour, turn down the temperature to low and cook on low for 2 hours.

    Full measurements and detailed instructions are below, in the printable recipe card.

    🍯 Recipe FAQs

    dozens of honey bourbon meatballs in a slow cooker.
    How long will these meatballs keep in the freezer?

    They will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer in an airtight container.

    Can I make these meatballs in a smaller slow cooker?

    If you have a smaller slow cooker, try increasing the cooking time and be sure to stir the meatballs regularly to ensure they all get an equal chance to soak up some of the lovely honey bourbon sauce.

    ⏲ Kitchen equipment

    white plate with several honey bourbon meatball appetizers with toothpicks, and a crockpot slow cooker behind the plate.

    Slow cooker - You''ll need a fairly large slow cooker in order for the meatballs to cook well using the cooking times in my recipe. I love my 6-quart slow cooker.

    🍽 Serving ideas

    overhead view of several honey bourbon meatballs stacked on top of each other on a bed of mashed potatoes, with chopped parsley garnish.
    several honey bourbon meatballs with toothpicks on a white serving platter surrounded by a green and white napkin with small bowl of chopped parsley at the top left.

    These meatballs make a fantastic dinner dish or party appetizer.

    For dinner, serve them over Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes or with Instant Pot Garlic Rice. Then add a side of vegetables to round out the meal, such as Grilled Asparagus in Foil, Roasted Garlic Rosemary Carrots, Air Fryer Broccoli, or Mushrooms Marsala.

    To serve as appetizers, simply place a toothpick in the center of each one to make it easy for guests to pick up and eat.

    Got leftovers? These make delicious meatball subs!

    🧆 More meatball recipes

    • Meatballs with Romesco Sauce
    • Cranberry Meatballs Recipe
    • Slow Cooker Meatball Soup Recipe
    • Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs with Pasta (Dairy-Free)

    Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!

    closeup of several slow cooker honey bourbon meatballs on top of each other in a crockpot.

    Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Meatballs

    5 from 32 votes
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 3 hrs
    Total Time: 3 hrs 10 mins
    Recipe by Marlynn Schotland
    These slow cooker meatballs are easy to make, and delicious as party appetizers or family dinner!
    Servings: 40 meatballs
    Calories: 51kcal
    PRINT PIN RATE

    Equipment

    • 1 Slow Cooker

    Ingredients

    • 40 frozen meatballs (about 2 20-ounce packages)
    • ½ cup ketchup
    • ½ cup honey
    • ½ cup bourbon use less if you prefer!
    • ½ cup packed brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, mix together ketchup, honey, bourbon, brown sugar, and lemon juice.
    • Place frozen meatballs in your slow cooker.
    • Pour sauce mixture evenly over the meatballs. Stir to coat the meatballs as evenly as possible.
    • Cook on high for one hour.
    • Check on the meatballs and stir them occasionally, to evenly coat the meatballs with the sauce.
    • After one hour, turn down the temperature to low and cook on low for 2 hours.

    Notes

    Bourbon: a half cup creates a rich bourbon flavor to these meatballs. If you prefer less of a bourbon flavor, you can use a ¼ cup bourbon instead. 
    Party ready: If your slow cooker has a Buffet setting as mine does, you can keep it on this setting throughout your party to keep the meatballs warm.
    Storage: allow the meatballs to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to two months. 
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment! Then snap a pic of your dish and share it on social media. Tag @UrbanBlissLife and #UrbanBlissLife!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg

    Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.

    This post was originally published January 9, 2015. It has since been updated with new photos and helpful new content, and republished on August 29, 2022

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Bethany says

        October 27, 2022 at 11:10 pm

        Does it matter what type of bourbon?? What brand? Sounds yummy, want to make for my fall party

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          October 28, 2022 at 3:54 pm

          5 stars
          Use any bourbon that you enjoy, since the taste of the bourbon you use will affect the final taste of the meatballs. I've used Buffalo Trace and Bulleit Bourbon, as well as Freeland Spirits Bourbon -- all turned out delicious!

        • Bethany says

          November 14, 2022 at 2:31 pm

          5 stars
          Made them for my Friendsgiving party Saturday!! I used Jim Beam and I made a little extra sauce. They turned out AMAZING! Everyone loved them! This is definitely going to be my new go to recipe! Thank you!

      2. Mel says

        November 01, 2019 at 5:59 pm

        5 stars
        This was a huge hit. Previously made BBQ style ones, but this was a winner!

        Reply
      3. Bonnie says

        September 07, 2019 at 12:45 pm

        5 stars
        Just made this. Simply delicious!

        Reply
      4. Leslie says

        May 19, 2019 at 6:26 pm

        5 stars
        These were a big hit at our Kentucky Derby Party! I double the recipe but only used 1/2 cup of bourbon. It was the perfect ratio, you could slightly taste the bourbon without being too over powering!

        Reply
      5. Bruce says

        April 06, 2019 at 6:01 pm

        5 stars
        I used 3/4 cup of bourbon....delicious!!! Mixing had a disgusting smell but the end product was perfection

        Reply
      6. Sarah says

        December 04, 2018 at 6:00 pm

        5 stars
        I added some sriracha sauce for a little more kick--huge party hit!

        Reply
      7. Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

        February 13, 2016 at 10:37 pm

        Hi Kathy! Sorry about that - it looks like the recipe for this one wasn't loading properly, so I appreciate you letting me know! Try refreshing the page now and the recipe should come up for you. Thank you!

        Reply
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      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

      More about me →

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