Description
This Slow Cooker Buffalo Meatball recipe features juicy, perfectly browned beef meatballs coated in a sweet and spicy honey buffalo sauce. Ideal for appetizers or a main dish, these meatballs are slow-cooked to tender perfection. The flavorful combination of spices, apricot preserves, and hot sauce offers a delightful balance of heat and sweetness.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup crushed saltine crackers (approx. 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 black 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 and prepare: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
- Mix meatball ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs gently, then add all meatball ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Form and bake meatballs: Roll the meat mixture into your desired meatball size (1 inch is recommended for appetizers). Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Make honey buffalo sauce: While the meatballs bake, whisk together Frank’s Red Hot sauce (1/4 cup only), honey, apricot preserves, brown sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a medium bowl until combined.
- Layer meatballs and sauce: Line the bottom of your slow cooker with some meatballs, drizzle with some honey buffalo sauce, then add the remaining meatballs and top with the rest of the sauce.
- Slow cook: Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours, gently stirring every hour to coat meatballs evenly. After cooking, taste and add additional hot sauce if desired (the recipe suggests 1 1/2 tablespoons to make it spicier).
- Serve warm: Keep warm until serving, ideally serving as an appetizer or main dish as preferred.
- Optional freezing: Meatballs can be frozen either after baking or once fully cooked, with thawing and reheating instructions provided.
Notes
- Watch the recipe video for a visual guide on making these meatballs.
- Doubling the sauce is recommended for those who want extra sauce, especially when serving as a main dish.
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform meatball sizes to ensure even cooking.
- You can substitute saltine crackers with Ritz crackers if preferred.
- Browning meatballs in the oven seals in juices and prevents them from breaking apart in the slow cooker.
- Smaller meatballs are ideal for appetizers; larger ones work well for dinner servings.
- Test meatballs for doneness after 2 hours by cutting one in half.
- If freezing before cooking, freeze on the tray first to prevent sticking before transferring to freezer-safe containers.
- Adjust cooking times depending on meatball size and slow cooker variations; start early and keep warm as needed.
- A crock pot liner can be used for effortless cleanup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
