Honey Buffalo Meatballs

 Recipe From: Laura

These are my little bites of warm, saucy sunshine on a brisk fall day! Tender, juicy Honey Buffalo Meatballs are glazed in the most tantalizing tangy sweet heat sauce--seriously addictive & quite a crowd-pleasing showstopper. This recipe made a mountain of meatballs but like food ninjas, my teen squad went full stealth mode, leaving no survivors.  Hope you enjoy ‘em as much as we did. 😊Makes a great appetizer, or serve as a delicious, easy meal !  Mashed potatoes,  roasted veggies, warm buttered sourdough bread or jasmine rice are the ultimate sidekicks to round it out.

 Tips: Try adding beef bouillon to enhance the flavor and a splash of oil to enhance the juiciness.  Also, you may swap the apricot preserves for pineapple or blackberry jam.  For a quicker meal, purchase frozen meatballs, make the sauce, then bake in the oven or in a crockpot.

 For healthier version: swap out the cracker crumbs for cauliflower rice and skip the brown sugar.

 Meatballs:

 2 pounds lean ground beef

2 eggs

22 saltine or ritz crackers or gluten free crackers, crushed (1 cup)

1/3 cup dried minced onion

1/3 cup milk

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon EACH garlic powder, onion powder, salt

1/2 teaspoon EACH chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sprinkles of parsley for garnish

 

Honey Buffalo Sauce

 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Original Sauce (no Tabasco sauce)

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup apricot preserves *see tip at top*

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

          

Oven/Crockpot Instructions

 *Don’t skip the 'pre-cook' step!*

Browning the meatballs in the oven before adding to the crock pot is essential.  It seals in the juices, helps them not break apart in the slow cooker, and speeds up the cooking time.  Flip the meatballs half way through cooking which prevents them from breaking.

 TIP -  I suggest using a cookie scoop to roll your meatballs, so they are a uniform size and cook evenly.     

 1. Preheat oven to 450F degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Set aside.

 

2. In a large bowl, add eggs and gently whisk. Add all remaining meatball ingredients and mix until well combined. Roll meat mixture into desired meatball size. (smaller for appetizer, larger for dinner).  Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool completely!  

 

3. Meanwhile, add all of the Honey Buffalo Sauce Ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to combine (only use ¼ cup hot sauce at this point. You can add more hot sauce to taste at the end of cooking).

 

4. Line the bottom of your crockpot with meatballs, drizzle with some Honey Buffalo Sauce, then remaining meatballs followed by the remaining sauce.

 

5. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-4 hours, stirring very gently every hour. However, test a buffalo meatball after two hours by cutting in half to check for doneness. When done, taste and stir in additional hot sauce.  Keep warm until serving.

 

Oven Only Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. Top with a baking rack and spray with cooking spray; set aside.

Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet without touching. Bake at 400 degrees  for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, whisk all of the Honey Buffalo Sauce ingredients together in a very large skillet off heat. Once combined, bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and stir evenly to coat . Transfer meatballs to a serving platter or bowl with either cocktail picks or toothpicks nearby or you can pierce the meatballs. Serve warm. Alternatively, transfer to the crockpot and keep on the “warm” setting until ready to serve.

Freezing:

You can either freeze your Slow Cooker Buffalo Meatballs

1) after baking but before cooking in the slow cooker or  2) once fully cooked in the sauce.  Freeze for up to three months.

 Let Buffalo Meatballs and Sauce cool completely in the refrigerator before freezing.

When ready to use, let meatballs thaw overnight in the refrigerator.