Slow Cooker Honey Chipotle Meatballs Recipe

I’m back right before the big game with another chicken meatball recipe! These have got to be the best chicken meatballs to come out of my crockpot. Nevermind the fact that I don’t think I’ve shared another slow cooker chicken meatball recipe on the blog yet. My chicken meatballs are tiny and cute and rolled around in the most addicting cherry honey chipotle barbecue sauce. And if you think you don’t like cherry and barbecue together, wait until you try these barbecue chicken meatballs. Holy moly! They are addicting! So many reasons why I think barbecue chicken meatballs should be on your super bowl table, but here’s a few if you need a little more convincing:

no sautéing the meatballs no chopping involved (not even garlic.. gasp!) they’re chicken! Not your run of the mill beef or pork they simmer in sauce in the crockpot and can be served straight from there.. fewer dishes!

These are my standard chicken meatballs that I’ve simplified a wholeeee lot. If you’ve made my firecracker chicken meatballs or the Hawaiian variety, you’ll notice that today’s meatballs contain the same ingredients but don’t require any chopping. I figured there was already enough we’d have to put together come football Sunday, and that cleaning one less cutting board or chopping less garlic would make everyone a little happier. The ingredients list on today’s honey chipotle meatballs is pretty straight forward. It’s ten ingredients, most of which are pantry staples — music to everyone’s ears.

What do you need to make chicken meatballs?

ground chicken (or turkey) breadcrumbs eggs parmesan seasonings

What if I don’t have breadcrumbs, will panko work?

Yes, panko will work just fine here!

How long does it take to cook honey chipotle meatballs in the slow cooker?

Every slow cooker is different, but typically it’ll take anywhere from 2 – 2 ½ hours on the low setting. Keep in the mind that the meatballs are already ½ way done when they come out of the oven. The remaining time is just for them to soak up all those yummy flavors from the sauce and to finish cooking through.

Do I need to keep an eye on these?

This recipe is hassle-free! However, I do suggest stirring the meatballs after the first hour, to make sure everything is running smoothly. Sometimes slow cookers have hot spots, and this just helps make sure nothing overcooks!

Can I make a double batch? If so, what size slow cooker would I use?

You can easily make a bigger batch. Double everything for double the batch and triple everything for triple the amount. As written, the 2 pounds of honey chipotle meatballs will just fit in a 3-quart slow cooker. If you make a double batch, I suggest using a 6-quart slow cooker or larger. 2 pounds of ground chicken (or turkey) will make roughly 50-60 meatballs (if each is about a tablespoon worth of mixture.) That should comfortably feed 12-14 people as an appetizer.

Can I make and freeze honey chipotle meatballs for later?

Yes, you can! I suggest thawing the meatballs before adding them to the slow cooker. You can skip the oven step entirely. You’ll also need to kick the cooking time up to 3-4 hours (check for doneness around the 3-hour mark and let it go for longer if they aren’t done.) What’s even better is that you can prepare the chicken meatballs, roll them and flash freeze them on a baking sheet. Then pop them into a zip top bag and have them ready to go! You can even do this tonight and then pull them out the day of the big game! Best part – no defrosting needed with the homemade meatballs. Pop them on a prepared baking sheet and bake them for 11 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker.

Can I make these in advance and just reheat them?

Yesss! You can make everything the day before, all the way to the very end. And then just a couple of hours before your guests arrive, just reheat them on the ‘keep warm’ setting of your slow cooker.

How to make honey chipotle meatballs for dinner:

I like to serve these meatballs for dinner sometimes. Brown rice or jasmine rice works well with the sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. Also, can I just say that steamed broccoli with a drizzle of that honey barbecue sauce on top is everything! Or you can even add 3 cups of fresh broccoli florets to the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes, and then you don’t need to dirty extra dishes to steam the broccoli. WINNING. Low key is the way to go here! One batch of this recipe will serve eight people as a meal, with rice and broccoli as a side.