Description
These Slow Cooker Bourbon Meatballs are an easy and flavorful appetizer or main dish featuring tender meatballs simmered in a rich bourbon barbecue sauce with a hint of sweetness from honey and molasses. Perfect for parties or cozy dinners, they’re effortlessly delicious with minimal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 2 cups prepared barbecue sauce (hickory and brown sugar flavor)
- 1 cup bourbon
- ½ cup honey
- ⅓ cup molasses
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Meatballs
- 2 pounds fully cooked frozen meatballs, thawed
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the sauce: In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the barbecue sauce, bourbon, honey, molasses, sweet chili sauce, and Worcestershire sauce until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Add meatballs: Place the thawed meatballs into the slow cooker insert, then pour the prepared sauce over them. Gently stir to coat the meatballs evenly with the sauce.
- Cook low and slow: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on low heat for 4 hours, allowing the meatballs to absorb the flavors and become tender.
- Garnish and serve: Once cooking is complete, sprinkle fresh chopped parsley over the meatballs if desired, and serve warm.
Notes
- Use fully cooked frozen meatballs for convenience; fresh homemade or store-bought meatballs can also be used.
- If bourbon is not desired, substitute with a non-alcoholic apple juice or additional barbecue sauce for flavor.
- Adjust sweetness by increasing or decreasing honey and molasses according to taste.
- For a spicier kick, add extra sweet chili sauce or a dash of hot sauce.
- Make sure to thaw frozen meatballs before cooking to ensure even heating.
- This recipe can be doubled or halved depending on the number of servings needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 recipe
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
