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    Recipes » Recipes

    Slow Cooker Honey Chipotle BBQ Meatballs

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Jan 3, 2017 · Modified: Mar 26, 2021 by Dee

    These Slow Cooker Honey Chipotle BBQ Meatballs are sweet, spicy, slightly smoky and the perfect appetizer for parties and football games. 

    Jump to Recipe -

    slow-cooker-honey-chipotle-bbq-meatballs

    This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

    Can you believe it's playoff season already? That means only a few more weeks left of football -- and football food -- until next year. Actually, I'm not sure which one I'll miss more, the game or the amazing food! Oh well, we'll just have to make the next few weeks count, right?!

    Today's recipe is perfect for football, especially if you're throwing a party or just having a few people over. You want to serve food that is easy to prepare and easy to eat -- think finger food. And if you love spicy finger food, you'll love these easy honey chipotle BBQ meatballs. They're made in the slow cooker and simmered in a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce. And, they taste amazing!

    I made Crock-Pot Cranberry Orange Meatballs several times during the holiday season, but I wanted something spicier this time. So  I made a simple BBQ sauce, using LA MORENA®  Chipotle Peppers in Adobo for extra flavor. I absolutely love the smoky flavor of chipotle peppers, and LA MORENA® is my go-to brand whenever I make homemade chipotle BBQ sauce. You can't beat the authentic Mexican flavor.

    It's easy to control the heat level. I used two peppers, out of a 7-ounce can in this recipe, plus a little bit of the adobo sauce. But you can use less or even more if you really like the heat.

    la-morena-honey-chipotle-bbq-meatballs

    Normally, when I make meatballs in the Crock-Pot, I'll add everything at once, but since I was making the BBQ sauce from scratch, I prepared the sauce separately. It's easier to blend this way and make sure the flavor is perfect.

    If you want, you could use your favorite brand of barbecue sauce and just add in the chipotle peppers, but I would still recommend mixing it all separately before adding the blend to your slow cooker.

    Slow-cooker-honey-chipotle-bbq-meatballs-sauce-how-to-make

    I used frozen meatballs here, but you could definitely use homemade meatballs, as well. Just place them in the Crock-Pot, and then mix in the honey chipotle barbecue sauce until it's all blended together.

    slow-cooker-chipotle-honey-bbq-meatballs-in-crock-pot

    These slow cooker honey chipotle BBQ meatballs are ready in about two hours, and you can let them hang out and simmer on low until you're ready to eat. It doesn't get much easier than this!

    You get plenty of spice from the chipotle peppers and a touch of sweetness from the honey -- yum! We loved these little meatballs, and I hope you will too!

    Slow-cooker-honey-chipotle-bbq-meatballs-recipe

    How to Make Slow Cooker Honey Chipotle BBQ Meatballs

    Slow-cooker-honey-chipotle-bbq-meatballs-recipe

    Slow Cooker Honey Chipotle BBQ Meatballs

    Published by Dee
    Easy sweet and spicy meatballs cooked in the Crock-Pot for an easy appetizer that's perfect for football games!
    5 from 3 votes
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 10 mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 25 meatballs
    Calories 88 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 25 pre-cooked meatballs
    • 2 cups ketchup
    • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce plus 2 chipotle peppers, finely chopped from LA MORENA®Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, 7-oz can
    • ½ cup honey
    • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon dried minced onions
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)

    Instructions
     

    • Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add meatballs
    • In a small sauce pan, mix remaining ingredients and heat until warm, stirring frequently
    • Pour sauce over meatballs, cover and cook on high for about 2 hours or until meatballs are done
    • Turn heat to low, and serve
    • If mixture seems too thick, add a little bit of water 

    Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 88kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 276mgPotassium: 111mgSugar: 11gVitamin A: 100IUVitamin C: 1.1mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.3mg
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

     

    Happy Cooking!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Patricia L. Palagi-Morrow says

      February 05, 2017 at 4:30 pm

      It's Super Bowl Sunday 2/5/2017...

      Just made these meatballs & I of course had a couple of testers that gave it 2 thumbs up so I know this recipe is a keeper. Yay "Honey Chipotle BBQ Meatballs", a real "TOUCHDOWN". A Super Bowl Keeper.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        February 05, 2017 at 9:23 pm

        Awesome news! I'm so glad you liked them. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂

    2. Angel Williams says

      February 02, 2017 at 9:43 am

      Hi there and thanks for this yummy looking recipe!! I am super excited to make these! I'm wondering what you mean by "2 cans of Ketchup"?? How many ounces is this? I've only ever seen bottles of squeeze ketchup....
      Thanks again! 🙂

      Reply
      • Dee says

        February 02, 2017 at 12:28 pm

        Hi Angel. The recipe calls for 2 cups of ketchup, not cans. So it would be 16 ounces. 🙂

    3. Miz Helen says

      January 09, 2017 at 11:05 am

      These Meatballs will be perfect for the big Game Day! Thanks so much for sharing this awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and hope to see you again real soon!
      Miz Helen5 stars

      Reply
    4. Jen Gregor says

      January 04, 2017 at 11:40 pm

      These sound great thanks for sharing. I know my husband would also love them!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        January 07, 2017 at 11:47 am

        Thanks, Jen. My family really enjoyed them!

    5. Catalina @ Peas & Peonies says

      January 04, 2017 at 2:51 pm

      I love meatballs . And yours look really delicious.5 stars

      Reply
    6. Maryanne | the little epicurean says

      January 04, 2017 at 2:01 pm

      Perfect for game day! I'll totally use these to make mini sliders!

      Reply
    7. Lauren says

      January 04, 2017 at 8:20 am

      Wow, I have to make these!

      Reply
    8. Brandy | Nutmeg Nanny says

      January 04, 2017 at 5:54 am

      Oh YUM! I've got meatballs on my playoff football menu! Going to try these!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        January 04, 2017 at 12:02 pm

        Sounds great! I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

    9. Michelle Goth says

      January 03, 2017 at 7:47 pm

      It's not a party without the meatballs! These look delicious!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        January 04, 2017 at 12:53 am

        Thanks so much! These really are perfect for parties. 🙂

    10. Renee - Kudos Kitchen says

      January 03, 2017 at 6:28 pm

      These look like a real winner. Perfect for making for the big game!

      Reply
    11. Michelle @ The Complete Savorist says

      January 03, 2017 at 5:46 pm

      It's a shame that we are coming to the end of football food season... I'm excited to try these meatballs!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        January 04, 2017 at 12:51 am

        Thanks, Michelle. I can't wait until next year!

    12. Jesenia says

      January 03, 2017 at 1:44 pm

      Oh my, these BBQ meatballs are perfect for parties! Thanks for sharing! #client

      Reply
      • Dee says

        January 03, 2017 at 10:38 pm

        They're perfect for parties -- We love them!

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