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Honey garlic meatballs are sweet sticky and always a family favourite. Serve them with rice or noodles as a family dinner or as an appetizer.

Sticky, glossy Honey Garlic meatballs being scooped out of frypan.

Why This Recipe Works

Quick to make (I meal prep baked meatballs so making this recipe on a weeknight is really fast)
Oh so tasty
A yummy way to eat mince that doesn't involve tinned tomatoes.

Table of Contents

Ingredients you will need

Meatballs
Beef stock
Corn flour
Honey
Soy sauce
Lemon juice
Garlic
Brown sugar (optional)
Chilli flakes (optional)

Ingredients for Honey garlic meatballs laid out on bench top.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes

Meatballs: I make a big batch of my tender baked meatballs at the beginning of the week, which means I can through together this family dinner in record time.
Beef stock: Beef or chicken stock/broth can be used
Corn flour: Also known as cornstarch. This can be substituted for arrowroot
Soy sauce: Gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari can be used
Lemon juice: I find the sauce has a better balance with a little acid, if you don't have lemon juice rice vinegar is a great substitute.
Brown sugar: This is optional as the sweetness will come from the honey, however, some kinds of honey can have a rich flavor and be a little overpowering depending on the type. I find a little brown sugar lightens the whole dish, taste your sauce and add a tablespoon of brown sugar if you think it needs it.
Chilli flakes: Add as little or as much as you like for your palate
Salt and pepper: I find this recipe can already be quite salty so I don't tend to add more, however, this will depend on your taste preference so do taste and season at the end of cooking.

Step-by-step instructions

Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my Honey Garlic Meatballs recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.

Prep: If you haven't already made a batch of baked meatballs recipe you will need ½ a batch for this recipe. The recipe uses a combination of ground beef and ground pork and soaked breadcrumbs to make a soft meatball that is full of flavor.

Steam rice and prepare some steamed vegetables (broccoli, broccolini, pak choy, capsicum, carrots all go well with this dinner)

Step one: Whisk together the stock and the corn four until combined.

Stock and cornflour being whisked together in a small bowl.

Step two: Add the honey, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice and optional chilli flakes and whisk until the honey-garlic sauce is well combined. Have a quick taste, if you think the sauce is overpowered by a strong flavoured honey try adding a little brown sugar.

Honey, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice and chilli flakes being mixed together.

Step three: Heat your pan to medium heat add the meatballs and heat through.

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Step four Pour the honey garlic sauce over the cooking meatballs, toss the meatballs so that it is all coated in the sauce, and cook for a further 5 minutes so the meatballs are heated through and the sauce has thickened.

Honey Garlic sauce poured on top of meatballs in frying pan.

Step five: Enjoy served with rice and steamed vegetables.

Sticky glossy honey meatballs served on a bed of rice with broccolini on the side.

Top Tips

Here is how you can make these honey garlic meatballs perfectly every time!

My one tip is to get a jump on the recipe by making a batch of baked meatballs earlier in the week, then it is a case of just making the sauce and steaming some rice.
Serve these meatballs with steamed rice or noodles and steamed veggies. Be sure to spoon some of the sticky sweet sauce over the rice and vegetables as well.
Garnish with thinly sliced green onions or a sprinkling of sesame seeds