These garlic soy glazed meatballs are one of those easy recipes that always come in handy. Made with just 4 ingredients, they cook in a simple sweet and savory sauce that thickens into a glossy glaze and coats every bite. Serve them with toothpicks for a quick appetizer, or spoon them over rice or noodles for an easy meal that feels a little more complete with almost no extra effort.
Ingredient Tips
Here are the ingredients you need for these garlic soy glazed meatballs:
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
- Frozen fully cooked meatballs: Use your favorite beef, chicken, or turkey meatballs. Since they are already cooked, this recipe comes together very quickly.
- Low sodium soy sauce: This forms the base of the sauce. Low sodium is best here because the sauce reduces as it cooks, which makes the flavor more concentrated. Also keep in mind that regular soy sauce is very salty when used in bigger quantities.
- Light brown sugar: Brown sugar balances the saltiness of the soy sauce and helps create that glossy sticky glaze. Pack it into the measuring cup so you get the right amount.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic gives the sauce its best flavor. Since there are only 4 ingredients, fresh garlic makes a big difference.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Use a large skillet: A large skillet helps the meatballs heat evenly and gives the sauce enough space to bubble and thicken properly.
- Keep the heat at medium: Cooking over medium heat gives the meatballs time to warm through without reducing the sauce too fast.
- Stir a few times while cooking: This helps the meatballs stay coated and keeps the sugar from settling and scorching on the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer uncovered at the end: The final uncovered cook time is what thickens the sauce and turns it into a glaze.
- Watch the sauce closely near the end: Once the sauce starts to thicken, it can go from perfect to too thick pretty quickly. Take the skillet off the heat as soon as the meatballs look glossy and well coated.
- Add a splash of water if needed: If the sauce reduces too fast before the meatballs are fully hot, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to loosen it slightly.
Garlic Soy Glazed Meatballs
Equipment
- Large skillet with a lid
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring cups
Ingredients
- 1 32oz bag frozen fully cooked meatballs
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Add the frozen meatballs to a large skillet and set it over medium heat.
- Pour in the soy sauce, then add the brown sugar and garlic.
- Stir to coat the meatballs, then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir once or twice during cooking.
- Uncover the skillet and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are heated through.
- Serve warm as an appetizer with toothpicks, or spoon them over cooked rice for an easy meal.
Notes
- Use a large skillet so the meatballs heat evenly and the sauce can reduce properly.
- Low-sodium soy sauce works best here because the sauce reduces as it cooks.
- If the sauce thickens too much before the meatballs are fully hot, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
- For a little heat, stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes or a small spoonful of sriracha.
- This recipe works with beef, chicken, or turkey meatballs as long as they are fully cooked.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: You can keep these meatballs on the warm setting in a slow cooker for serving at parties.
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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