Ohhh yes 🍖🔥 BBQ Meatballs—juicy, tender, and coated in a sticky, smoky-sweet barbecue sauce. Perfect as a party appetizer, snack, or main dish. Here’s a classic, crowd-pleasing recipe.
🍖 BBQ Meatballs
Ingredients (makes ~20 meatballs)
Meatballs
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (or a mix of beef & pork)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar (optional, for extra sweetness)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional, for depth)
Instructions
1️⃣ Prepare meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a bowl, combine ground meat, breadcrumbs, milk, onion, garlic, egg, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix until just combined.
- Shape mixture into small balls (1–1.5 inches).
2️⃣ Bake meatballs
- Place meatballs on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake 15–20 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
3️⃣ Make BBQ sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine barbecue sauce, honey, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Heat gently until warm and combined.
4️⃣ Coat meatballs
- Toss cooked meatballs in warm BBQ sauce until fully coated.
5️⃣ Serve
- Serve hot as an appetizer with toothpicks, or over rice/pasta for a main dish.
Pro Tips
- Juicy meatballs: don’t overmix meat.
- Extra flavor: add chopped parsley, chili flakes, or grated cheese to the meat mixture.
- Crispy edges: broil meatballs 1–2 minutes after baking before tossing in sauce.
- Make-ahead: meatballs can be baked and frozen; reheat in sauce when ready.
🔥 Variations
- 🧄 Garlic BBQ meatballs (add garlic powder or roasted garlic to sauce)
- 🌶️ Spicy BBQ meatballs (add sriracha or cayenne to sauce)
- 🥩 Pork & beef blend for richer flavor
- 🍯 Honey bourbon BBQ meatballs for a sticky-sweet adult version
I can also give a slow-cooker version where meatballs simmer in BBQ sauce all day and come out ultra-tender 😏.
Do you want me to do that?
