These BBQ meatballs are smothered in BBQ sauce, then cooked to juicy perfection in the oven. They are incredibly easy to make and perfect for serving as an appetizer at your next party or having on hand as a quick, easy protein addition to any meal.
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This recipe is…
Party foods don’t get easier or more delicious than meatballs, and this recipe is no exception! Loaded with the bold, delicious flavors of garlic and onion, and then smothered in sweet, smoky BBQ sauce, what’s not to love?
Serve them alongside toothpicks for an easy grab-and-snack party appetizer next time you have friends over, or make a batch or two to keep in the fridge for a quick protein addition to any meal throughout the week.
We love a good party food around here! If you do also, we’ve got some incredible recipes for you to try. These buffalo chicken meatballs are similar to this BBQ meatball recipe and super delicious, these pepperoni pizza meatballs are stuffed with mozzarella cheese, served with marinara sauce, and completely drool-worthy, and, if you’re looking for an elevated recipe, don’t skip this hot French onion skillet dip.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy – no searing on the stovetop needed. This meatball recipe bakes in the oven for the entirety of the cooking process so that the hardest thing you’ll have to do is mix up the ingredients and roll them into balls.
- It’s delicious – everyone loves a meatball! This recipe is a guaranteed hit at any gathering.
BBQ Meatball Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients needed for this recipe are almost as simple as the recipe itself! Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Onion – this recipe calls for fresh diced onion, but if you’re out of onion or just don’t want to chop one up, use a 1/2 tablespoon of onion powder instead.
- Garlic – same as above, this recipe calls for fresh, minced garlic cloves, but if you’re out or just want to keep things as simple as possible, feel free to use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
- BBQ sauce – use any jar of BBQ sauce that you love here! We chose Primal Kitchen’s classic BBQ sauce, which is an 8.5 ounce jar, but whatever size your preferred BBQ sauce is will work perfectly.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Make it gluten free – to make this recipe gluten free (that’s what we did!), just use gluten free panko instead of regular.
- Use a different protein – ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork – ANY ground protein will work great here!
How to Make BBQ Meatballs
As most meatball recipes go, this recipe is incredibly easy to make! Follow along below for the full how-to.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the ground beef, panko bread crumbs, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.
Step 2: Using your hands or a spoon, mix the ground beef mixture until everything is well combined.
Step 3: Roll the ground meat mixture into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and place in a baking dish.
Step 4: Pour the jar of BBQ sauce over the meatballs.
Step 5: Bake the meatballs for 40-45 minutes. Once finished, let the meatballs cool slightly, then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tip
Use your hands! While we know that sticking your bare hands in raw meat isn’t the MOST fun, it really is the best way to fully incorporate all of the meatball ingredients together.
How to Serve
Serve these BBQ meatballs appetizer-style with toothpicks or metal cocktail picks at your next gathering!
If you’re looking to enjoy these as a protein addition to your meal, they go really well alongside white rice, fluffy quinoa, sautéed green beans, and oven roasted broccoli.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you’d like a longer storage option, pop them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
To reheat meatballs from the refrigerator or freezer, simply pop a couple in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or reheat them in a skillet over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning them every so often.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe calls for pouring the BBQ sauce overtop of the raw meatballs just before popping the whole dish in the oven. This allows the BBQ sauce to really impart delicious flavor on each little meatball!
You’ll need to use a binder in your meatballs to help them stay together, firm, and not mushy. This recipe calls for panko bread crumbs as the binder!
To be quite honest, our answer to this question varies by recipe. If the meatball recipe is NOT coated in sauce, then you really can’t beat the flavor of a pan fried meatball. That said, if the meatballs are coated in a sauce when served, cooking them in the sauce makes them super juicy and flavorful.
More Favorite Meatball Recipes
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BBQ Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ cup gluten-free panko bread crumbs
- ½ small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 jar BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the ground beef, panko bread crumbs, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.
- Using your hands or a spoon, mix the ground beef mixture until everything is well combined.
- Roll the ground meat mixture into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and place in a baking dish.
- Pour the jar of BBQ sauce over the meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs for 40-45 minutes. Once finished, let the meatballs cool slightly, then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Make it gluten free – to make this recipe gluten free (that’s what we did!), just use gluten free panko instead of regular.
- Use a different protein – ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork – ANY ground protein will work great here!
Nutrition
