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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Meatballs

    Best Baked BBQ Meatballs

    Published: Mar 23, 2022 · Modified: May 11, 2023 by Susie Weinrich · This post may contain affiliate links. 2 Comments

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    pinterest image with text for bbq meatballs

    Baked BBQ Meatballs make a great family friendly dinner, easy enough for a weeknight. We like to serve them up with mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans or peas. They can also be served as a party appetizer or game day snack. The simple oven baked meatballs are juicy and tender and coated in your favorite store bought barbecue sauce, sure to become a crowd favorite.

    bbq meatballs on a plate with peas and mashed potatoes in the back

    If you use an Instant Pot, pop over and check out the Instant Pot BBQ Meatball recipe.

    I could eat homemade meatballs for just about every meal. I think that is why there are so many meatball recipes on Mom’s Dinner. Some favorites to check out are Baked Italian Meatballs, Ham Balls, and Next Level Swedish Meatballs.

    Table of Contents hide
    1 They are the best because…
    2 Ingredients
    3 Panade for Meatballs
    4 Step by Step Picture Instructions
    5 Serving & Storing
    6 Freezing
    7 Instant Pot Version
    8 Recipe Tips
    9 More Delicious Dinner Recipes
    10 Did you make this recipe?!
    11 Best Baked BBQ Meatballs Recipe

    They are the best because…

    • The meatballs are flavored on the inside and the outside with BBQ flavors.
    • The recipe gives you all the tips and tricks you need to make them perfect.
    • It is a very simple recipe made with easy to find ingredients.
    • no sautéing or browning before the meatballs bake.
    • Using your favorite BBQ sauce means the flavors will be suited to you!
    • They make an excellent dinner served with garlic mashed potatoes and a green veggie.

    Ingredients

    Pictured are the meatball ingredients you need, plus some pro tips on a few ingredients:

    ingredients to make baked bbq meatballs

    Ground Beef– since you are not sautéing and draining the beef I recommend that you use a leaner ground beef. An 85/15 or 90/10 works great. It will still have enough flavor but won’t be overly greasy.

    Ground Pork– This is not ground sausage, you want to purchase ground pork. You will find that it is really economical! If you love it check out the recipe for Grilled Pork Burgers.

    BBQ Sauce- Just use whatever BBQ sauce your family loves- spicy, sweet, or tangy. Just make sure it has enough body to stick to your meatballs. This is not the time for a vinegar based mop that is really thin.

    Smoked Paprika– There are a few different types of paprika, you absolutely want to use smoked paprika. It has the most wonderful smoked flavor that adds a layer of BBQ flavor to your meatballs.

    Bread– Just about any bread that is mild in flavor will work- French, Ciabatta, White bread, Sourdough. If your bread has a hard crust remove that and only use the soft insides.

    Panade for Meatballs

    A panade is a classic mixture of a starch and liquid that keeps ground meat recipes juicy. The starch is traditionally crackers, bread, or bread crumbs and the liquid is generally milk, water, or broth. I use panade in most of my meatballs, burgers, and meatloaf recipes.

    For this bbq meatballs recipe you will be using bread torn into pieces and then mixed with milk.

    Step by Step Picture Instructions

    Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper, this will help prevent your meatballs from sticking to the pan.

    1. Make a Panade
    2. In a large bowl start your panade by mixing the torn bread pieces with milk. Either stir the mixture so it comes together or with clean hands squish the bread and milk together to break the larger bread pieces apart (this is my preferred method).

      Let it sit for about 5 minutes so the bread absorbs the milk and softens completely.

    3. Stir in Seasonings and Egg
    4. Now add the lightly beaten egg, Worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ tablespoon BBQ sauce, the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and kosher salt. Stir everything together really well.

      bread panade mixed with spices and seasonings
    5. Add Pork and Beef
    6. Now it’s time to add the ground meat- 1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. ground pork. With clean hands lightly combine the flavorful panade and the ground meat.

      ground beef and ground pork on top of a panade
    7. Form Meatballs & Baste
    8. Form the barbecue meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. The meatballs should be about the size of a ping pong ball. I like to use a medium sized cookie scoop to make sure the meatballs are somewhat uniform in size.

      clean hands mixing meatball mixture in a bowl
      bbq meatballs on a baking sheet

      Brush the tops and sides of each meatball with your favorite BBQ sauce.

    9. Bake
    10. Bake for 15 minutes, then brush with BBQ sauce again. Continue baking another 15 minutes until the internal temp of the meatballs are 165 F.

    Serving & Storing

    We like to serve these easy BBQ meatballs as a main dish for dinner. They are excellent served with garlic mashed potatoes (or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes) and a green veggie like roasted asparagus, sauteed green beans or peas.

    Corn on the cob would make a great side dish too, especially in the summer when sweet corn is available!

    a dinner plate with bbq meatballs peas and mashed potatoes

    They also make a great appetizer for the Holidays or game day!

    Store your leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They reheat perfectly in the microwave or oven.

    Freezing

    You can absolutely freeze these meatballs baked or raw. They will be good for 3 months in the freezer.

    Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking or reheating.

    Instant Pot Version

    For a similar BBQ meatball recipe that is made in your Instant Pot head over to this recipe for Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs.

    Recipe Tips

    Follow these tips to make sure your BBQ Meatballs turn out perfect.

    • Make a panade with bread and milk which will make sure your meatballs are juicy!
    • Use a leaner ground beef (85/15 or 90/10) so your meatballs are flavorful but not greasy.
    • Line the rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper so the meatballs don’t stick to your pan.
    • Use your favorite BBQ sauce so your family LOVES the flavors.

    More Delicious Dinner Recipes

    • Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie in a cast iron skillet
      Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
    • sliced tri tip with red wine glaze and herbs
      Braised Tri Tip with Red Wine Glaze
    • a plate with two turkey meatloaf muffins, green beans and mashed potatoes
      Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
    • stuffed shells on a plate with salad
      Sausage Stuffed Shells with Tomato Cream Sauce
    • BBQ Beef sandwich on a cutting board with fries
      Instant Pot Shredded BBQ Beef
    • four ground beef tacos in a row with pico de gallo and sour cream
      Easy Ground Beef Tacos

    Susie Weinrich washing produce

    Did you make this recipe?!

    If you make this recipe I would love to hear your review. Pop down to the comment section and connect with me.

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    Rate This Recipe
    BBQ meatballs on a plate

    Best Baked BBQ Meatballs Recipe

    Super flavorful BBQ Meatballs that bake up perfectly in your oven. Its a simple recipe that doesn't require any sauteing or browning before baking!
    LISTEN OR COOK ALONG WITH THE AUDIO RECIPE, USING THE PLAYER BELOW!!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved to Grow
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 22 Meatballs
    Calories: 198kcal
    Author: Susie Weinrich

    Equipment

    • Large rimmed baking sheet
    • Cookie Scoop (optional)

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 1 lb ground pork
    • 2 cups bread, torn into craggy pieces (French bread, white bread, ciabatta… all works. If it has a hard crust remove that and only use the soft insides)
    • ½ cup milk
    • 1 large egg lightly beaten
    • 1 ½ tbsp BBQ sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon each: garlic powder & onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 cup favorite store bought or homemade BBQ sauce plus more for serving if wanted
    Prevent your screen from going dark while you are cooking!

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl combine the torn bread pieces with the milk and mix completely breaking up any large pieces of bread. Let it rest and soften for 5 minutes.
      Pro Tip- with clean hands squish the bread and milk together so it makes a nice soft panade.
      2 cups bread, torn into craggy pieces, ½ cup milk
    • Add the lightly beaten egg, Worcestershire, 1 ½ tablespoon BBQ sauce and all the spices to the bread mixture. Stir together completely.
      1 large egg, 1 ½ tablespoon BBQ sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon each: garlic powder & onion powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
      bread panade mixed with spices and seasonings
    • Lastly add the beef and pork and mix together with a fork or clean hands.
      1 lb ground beef, 1 lb ground pork
    • Roll the meatballs into about the size of a golf ball. A medium cookie scoop can help make your meatballs more uniform in size.
      Place all the meatballs on the prepared rimmed baking sheet, baste each meatball with BBQ sauce.
      1 cup favorite store bought or homemade BBQ sauce
    • Bake for 15 minutes, then brush all the meatballs generously with BBQ sauce.
    • Bake for another 15 minutes until the meatballs reach 165 degrees internal temp.
    • Let cool for 10 minutes and then enjoy!

    Serving

    • These BBQ Meatballs are delicious served with Buttery Mashed Potatoes and Garlic Green Beans. (or use Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes if you love your IP!!)

    Storing

    • Store leftover meatballs in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They reheat perfectly in the oven or microwave.

    Freezing

    • You can absolutely freeze these meatballs baked or raw. They will be good for 3 months in the freezer.
      Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking or reheating.

    Notes:

    Instant Pot – if you love to use your Instant Pot you can pop over to this recipe for Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs for a similar recipe.
    Did you try this recipe? Connect with me & let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
    Jump to Comments
    Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 397mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg

    If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.

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    About Susie Weinrich

    Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Rc

      February 16, 2023 at 1:10 pm

      5 stars
      The meatballs was excellent. Had them as appetizer.

      Reply
    2. Lauren

      June 01, 2022 at 3:21 pm

      5 stars
      The flavors are incredible, this recipe is a game-changer for delicious BBQ-style meatballs. Thanks!

      Reply

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