BBQ Meatballs Recipe
BBQ meatballs are an easy dinner recipe that require minimal prep, then cook in the slow cooker until you're ready to serve. Meatballs are cooked in a tangy pineapple BBQ sauce and served over rice or noodles.
Servings: 8 Servings
Cost: $10
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg whisked
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs (or quick cooking oatmeal)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder onion
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
Sauce
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce (12 oz)
- 8 oz crushed Pineapple
- ½ cup red onion diced
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- In a large bowl combine ground beef, egg, milk and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add breadcrumbs, parmesan, sea salt, pepper, garlic and onion and stir until evenly distributed.
- Use a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon and measure out 1 TBS portions of the meatball mixture, then roll it with your hands.
- Bake in oven 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165 degrees F
Make the sauce
- Add BBQ sauce, pineapple, onion, green pepper, minced garlic, sea salt and pepper to the container of a slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Add the meatballs and gently stir to coat with the sauce.
Cook
- Cook in the slow cooker on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours (if using frozen meatballs, you will need the full interval, if using fresh homemade meatballs, just cook until the peppers are soft and the sauce is bubbly).
- In the last 30 minutes of cooking, move the lid so it’s slightly ajar. This will help thicken the sauce.
Serve
- Serve over rice, egg noodles, etc.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitution Notes
You can use frozen meatballs in this recipe and skip making your own. Add them to the crockpot after mixing the sauce.
For notes on ingredient substitutions, check out this homemade meatball recipe. You can also use chicken meatballs or turkey meatballs.
Sauce
- BBQ sauce. Choose your favorite BBQ sauce. I suggest an organic BBQ sauce for the best flavor/ingredients.
- Crushed pineapple. use canned or fresh pineapple pulsed in the blender.
- Red onion. choose your favorite onion variety.
- Green bell pepper. I love adding veggies to this dish. You can add any color bell pepper you choose. Or, sometimes I shred a small zucchini into the sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup (4 meatballs) | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 1067mg | Potassium: 403mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg