BBQ Bacon Meatballs

by Sabrina Snyder

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9 Comments

4.75 from 4 votes
8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
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BBQ Bacon Meatballs are the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer, combining smoky flavor and tangy sweetness in every bite.

Homemade Meatballs are always a hit to serve at parties, no matter what twists you put on them! They are an easy, crowd-pleasing Appetizer Recipe that you can change up with just a few ingredients so your taste buds never get bored.

Sabrina’s BBQ Bacon Meatball Recipe

Imagine if you could have all the flavor of your favorite BBQ Bacon Burger in one delicious bite? That’s exactly what this new meatball recipe is! These super easy, delicious burger bites are perfect for Super Bowl appetizers or any other party that needs finger foods that everyone will love.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

BBQ Bacon Meatballs Recipe

BBQ Bacon Meatballs are the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer, combining smoky flavor and tangy sweetness in every bite.
Yield 8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Meatball in smokey sauce
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 2   strips bacon , diced
  • ¼   cup onion , diced
  • 1   clove garlic , minced
  • 8   ounces  ground sirloin , 85/15
  • ¼   cup  dry bread crumbs
  • 2   tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • ½   teaspoon paprika
  • ½   teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½   teaspoon black pepper
  • 1   large egg , beaten
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a broiler pan with nonstick spray.
  • Cook bacon in a skillet until starting to crisp, about 4 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet.
  • Sauté onion in drippings over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
  • Combine ground sirloin, bacon, onion mixture, bread crumbs, parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir in beaten egg.
  • Form mixture into 1 inch meatballs and place on prepared broiler pan.
  • Brush meatballs with barbecue sauce.
  • Bake meatballs until fully cooked, about 10 minutes.
  • Top with more barbecue sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 419mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 222IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

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About this Recipe

I love finger foods and I love them even more when they are wrapped in bacon. Add a little tangy BBQ sauce and you have the best snack, no dip even required. That doesn’t stop me from dipping BBQ Bacon Meatballs in everything from Fry Sauce to amazing Bacon Cheddar Ranch. Yup, bacon dipped in bacon. No shame in the appetizer game.

This Super Bowl, make a batch (or two) of these Bacon BBQ Meatballs for a crowd pleaser that takes less than an hour. And to make them even easier, you throw them in a slow cooker too! They will keep warm in the crockpot for about 4 hours, but I doubt they will last that long without getting eaten.

Chef’s Note: Transform Store Bought BBQ Sauce

Easily take your store bought barbecue sauce to the next level by adding pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand. Mix and match your favorite flavors to create your own signature sauce. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

  • Apricot Chipotle: Use a Kansas City style sauce and mix in chipotle in adobo, orange juice, honey, and chili powder.
  • Spicy Thai: Start with a hickory bbq sauce and add Thai chili sauce, lime juice, ground ginger, and cumin to taste. 
  • Tropical Citrus: Add a blend of pineapple, mango, lemon, and lime juices (in small amounts to taste) to an original smoky BBQ sauce. To balance out the flavor and tartness, use honey and ground ginger.

How to Store

  • Serve: Meatballs can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours. To keep longer, place in a slow cooker with BBQ sauce on low/warm for up to 4 hours.
  • Store: Allow meatballs to cool completely and place in an airtight container, keeping in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Freeze: Flash freeze meatballs for 1 hour on a baking sheet. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or sealed container for up to 2 months.

Alternative Cooking Techniques

Frozen

You can use frozen meatballs instead of homemade to save on prep time. You may need to cook a bit longer, about 5 minutes. These meatballs can also be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer for about 2 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.

Slow Cooker

To cook these in the slow cooker, make meatballs as usual. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 7-10 minutes. Meanwhile add ½ cup barbecue sauce to crockpot. Add broiled meatballs on top of sauce without stirring. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Give a stir, topping with more BBQ sauce if wanted. Allow to cook for another 20-30 minutes and serve warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I cook homemade meatballs?

Meatballs should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Measure the internal temperature with a meat thermometer placed in the center of the meatball.

Variations

  • Meat: Instead of wrapping your meatballs in bacon, you can also chop it up and mix it into your ground beef. This recipe works well with ground turkey and chicken, with the bacon adding the extra fat needed.
  • Cheese: Make these into BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs by adding cubbed cheese (no bigger than ¼ inch) into the center of your meatballs before baking.
  • Spicy: Stuff your meatballs with fresh sliced jalapeños and pepper jack cheese before wrapping with bacon for a Spicy Meatball Bomb! Add hot sauce to your bbq to take it to the next level of heat.
  • Ranch: Make these into BBQ Bacon Ranch Meatballs by adding two tablespoons of Ranch dressing to your meatball mixture.
  • Sauce: An easy way to completely change the flavor is to swap traditional BBQ sauce with marinades like teriyaki sauce, honey mustard, or steak sauce. Just make sure they are thicker so they hold to the meat.
  • Low Carb: It’s easy to turn these into Keto BBQ Bacon Meatballs. Just substitute your favorite sugar free barbecue sauce and use ground pork rinds instead of breadcrumbs.

More Meatball Recipes

Collage with meatballs cooked in bbq sauce

These photos were in a previous version of this post

Cooked meatballs in a pan
Close-up of meatball cut in half
Meatballs on a baking sheet
Meatballs in a pan with a silver spoon

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. I made the Kofta Kebab balls tonight and served them with natural Greek
    Yogurt and garden salad. The Kofta Balls had the most amazing flavour, and the spices gave the meat a beautiful flavour.

    Reply

  4. Love the bacon in these! They are tasty without, but oh, man, they are so much better with the bacon!

    Reply

  5. I’m planning on making these using my “Award-Seeking BBQ Sauce” and adding them to a batch of mac & cheese. I am curious as to why you created it with just a half-pound of ground beef instead of a pound.

    Reply

    1. You can use more if you’re wanting them bigger or want to make more. Simply adjust the slider tool that pops up over the servings. Enjoy!

      Reply