BBQ Bacon Meatballs are the ultimate crowd pleasing appetizer! Smoky bacon added to homemade seasoned beef meatballs, smothered in tangy BBQ sauce.
Homemade Meatballs are always a hit to serve at parties, no matter what twists we 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.
BBQ BACON MEATBALLS
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.
We love finger foods and we love them even more when we are wrapping them in bacon. Add a little tangy BBQ sauce and you have the best snack, no dip even required. That doesn’t stop us from dipping BBQ Bacon Meatballs in everything from Fry Sauce to our amazing Bacon Cheddar Ranch. Yup, bacon dipped in bacon. No shame in our appetizer game.
This Super Bowl, make a batch (or two) of these Bacon Wrapped 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.
If you don’t want to stuff these with cheese, 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 BBQ Bacon Meatballs
To cook these in the slow cooker, make meatballs as usual. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 7-10 minutes. Meanwhile add 1/2 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.
MORE MEATBALL RECIPES:
Cheesy Meatball Casserole
Bacon Meatballs
Cocktail Meatballs
Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Meatballs
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VARIATIONS ON BBQ BACON MEATBALLS
- 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 1/4 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 Mix 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.
Transform Store Bought Barbecue 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 SERVE AND 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.
MORE GAME DAY APPETIZERS
Super Crispy Chicken Tenders
Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Buffalo Wings
Buffalo Chicken Dip
HOW LONG TO COOK BBQ BACON MEATBALLS
Meatballs should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, according to the U.S. Food Safety Website. Measure the internal temperature with a meat thermometer placed in the center of the meatball.
BBQ Bacon Meatballs
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 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.
Amazing!! We all loved it and so flavorful!
Thanks for letting me know, Eden.
This is really good! Everyone at my house loved it!
Yay!! Thanks for the 5 stars.
Love the bacon in these! They are tasty without, but oh, man, they are so much better with the bacon!
Bacon does make everything better!
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.
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!