Crockpot BBQ Meatballs Recipe

Are you looking for a great recipe to spice up your average meatballs? If so, then look no further, because we totally have you covered. These crockpot BBQ meatballs are packed with wonderful flavors, and slow-cooking them at the end ensures that each bite is filled with that sweet BBQ flavor. The great part about these bite-sized meatballs is that they are suitable for a crowd, and they would be a great addition to any football spread. You are also free to use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe, so it's totally up to you whether you like it sweet or with a little bit of spice!

Recipe developer Angela Latimer of Bake it With Love is the creative behind this delicious dish that is sure to be a new staple in your appetizer rotation. "I love that these are a tasty, easy-to-make appetizer that I can transport in the slow cooker if needed," she says. "They're always a hit and perfect alongside so many things — especially common picnic and potluck dishes." We're pretty sure your mouth is watering right about now, so without further ado, let's get to business.

The first thing you need to do is to make a list to ensure that you have all of the necessary items to throw together these tasty meatballs. For starters, you will need some lean ground beef and a large egg. The recipe also calls for some yellow mustard and a finely diced yellow onion. Alternatively, you can use a shallot.

As with several other meatball recipes, you will also need some plain bread crumbs and salt and pepper — which you should already have at home. The remaining ingredients give your meatballs a great kick of flavor. These items include garlic powder, paprika, and BBQ sauce. For the BBQ sauce, you can either use a homemade recipe or your favorite store-bought brand.

There are a few optional items to jazz it up, including chopped parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke. Once you have your ingredients rounded up, you're ready to get started.

Are you ready to make some of the best meatballs that you will ever taste? Start by taking out either a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer. If you are using a stand mixer, be sure it has a dough hook attachment for hands-free mixing.

Go ahead and dump in the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, mustard, and onions. "Grate the onion if you're worried about picky eaters noticing chunks of onion; however, once the meatballs are slow-cooked for three to four hours, the onions are softened to the point of not being noticeable," Latimer notes. 

Next, toss in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Mix the ingredients until they're well-combined.

Now, it's time to form the meatballs. There are two size options — small or medium. For small meatballs, use a teaspoon to measure, and for large meatballs, use a tablespoon. Easy enough, right?

Once you have the meatballs measured out, roll them in your hands to form a ball. If you'd like to wear gloves, you can also do that. Once you form each meatball into a ball, place it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or any other plate. Repeat with all of the remaining meatballs until you finish the mix. Then, move on to the next step.

You will need to cook the meatballs before adding them to a slow cooker, and there are two different ways you can do it. The first option is to pan-fry them in a nonstick skillet. Set the temperature to medium-high, and put a tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Then, add the meatballs, and let them cook until they're browned and cooked through. This should only take about eight to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the meatballs. If you need to, feel free to cook in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan.

If you'd prefer to use your oven for cooking the meatballs, that's no problem at all, because we can also help you out with that. Simply preheat the oven to 425 F, and once the range gets nice and hot, bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they're no longer pink in the middle. "All ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, as recommended by the USDA food safety guidelines," Latimer notes.

Here is the fun part! Once you finish cooking the meatballs, it's time to put them into the slow cooker. Once you have them loaded, add the BBQ sauce on top. Set the slow cooker to low heat and cook for about three to four hours. If these are for a game day spread or event, you can keep them on the "keep warm" setting for two hours.

"The crockpot cooking might seem counter-intuitive since you have to cook the meatballs first anyway," Latimer notes. "However, the long slow cooker heating means that the BBQ flavor is deliciously cooked into each and every bite of the meatballs."

These meatballs are great by themselves, as they're packed with such a wonderful BBQ flavor. You can use toothpicks to take them out of the slow cooker, or you can even get fancy and get slider rolls to make meatball sliders. These would also be good with potatoes or on top of pasta. Really, the possibilities are endless.

We don't think you will have any leftovers, but if you do, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. And now there's only one thing left to do — enjoy! We hope you and your guests love these as much as we do.