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BBQ Meatballs Recipe

4.8 from 140 reviews

These BBQ Meatballs are a delicious and hearty dish featuring tender beef meatballs coated in a tangy, savory sauce. They start with a flavorful mixture of ground beef, oats, milk, onion, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce, pan-seared to get a crispy crust, then baked in a rich BBQ-style sauce made from ketchup and onion soup mix. Perfect as an appetizer or a main course served alongside mashed potatoes or rice.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef (around 80/20)
  • 1/3 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 packet onion soup mix (less to taste as it’s fairly salty)
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s hot and ready for baking the meatballs.
  2. Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, rolled oats, whole milk, minced onion, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and egg. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  3. Form Meatballs: Shape the mixture into 12 evenly sized meatballs, loosely compacting them to maintain a tender texture.
  4. Brown Meatballs: Heat vegetable oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in batches if needed, and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until they develop a nice brown crust.
  5. Make Sauce: While the meatballs cook, whisk together ketchup, water, and onion soup mix in a small bowl until smooth.
  6. Combine and Bake: Spoon the sauce mixture over the browned meatballs in the skillet. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Alternatively, place meatballs in a casserole dish, cover with sauce, and bake similarly.

Notes

  • Using rolled oats as a binder helps keep meatballs moist and light compared to breadcrumbs.
  • The onion soup mix adds a rich savory flavor but is salty, so you can reduce the quantity to taste.
  • Use an oven-safe skillet for easy transfer from stovetop to oven; if unavailable, transfer meatballs and sauce to a casserole dish before baking.
  • These meatballs pair well with mashed potatoes, rice, or steamed vegetables.
  • For a lower-fat version, substitute ground turkey or chicken for beef and reduce oil used for browning.

Keywords: BBQ meatballs, baked meatballs, ground beef meatballs, easy meatball recipe, oven baked meatballs, appetizer meatballs