Description
These Homemade BBQ Meatballs are a delicious, tender, and flavorful comfort food made with ground beef and a sweet-savory barbecue sauce. Baked to perfection and perfect for serving with mashed potatoes and green beans, this recipe yields juicy meatballs coated in a tangy BBQ glaze that’s sure to please the family or guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 lbs. ground beef (85/15 recommended)
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the meatballs and sauce.
- Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, quick oats, evaporated milk, beaten egg, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and kosher salt until well mixed.
- Form Meatballs: Roll the meat mixture into golf-ball-sized meatballs. Arrange them evenly between two smaller casserole dishes or all together in a single 9×13-inch baking dish depending on your family size or preference.
- Prepare BBQ Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt until smooth.
- Add Sauce to Meatballs: Pour the prepared BBQ sauce evenly over the arranged meatballs, making sure they are well coated.
- Bake: Bake the meatballs and sauce in the preheated oven for 1 hour. The sauce will bubble and some oil will separate during baking.
- Emulsify the Sauce: Remove the meatballs from the oven. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the pan and stir thoroughly to emulsify the sauce, helping it cling to the meatballs perfectly.
- Serve: Serve these tender and flavorful meatballs hot alongside mashed potatoes and green beans for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Notes
- You can divide the meatballs between two pans to freeze one batch for later convenience.
- If you prefer, bake all the meatballs together in a larger 9×13-inch pan suitable for bigger families.
- Adding water after baking helps emulsify the sauce for better texture and coating.
- Feel free to adjust seasoning levels to suit your taste preferences.
