BBQ Bacon Meatballs

These BBQ Bacon Meatballs have smoky bacon folded right into juicy beef meatballs, then rolled in a sticky coat of barbecue sauce. They take everything you love about a backyard cookout and shrink it down into a poppable, toothpick-ready appetizer.

Instead of wrapping each meatball in bacon, you mince it and mix it straight into the meat, so every single bite gets that salty, smoky flavor without any fussy prep. With just 12 minutes in the oven, you can have a platter ready long before kickoff, and they disappear fast, so you might want to make a double batch.

Helpful Tips

• Chill the bacon before mincing: Pop the bacon in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes so it firms up, which makes it much easier to chop into tiny pieces that blend evenly into the meat.
• Mince the onion finely: Small, even bits of onion melt into the meatballs as they bake, while larger chunks can make them crumbly and harder to roll.
• Warm the barbecue sauce first: A few seconds in the microwave loosens thick sauces so they coat the hot meatballs in a smooth, even layer instead of clumping.

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BBQ Bacon Meatballs

These BBQ Bacon Meatballs have smoky bacon folded right into juicy beef meatballs, then rolled in a sticky coat of barbecue sauce.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 20 Meatballs

Calories 94 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the meatballs:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 ounces bacon minced
• 1/4 cup onion minced
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH salt and black pepper

For the coating:

• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bacon, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, paprika, salt, and pepper.
• Mix gently just until combined. Don’t overmix, or the meatballs can turn tough.
• Roll into 1-inch meatballs and place them on the baking sheet. Make sure they aren’t touching. Bake for 12 minutes or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
• Transfer meatballs to a bowl and coat with the barbecue sauce. Serve with toothpicks for easy pickup.

Nutrition

Calories: 94kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 156mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 47IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg

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