BBQ Meatballs recipe

These tender turkey meatballs are packed with flavor and coated in a sweet, tangy homemade glaze that makes them perfect for any occasion.

Listen boos, these BBQ meatballs are straight up fire! They are super juicy, packed with flavor on flavor and coated in a homemade bbq sauce that don’t play around. We ain’t playing around y’all. In fact, we elevate the flavors even more with a little pineapple and molasses. Thanks to Veronica of Collard Greens and Caviar for providing the inspo for this recipe. For another practical weeknight option, see Grit Cakes Recipe: Crispy Outside, Creamy Inside.

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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:

“Just made these and my picky daughter said ‘these are delicious….This recipe is a keeper, would be great with mashed potatoes as a meal!”

How to Make BBQ Meatballs

Step 1: Mix it Up

1. 2 lbs ground turkey or ground chicken or ground beef (chilled)
2. 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
3. 1/2 cup fresh grated sweet potato (firmly packed)
4. 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
5. 1/2 cup fresh chopped spinach (firmly packed)
6. 1 tbsp dried chopped onion
7. 1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
8. 1/2 tsp chipotle chili pepper
9. 1/2 tsp garlic powder
10. 1/2 tsp salt
11. 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
12. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
13. 1 large egg
14. More grated parmesan cheese for serving
15. freshly chopped parsley (for garnish)
16. 1 tbsp olive oil
17. 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
18. 1/2 cup chopped red onion
19. 1 garlic clove
20. 29 oz tomato sauce can
21. 8 oz crushed pineapple can
22. 3 tbsp dark molasses
23. 2 tbsp granulated sugar
24. 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
25. 1 tbsp dry mustard
26. 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
27. 1 1/2 tsp salt

Step 2: Get Your Roll On

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. A standard 18 x 13 inch baking sheet works well.
2. In a large, chilled mixing bowl, add chilled ground turkey. Break up the meat and spread it over the bottom surface of the bowl.
3. One by one, evenly distribute each listed ingredient over the meat. Add the cracked egg last.
4. Using your hands, gently mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. This takes about 1 minute. Make sure not to over mix.
5. Divide the mixture in half. Form each half into 12 meatballs, for a total of 24 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
6. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven.
7. Add olive oil to a 2.5 or 3 quart, non-stick saucepan set on medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped bell pepper and onion to the saucepan.
8. Next, sauté the bell pepper and onion for 4 minutes – stirring constantly until they are lightly brown. Add chopped garlic to mixture and sauté 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
9. Add all of the remaining ingredients, and mix well.
10. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, and then cover the saucepan with the lid.
11. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, covered; stir at least twice. After 15 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat.
12. Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and gently stir them through. Cover the saucepan for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Get Saucy

1. Get that olive oil going in a large non-stick saucepan on medium heat. Then toss in your chopped bell pepper and onion.
2. Once they get tender and light brown, throw in that garlic and give it a quick 30 second cook down.
3. Add the rest of the bbq sauce ingredients in and stir it all together.
4. Bring the sauce to a gentle low key boil and cover with a lid. You wanna let that go for about 15 minutes.

Ingredients

I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

Step 4: Simmer and Serve

1. After that sauce is thickened up and all delish, add your turkey meatballs in to get the party started. Just gently stir them to coat, gently so you don’t break apart the meatballs..
2. Cover for 5 minutes to get them up to temperature then serve them up.

BBQ Meatballs recipe

Instructions

I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

Equipment

• Half Sheet Pan
• Meat thermometer
• large skillet

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• ▢ 2 lbs ground turkey or ground chicken or ground beef chilled
• ▢ 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh grated sweet potato firmly packed
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh chopped spinach firmly packed
• ▢ 1 tbsp dried chopped onion
• ▢ 1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
• ▢ 1/2 tsp chipotle chili pepper
• ▢ 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ More grated parmesan cheese for serving
• ▢ freshly chopped parsley for garnish

For the BBQ Sauce

• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• ▢ 1 garlic clove
• ▢ 29 oz tomato sauce can
• ▢ 8 oz crushed pineapple can
• ▢ 3 tbsp dark molasses
• ▢ 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 tbsp dry mustard
• ▢ 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. A standard 18 x 13 inch baking sheet works well.
• In a large, chilled mixing bowl, add chilled ground turkey. Break up the meat and spread it over the bottom surface of the bowl.
• One by one, evenly distribute each listed ingredient over the meat. Add the cracked egg last.
• Using your hands, gently mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. This takes about 1 minute. Make sure not to over mix.
• Divide the mixture in half. Form each half into 12 meatballs, for a total of 24 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven.

To Make the BBQ Sauce

• Add olive oil to a 2.5 or 3 quart, non-stick saucepan set on medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped bell pepper and onion to the saucepan.
• Next, sauté the bell pepper and onion for 4 minutes – stirring constantly until they are lightly brown. Add chopped garlic to mixture and sauté 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
• Add all of the remaining ingredients, and mix well.
• Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, and then cover the saucepan with the lid.
• Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, covered; stir at least twice. After 15 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and gently stir them through. Cover the saucepan for 5 minutes.

Notes

• Fridge: Cool to room temp. Pop these into an airtight container or ziptop bag. They will stay all good for 3-4 days.
• Freezer: Divide the meatballs into freezer safe ziptop bags. Label them with the date. They should last about 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Reheating: Add the barbecue meatballs to a saucepan over medium heat. Go for a gentle reheat, stirring occasionally. They should be good to go in 10 minutes. You can splash a little water in there to keep them super moist too! I prefer this method versus microwaving but if you are in a pinch, you can definitely pop them in and heat in 30 second intervals until they are hot and ready to go.

Nutrition

Recipe Tips

• Chill Out: Keep the barbecue meatballs in the fridge. The chilling helps them bind together better.
• Add In Moisture: Ground turkey is super lean and has less fat than ground beef or ground pork. Adding in egg adds extra moisture and richness, as well as that unique mix in of sweet potato.
• Don’t Overmix: Over mixing will certainly make your meatballs less tender, and we ain’t got time for tough meatballs.
• Pack Light: If your bbq meatballs are formed into compacted rounds, they can end up tough and rubbery once cooked. Pack lightly by gently rolling them in your hands (add a little oil in your hands too) until they just hold their shape.
• Simmer Down: Don’t crank the heat up too much when cooking the meatballs in the sauce. They will absorb the flavors better.
• Use Parchment: Pass on foil when baking these up. The parchment will stop the meatballs from sticking to the sheet pan, and it helps to regulate the temp of the pan so the meatballs bake more evenly.

Ingredient Notes

• Ground Turkey: Feel free to sub in ground beef, ground pork or ground chicken if you prefer.
• Panko: Crushed crackers, standard bread crumbs or even plain cereal work just as well. Even some toasted bread in a pinch can be used.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Soy sauce or tamari are great to toss in instead.
• Tomato Sauce: Tomato puree or crushed tomatoes can work here. Feel free to smooth out the texture more in a blender.

Recipe help

The chilled ground turkey and beinders like egg and breadcrumbs will help keep things together. If you are still finding that your meatballs aren’t staying intact, pop them in the fridge for a bit before you bake.

For safe serving, use a food thermometer and make sure the poultry reaches the USDA-recommended internal temperature of 165°F.

It’s best to pull out that meat thermometer and aim for an internal temp of 165°F.

For sure boos! You can make the meatballs and pop in the fridge. The sauce can also be made ahead. You can store in the fridge for about 5 days. For another comforting dinner, see Easy Shrimp Scampi Pasta: A 15-Minute Buttery Seafood Dinner.

Now y’all this sauce is bomb but if you are running out of time, you can definitely just use a pre-made bbq sauce. Grab a good quality one.

Other Meatball Recipes

• Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Salisbury Steak Meatballs
• Grape Jelly Meatballs