Filler for Crock Pot Bbq Beef

Crockpot BBQ Meatballs are fabricated with merely a few uncomplicated ingredients, but they're then practiced! The barbecue sauce turns into a thick, sticky glaze – perfect for a political party titbit.

close up of white slow cooker with bbq meatballs

This recipe for Sticky BBQ Tiresome Cooker Meatballs is i of my favorites for whenever I need a quick and easy appetizer. I employ barbecue sauce to make a delicious glaze on my homemade meatballs, but feel complimentary to use storebought meatballs if you adopt.

I fully appreciate how easy these are easy to make thanks to the boring cooker doing most of the work. I serve them on their own or every bit mini subs (or over mashed potatoes for dinner!) – they are going to be a big hit either way!

Ingredients you'll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe bill of fare at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for crockpot BBQ meatballs with text labels — Ingredients for Crockpot BBQ Meatballs: Ground beefiness, onion, breadcrumbs, mustard, egg, garlic powder, dried parsley, common salt & pepper, BBQ sauce, footing paprika and Worcestershire sauce.

Ingredient notes

Ground beefiness: I prefer lean footing beef here. If y'all use a fattier ground beef, please annotation that a lot of the grease may drain out into your glaze as the meatballs cook. For a leaner version, feel free to utilise footing turkey!
Charcoal-broil sauce: I prefer a smooth charcoal-broil sauce here (over i with large pieces of things like onion etc.). Pick 1 you similar the season of – information technology'south a pretty large office of the dish 😉
Worcestershire sauce: feel gratuitous to leave this i out if you lot don't accept it on manus. Y'all tin can also use one tablespoon soy sauce every bit a replacement.
Meatballs: Feel free to use frozen meatballs (I recommend using 1 pound for saucier meatballs, 1.5 pounds for more of a glaze) instead of making your ain. See my tips below for buying frozen meatballs for this recipe!

How to choose frozen meatballs:

Read the ingredients: I don't know about y'all, but I want my meatballs to really contain meat. Read the ingredients on the back of the bag and wait for a brand that uses mainly ground meat, breadcrumbs, egg and seasoning. Too many additives and fillers aren't necessary.
Buy a large bag:If you have the freezer space, it's more economical to buy a large bag – even if you don't need all of the meatballs right at present. They will keep for some time in your freezer and might only save yous on a decorated solar day.
Make sure they're fully cooked: Yous'll want fully cooked meatballs for this recipe, or yous'll have to defrost and melt them commencement. Otherwise they could fall autonomously in the sauce and y'all'll end up with BBQ spaghetti sauce.
Looking for a healthier option? You lot tin can also make this recipe with turkey meatballs, or choose a lower sodium brand.

How to make BBQ Meatballs in the ho-hum cooker

First, you accept to make the meatballs (if you're using bootleg; you'll skip this if you're using frozen ones).

Add all ingredients for the meatballs to a bowl and combine very well (1). I use a hand mixer with the hook attachments for this, easy and mess-free.

photo collage to show how to make meatballs from scratch

Side by side, shape the meatball mixture into 1 teaspoon sized balls and cook them until browned (ii).

In one case the meatballs are ready, combine the BBQ sauce with spices and Worcestershire in a pocket-sized crockpot (three).

photo collage to show how to assemble BBQ meatballs in the slow cooker

Advisedly stir in the meatballs – don't nail them as you lot add them to the sauce! Then, wearisome cook the meatballs on depression for iii-4 hours.

Recipe tips

Defrosting:If you're using fully cooked, frozen meatballs (either homemade or store-bought), it'southward easier to use them frozen. THAT Being SAID, do and so at your own risk because using frozen foods in crockpots isn't generally recommended. Since the frozen meatballs are fully cooked, I myself do information technology. I check the internal temperature of the meatballs earlier serving with a thermometer to make sure it has reached 160°F (see more about safe meat temperatures here).
There's no need to stir! Y'all should actually never open your crockpot while it's on (unless the recipe says so), because the heat in there decreases super fast. And stirring the meatballs too much will make them scraggly and volition eventually pause them up too much – not a nice outcome!
Use the appropriate crockpot size:If you want to make a larger batch, utilise a larger crockpot, besides. You lot don't want to stuff your crockpot to the brim with meatballs and sauce. They volition accept a harder time heating through and the sauce won't get as nice and sticky.

Serving ideas

While these meatballs are a wonderful party appetizer by themselves, they are also great for dinner!

You can serve them with rice or mashed potatoes and add peas, a coleslaw, sautéed light-green beans or sautéed zucchini on the side.

plate with mashed potatoes, peas and bbq meatballs

Or try whatever of the ideas I accept listed in my post about BBQ meatball side dishes.

More easy vacation appetizers

Crockpot BBQ Fiddling Smokies
Baked Honey Wings
Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip (in a Bread Bowl!)
Salary Wrapped Dates with Pecans and Caprine animal Cheese

PS If you endeavor this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign upwards for my e-mail listing, as well!

Sticky BBQ Deadening Cooker Meatballs

Crockpot BBQ Meatballs are made with just a few simple ingredients, but they're so good! The barbecue sauce turns into a thick, viscous coat – perfect for a party appetizer.

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Recipe details

Prep xv mins

Cook 4 hrs

Full 4 hrs 15 mins

Servings 10 servings

Difficulty Like shooting fish in a barrel

To make the meatballs

▢ ane pound lean basis beefiness
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 1 teaspoon mustard
▢ ⅓ cup finely chopped onion OR shallot
▢ ⅓ cup bread crumbs
▢ ¼ teaspoon stale parsley optional for more flavor
▢ ¼ teaspoon dried garlic powder optional for more flavour
▢ salt & pepper to taste

To brand the sauce

▢ 1 cup barbecue sauce
▢ 1 teaspoon ground paprika smoked or regular both work
▢ two tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
▢ ½ teaspoon salt or less to taste

Brand meatballs: To make the meatballs, mix all ingredients in a big bowl (I apply a manus mixer with the dough hook attachements for easy and mess-free work) and shape into small meatballs. I employ 1 teaspoon meat mix per meatball for a practiced titbit size; brand sure to firmly shape the meatballs or they disintegrate in the sauce.
Melt meatballs: Rut a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and add some oil. Cook the meatballs until browned on the exterior and entirely cooked through. OR bake the meatballs at 425°F for 10-12 minutes.
Dull cook with sauce: Once the meatballs are cooked, mix all sauce ingredients together in a 3-four quart slow cooker. Add the meatballs and cook on low for 3-4 hours. The meatballs proceed in the dull cooker for some other i-2 hours.

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