Barbecue Bacon Meatballs Recipe

BBQ Meatballs with Bacon

These BBQ Bacon Meatballs are great for an appetizer at a party or as a main dish entree served over noodles or rice. Perfect for any family gathering, party, or football game.

Homemade vs. Store-Bought Meatballs

You can make your own meatballs using the recipe below or pick up the frozen meatballs from Costco. Both options heat up great in the slow cooker.

Note that it is a little more frugal and often a little more healthy to make your own meatballs. On the other hand, sometimes your time is worth it to pay a little extra for pre-made frozen meatballs. 😉

Save Some for Later!

It is easy to freeze homemade meatballs, so feel free to double or triple the meatball recipe and freeze the extras for later. More info on how to freeze them can be found below.

How to Make the Homemade BBQ Sauce

The meatball BBQ sauce is really quick and easy. It just takes a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand – BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, garlic, and brown sugar.

Obviously, the flavor of the sauce will depend greatly on the BBQ sauce you choose. So use a sauce that you like or make your own BBQ sauce! If the sauce is already sweet, you may want to omit or reduce the brown sugar, or maybe not. You decide. 🙂

Freezing the Meatballs:

These meatballs freeze well, so you can prepare the meatballs ahead of time and have less prep on the day of the party.

To start, simply place the baked meatballs on a baking sheet. I like to line the cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking. Then freeze them in your freezer.

When they are frozen you can transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for later.

To reheat, simply let them thaw in the refrigerator and then you can microwave them for 2-3 minutes, or heat them on the stove or in a slow cooker. It does not take long because they are already fully cooked!

Learn more about freezing dinner for later.

More of our favorite meatball recipes:

• Honey Garlic Meatballs
• Sweet and Sour Meatballs
• Porcupine Meatballs
• Teriyaki Meatballs
• Turkey-Quinoa Fajita Meatballs
• Alfredo Meatball Sub Sandwich

Barbecue Bacon Meatballs Recipe

Delicious BBQ meatballs with bacon pieces and homemade sauce.

4.67 / 5 ( 3 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Serves: 5

Adjust Servings: 5

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground meat beef or turkey work best
• ¾ cup quick oats
• ½ cup milk
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup grated onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons barbecue Sauce

Sauce:

• 1 cup barbecue sauce I like Sweet Baby Ray's or this BBQ sauce recipe
• ½ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar optional
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. In a medium bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Form into balls and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake about 20 minutes, until cooked through. Internal temperature should be 160 degrees F. If preparing meatballs for later, let cool, then freeze. Once frozen, transfer meatballs to a freezer bag and store in freezer.
• Combine sauce ingredients.
• Add meatballs and cooked bacon pieces to a slow cooker. Cover with sauce and warm for a party. If meatballs are frozen, plan on about 4 hours in the slow cooker, stirring occasionally. Or heat the sauce in a small saucepan on the stove top and serve immediately with the freshly-baked warm meatballs.

Recipe Notes

If you are pressed for time you can buy the homemade Italian Style Meatballs from Costco, about 28 ounces.

Nutrition

Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 1587mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g