Description
BBQ Meatballs Recipe – easy, go-to, homemade barbecue meatballs that can be made in the crock pot, oven, or simply on the stove top!
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs:
- 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill almond flour
- 1/4 of a yellow onion, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (slow cooker + stove top methods only)
BBQ Sauce:
- 1 cup of BBQ sauce, more if desired
Instructions
Oven Method:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet pan.
- Combine meatball ingredients in medium bowl and mix thoroughly (using your hands is usually the easiest).
- Take a heaping tablespoon of the ground beef mixture and use your hands to roll it into a meatball. Continue until all the meat is used (you should have around 20 meatballs).
- Place meatballs in a single layer on the parchment-lined cookie sheet, approximately 1/2 – 1 inch apart.
- Sprinkle the tops lightly with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 24 minutes or until cooked through.
- Toss in your favorite barbecue sauce!
Slow Cooker Method:
- Combine all meatball ingredients in medium mixing bowl and mix thoroughly (using your hands is usually the easiest).
- Take a heaping tablespoon of the meatball mixture and use your hands to roll it into a meatball. Continue until all the meat is used (you should have around 20 meatballs).
- Add olive oil to a large cast iron skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Sear meatballs on all sides, about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce to a slow cooker, add in the meatballs and cook on the LOW setting for 3-4 hours.
Stove Top Method:
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix thoroughly (using your hands is usually the easiest).
- Take a heaping tablespoon of the ground beef mixture and use your hands to roll it into a meatball. Continue until all the meat is used (you should have around 20 meatballs).
- Add olive oil to a large cast iron skillet and bring to medium heat. Add meatballs to the skillet, searing then on all sides (about 2-3 minutes). Turn heat down to medium/ medium-low heat and continue cooking until meatballs are fully cooked, approximately 10-15 minutes.
- Drain grease and add in your favorite barbecue sauce. Stir to coat and then serve!
Notes
- Lean Ground Beef: use a very lean ground beef for these (around 90% lean). If you use a less lean ground beef there will be an excess amount of grease in your slow cooker or skillet after cooking.
- Paleo/Whole30: to make Paleo/Whole30 omit the Worcestershire sauce and ensure you are using a Paleo/Whole30 BBQ sauce!
- Cook Time: I used the Oven cook time in the recipe card, but note that the Slow Cooker and Stove Top cook times are different!
- Dipping Sauce: I love dipping these in homemade ranch!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 meatballs
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 29 g
- Sodium: 703.9 mg
- Fat: 12.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 37.1 g
- Protein: 41.3 g
- Cholesterol: 148.2 mg