Description
These homemade BBQ meatballs are tender, flavorful, and coated in a rich, tangy barbecue sauce. Perfect for a comforting family meal, they bake in the oven until bubbly and served best with mashed potatoes and green beans. The recipe includes rolling seasoned ground beef into golf-ball-sized meatballs, baking them with a sweet and smoky bbq sauce, and finishing with a touch of water to emulsify the sauce for perfect coating.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 lbs. ground beef (85/15)
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s at the perfect temperature for baking the meatballs evenly.
- Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, quick oats, evaporated milk, beaten egg, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and kosher salt. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Form Meatballs: Roll the mixture into golf-ball-sized balls. Divide them evenly between two smaller casserole dishes or place them all in a single large 9×13-inch baking dish, depending on your family size or meal prep plans.
- Prepare BBQ Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt until smooth and well combined.
- Assemble for Baking: Pour the prepared barbecue sauce evenly over the meatballs in the baking dishes, ensuring each meatball is well coated.
- Bake Meatballs: Place the casserole dishes in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. The sauce should become bubbly, and some oil may separate during cooking.
- Finish Sauce: Remove the meatballs from the oven, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the baking dish, and gently stir. This step emulsifies the sauce so it clings beautifully to each meatball.
- Serve: Serve the BBQ meatballs warm, ideally with mashed potatoes and green beans for a wholesome and delicious meal.
Notes
- You can divide the meatballs into two pans to freeze one batch for later convenience.
- The baked meatballs are tender and perfect for family meals.
- Adjust chili powder for mild or spicier flavor if desired.
- Adding water after baking helps the sauce coat the meatballs better by emulsifying the separated oil.
- For best results, use 85/15 lean-to-fat ground beef for flavor and moisture balance.
