Can you use ground turkey or ground chicken instead?

Yep! I would try to get as high a fat percentage as you can though to add more tenderness and flavor.

What can I substitute for liquid smoke?

You can omit it completely, or sub in smoked paprika to add a little bit of smokiness.

How do you freeze and reheat this recipe?

Place the rolled (raw) meatballs in a large foil pan and cover with the sauce. Cover and freeze for up to 6 months. Bake (from frozen) for 60-75 minutes at 350 degrees or until the meatballs are cooked through and tender, and the sauce is bubbling. Add 1/4 cup water to loosen the sauce as needed before serving.

Can you use breadcrumbs instead of quick oats?

Yes! Panko or breadcrumbs will work as well.

How do you make your mashed potatoes?

This is my favorite recipe ! Made in the Instant Pot, super easy.

BBQ Meatballs

Description

Juicy, tender BBQ meatballs baked in a sweet-and-smoky sauce. An easy dinner that my family loves! Freezer-friendly, too!

Ingredients

Units

Meatballs:

2 lbs. ground beef (I used 85/15)
1 cup quick oats
1 5-ounce can evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt

Homemade 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 each garlic powder and onion powder
1 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix Meatballs: Mix together all meatball ingredients. Roll into golf-ball sized balls; divide between two smaller casserole dishes OR arrange all of them in a larger 9×13 baking dish. (I have a family of 4; I divide this into two pans so I can freeze one for later. But my sister does this all in one large pan for her family of 6.)
Make Sauce: Whisk sauce together. Pour the sauce over the meatballs.
Bake: Bake meatballs and sauce for 1 hour. Remove from the oven; they’ll be bubbly and some of the oil will have separated. Add 2-3 tablespoons water and give the pan a stir; the water will emulsify the sauce so it clings to the meatballs perfectly.
Finish: Serve meatballs with mashed potatoes and green beans! These are so tender and so good. Yum.

Notes

I typically get 35-40 meatballs with this recipe.

To freeze: These meatballs can go into the freezer uncooked and covered with sauce. I typically do this in a foil pan to make it extra easy for myself or someone else if I end up giving them away as a meal.

To cook from the freezer: Bake (from frozen) at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and tender, and the sauce is bubbling. Add a few tablespoons water to loosen and emulsify the sauce as needed before serving.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Category: Dinner
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Keywords: bbq meatballs, meatball recipe, meatball dinner