Sweet and Tangy Appetizer Meatballs
Sweet & Tangy Appetizer Meatballs are the best made-from-scratch homemade meatballs in a delicious sweet and savory honey jam bbq sauce! They are perfect for your next holiday or game day party! Kept warm in a crockpot, they are a great appetizer or a main course anchor for any grazing menu!
Servings: 30 to 36 meatballs
Calories: 140kcal
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 small onion small dice, olive oil, salt and pepper
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs panko or homemade
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup milk
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 grinds fresh black pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
For the Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup jam blackberry, mulberry, or grape
- ¼ cup bbq sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup water
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- In a large saute pan over medium low heat, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and caramelize the onion with a pinch of salt and pepper until golden brown, stir occasionally, about 20 minutes. Let the onion cook slowly, bringing out its natural sugars.
- Meanwhile, mix all other meatball ingredients in a large bowl, including the onions when they are done. Your hands are the best tool, really mix well so all ingredients are incorporated.
- Form into meatballs and set on a sheet pan. They should be about ping pong ball size, use an ice cream scoop to portion and then roll them with your hands. Makes 30 to 36 meatballs, depending on size. (At this point you can freeze or refrigerate the meatballs, some or all, for later use, or try doubling the meatball recipe to really stock the freezer!)
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Over medium high heat, reheat the pan from the onions or use a clean large skillet, and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Brown the meatballs on one side, then flip and brown the other side (about 2 minutes per side). Cook about 8 to 10 at a time in batches so you do not crowd the pan. When done browning the outside, return them to the sheet pan (don’t worry that it had the raw meatballs on them, you will be baking the whole thing).
- Bake in the oven for about 10-20 minutes to finish cooking the meatballs through, cut one open to check.
- At this point you can store the cooked meatballs in the freezer or fridge or put them into the sauce.
For the Sauce
- Mix all ingredients for the sauce in a crock pot on low. When heated through, add the meatballs and keep warm on the low or warm setting until ready to eat!
Notes
- Double the recipe to meal prep meatballs for the freezer. Meatballs can be frozen raw, cooked, or cooked and in the sauce. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking or reheating.
- Use a metal or wooden spatula when flipping the searing meatballs, be careful not to break them.
- Browning the meatballs in the pan just adds flavor, it does not cook the meatballs all the way through. Finish them in the oven. To save time, you can skip the sear and just bake them directly in the oven, about 20 minutes but cut one open to be sure they are cooked through before adding them to your sauce.
- These basic homemade meatballs are versatile and can be used in different sauces like Spaghetti and Meatballs, Meatball Subs, or Norwegian Meatballs with Lefse!
- Nutrition information is for 1 meatball when formed into 30 meatballs.
Nutrition
Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg