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Oven Baked BBQ Meatballs

BBQ meatballs made the easy way: oven baked and coated in a sticky, caramelized BBQ glaze for dark, smoky, shiny results. These baked beef meatballs bake through, then get a second blast to set the glaze for party-ready flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatballs
  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 0.667 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.333 cup whole milk
  • 3 garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika for the meatballs
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.1 salt and pepper to taste
  • 0.1 pepper and salt to taste
BBQ Glaze
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika for the glaze

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and form
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment for easy release and cleanup.
  2. Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, whole milk, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper until just mixed; avoid overworking.
  3. Roll the mixture into 1.5-inch meatballs and place them on the prepared sheet pan with space between each one.
Bake and glaze
  1. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
  2. Mix BBQ sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, and smoked paprika to make the glaze.
  3. Brush the glaze generously over each meatball, coating the browned surface.
  4. Return to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes at 400°F, until the glaze caramelizes and turns shiny.
Serve
  1. Serve the meatballs hot with extra BBQ sauce and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

For the juiciest baked meatballs, mix just until the ingredients come together and don’t pack the meatballs too tightly. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; freeze cooked meatballs up to 2 months and reheat in a 350°F oven until hot. To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs and confirm your BBQ sauce is gluten-free.