Sweet Hickory Smoked Meatballs
Jump to RecipeThese sweet and smoky-flavored meatballs are perfect as an entree or as an appetizer. You can use any ground meat that you desire...However, I usually use Ground Chicken or Turkey for their milder flavors, so not to compete with the sweet and smoky flavors of the sauce. These also freeze well (without the sauce) for a quick and easy meal for those busy nights. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb. Ground Meat I used Ground Chicken in the photos, but you may use Ground Turkey, Beef or Sausage
- ½ Cup Gluten Free Bread Crumbs Plain or Italian-seasoned
- 1 Clove Garlic, minced I use 1/2 teaspoon already minced garlic from a jar
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
- ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
- 1 Large Egg
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Pepper
Sauce
- 2 Cups Catsup
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke I use Natural Hickory-flavored Liquid Smoke
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Cup Chopped Onions
Instructions
Making the Meatballs
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper.
- Gather all Ingredients.
- In a large bowl, place the following ingredients: ground meat, bread crumbs, minced garlic, chopped parsley, egg, Parmesan Cheese, salt and pepper. {Please Note: I tripled this recipe, thus the reason why the photo shows 3 eggs and larger quantities of ingredients.}
- Mix the meat ingredients together.
- If making these for an entree, use a Medium-sized scoop to form 2" meatballs (for an appetizer, use a small-sized scoop for 1" meatballs). Place on the prepared cookie sheet, leaving a little room between each meatball to allow for even cooking/crisping.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the meatballs are lightly golden and a little crisp.
Making the Sauce
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the Catsup, Brown Sugar, Liquid Smoke (I used Colgin brand, Natural Hickory flavored), Garlic Powder and Chopped Onion.
- Pour the well-mixed sauce over the lightly-baked, crisp meatballs and spread evenly to coat all of the meatballs. {Please Note: I transferred the lightly-baked meatballs to a deep baking dish to allow room for the sauce}
- Bake in the 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until bubbly.
Notes
I triple the recipe to allow enough meatballs for freezing half of the lightly-baked meatballs (without the sauce). Then, when needed I simply whip up a batch of sauce while the meatballs are thawing at room temperature, pour the sauce over the thawed meatballs and finish baking.