Mini Honey Barbecue Meatballs
These meatballs are little bursts of incredibly sweet and savory flavor that make a great appetizer, barbecue side, or part of a main meal!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoon quick oats * See notes (option to use rolled oats but let sit longer to soak through)
- ⅓ cup shredded aged gouda (option to use parmesan)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoon chopped curly parsley or (option to use ¾ teaspoon dried parsley)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon garlic granules/ garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
For the Honey BBQ Sauce
- 5 tablespoon no salt tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
- 5 tablespoon raw honey
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic granules/powder
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
Make the Meatballs
- In a large bowl combine all ingredients for the meatballs and work together. Option to let season in the fridge for 30 min -1 hour prior to baking.
- Scoop out 2 teaspoons of mixture for each ball, rolling it in your hands.
- Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and spray the tops with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Use middle rack for convection oven and conventional oven.
Make the Barbecue Sauce
- While meatballs bake, make the sauce. Combine all ingredients for the honey bbq sauce in a small saucepan and cook on med-low heat for about 8 minutes, until smooth and slightly thickened. Stir while cooking to avoid sticking.Once meatballs are done baking, remove them, scraping off any excess drippings and transfer them to a skillet with bbq sauce. Cook covered on med-low heat for a few minutes to heat through.
- Option to heat the sauce directly in a skillet and add meatballs once baked or keep bbq sauce separate once heated for dipping.
Notes
*To make this gluten free just make sure you have gluten free oats!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!