This recipe is inspired by my husband’s classmate, who won first prize at the Big Bite Bacon Fest held at the Del Mar Country Fair in San Diego. His classmate is part of a Southern California competition grilling team, called Meat, Inc. He was nice enough to bring his winning dish to my hubby’s night class and my hubby was able to bring some home for us to sample. Unfortunately, he didn’t give my hubby the recipe and I had to improvise and make my own version of “Bacon Wrapped BBQ Meatballs”, which turned out pretty darn good, if I must say so myself.
I’ll be honest though, I’m not a fan of BBQ sauce or most things BBQ. I know…so un-American and I’ll often make the sacrifice and make dinners that I don’t really eat just to satisfy my BBQ sauce loving family. Can you see my glowing halo? LOL! But guess what? I can totally get down with these BBQ Bacon Wrapped Meatballs because they’re so good!
Anyway, the next day my hubby brings home thick cut bacon, ground beef, and store made pork sausage (we used Albertson’s store made ground pork sausage). I guess it was a BIG hint that he wanted me to recreate his classmate’s winning dish. Well, it’s a good thing it has bacon on it because I’ll totally get down with anything with bacon 🙂
Bacon Wrapped BBQ Meatballs
Shape the Meatballs
Since the ground pork sausage already had seasoning, I kept any added seasoning to a minimum. I just added ground beef, eggs, Italian bread crumbs, minced garlic, and onion powder into a large bowl with the pork and mixed everything together. To keep it quick and simple, I also used a store-bought BBQ sauce to coat the meatballs with.
Tips:
- You can always use your own family favorite meatball recipe or premade store bought meatballs. *If using premade meatballs, adjust your cook time to ensure the meatballs are heated through and the bacon is cooked.*
- If your meatball recipe contains Parmesan cheese, you may want to omit it. The bacon and Parmesan cheese will make it too salty.
Roll out approximately 28 meatballs the size of golf balls (maybe a little smaller). Optional – make holes in the center of each one and place a pinch of shredded Mexican cheese blend or a small cube of cheese into each center.
Wrap with Bacon
Wrap each meatball with a half slice of bacon and place on a foil lined baking sheet with the seam side down. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes and drain the bacon fat out of the pan. Baste with BBQ sauce and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Check meatballs again and drain bacon fat again if needed. Baste for a second time with BBQ sauce and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Drain any remaining bacon fat.
Tips:
- You can also buy bacon at the meat counter to get the exact amount of bacon needed. You’ll need approximately 14 pieces of thick cut bacon to wrap around the 28 meatballs.
- You can place the meatballs on a cookie cooling rack to keep them out of the bacon fat when cooking. I prefer a quick clean up and just place the meatballs directly on the foil.
- If you don’t care for too much BBQ sauce, you can always baste only once and serve BBQ sauce on the side.
- You can slightly vary the taste of the meatballs by using different types of BBQ sauce. I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Cola-Q BBQ sauce.
- Use thick cut bacon or the bacon will cook too fast and become too crispy.
- This bake time makes a crispy bacon outside. Adjust the bake time for a less crispy bacon by cutting the bake time by 5 minutes. Just make sure the internal meatball temperature is 160F.
Remove meatballs and serve. YUM!
So there is my version of a quick and easy Bacon Wrapped BBQ Meatballs. We ate our Bacon Wrapped BBQ Meatballs with rice and corn. What will you eat yours with?
Bacon Wrapped BBQ Meatballs
How to make meatballs coated with BBQ sauce and wrapped in thick bacon.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef (I used 85/15)
- .75 - 1lb ground pork sausage
- 2 packages thick cut bacon
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 T. onion powder (can use 1/4 cup finely chopped onions)
- 1/4 cup shredded mexican cheese mix (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet Cola-Q Sauce)
Instructions
- Place ground beef, pork sausage, eggs, bread crumbs, garlic, and onion powder into a bowl and thoroughly mix the ingredients together.
- Roll into approximately 28 golf-sized balls. Optional - Make a hole into the center of the ball and insert a pinch of cheese and pinch the ball shut. Shape back into a ball.
- Cut the bacon in half and wrap each meatball with a half slice of bacon.
- Place meatballs about an inch apart on a foil covered pan with the bacon seam down. Bake at 350F degrees for 20 minutes on the center rack. *You can also place the meatballs on a cookie rack in the pan. This will keep the meatballs out of the bacon grease.*
- At 20 minutes, take pan out and drain out bacon fat. Brush on BBQ sauce and place back into the oven for 10 minutes and brush on more BBQ sauce. Drain out pan again if needed. Brush on more BBQ sauce and place back into the oven for 5 minutes. *If you're not big on BBQ sauce, you can skip the third brushing of BBQ and serve BBQ sauce on the side*
- Drain any remaining bacon fat and serve.
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Ramp it up by rolling out bisquit dough…wrap it up and deep fry it! Next level!
A girl after my own heart. I, too, am not a huge fan of BBQ. But this looks really good! Never made meatballs with 2 types of meats so am looking forward to trying this on the Traeger.
THESE meatballs look SERIOUSLY delish!! I featured them at this week’s Whimsical Wednesdays Link Party. Thanks so much for linking up!!
Omg. Great . I doubled the recipe and made them for football games at the bar. I won for best food and didn’t know there was a competition. Thank you for my new go to appetizer.
Congratulations on your win! Thanks for visiting and trying these 🙂
We are always looking for different treats to prepare the grand kids…and me!
Hi Erlene,
These bacon bites look amazing!!
Perfect party snacks. Thanks for the lovely recipe!
Pinning this. 🙂
Amy
Could these be done in a crockpot? I want to take them to a tailgate!
I haven’t tried it in a crockpot and I’m not sure the bacon would get the same crispness using a crockpot.
Thanks i decided to bake ahead of time and just let them stay warm in the crock pot
Can pre-made frozen meatballs be used??? Would they need to be thawed???
Thans.
I haven’t tried using frozen meatballs, but I would follow the package directions on cooking. I believe most frozen meatballs are precooked and you are just warming them up, so really the only thing that needs time to cook is the bacon wrapped around them.
Can these be made ahead and reheated?
I don’t see why not. Although, it might make the meatballs a little dry. Maybe skip basting with the BBQ sauce and reheat them in a pan of BBQ sauce before you’re ready to serve.
Had a question with the details… we’d serve 18 meatballs… but in the directions, it says 28? Typo? Just wanted to point that out… want to be clear with the directions
Yes, it’s a typo. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. It should be 28 or you could make 18 giant sized meatballs…lol.
Thinking of making these tonight, but I don’t have any Italian Bread Crumbs. Could I use Panko flakes instead?
I use the Italian bread crumbs to add flavor. If you use Panko, you will need to add your own seasonings.
That meatballs with bacon are amazing. This weekend I definitely make them at my place.
I have made these 5 times for my bf… he loves them so much that I am currently making them for a family party… I am vegetarian so cannot tell you how they are but my bf always eats them up with a smile so I can safely say they must be DELICIOUS!!! ♡
While I am nearly a vegetarian ( meat doesn’t agree with my digestion), I’ve decided my sweet husband of 42 years needs a big treat for the 4th of July and he will get bacon wrapped meatballs as an appetizer. Thanks so much for the recipe and this old woman really loves your blog and the content therein (recipes)!
Hugs to ya!
Ann
Thank you Ann. I hope your husband likes the meatballs and have a wonderful July 4th weekend!
I have made these twice now and it’s not turning put no where near your time. I followed your recipe.
Sorry it’s not working for you. Is it the cook time or prep time? I’ve made these a lot and I just made them again tonight (7/2/2015) and it comes out fine.
These look amazing. I will definitely be making them for our next family gathering
these sound like they would be great and look delicious
These look absolutely incredible, I must try to make it!!!
Bacon wrapped anything is good, but bacon wrapped meatballs? Yum! These sound like they’d be a great appetizer!
This is an amazing looking recipe, and would be perfect for a Super Bowl party! I’ll be sharing this on my social media pages today, thanks for sharing them at Friday Frenzy. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Thanks so much for coming over and visiting. Greatly appreciate the shares too!
Hi there! I wanted to ket you know that I added this recipe to a round-up on my blog. Stop by and check it out!
Boy, do these look good! I may just have to try them 🙂
Diane they’re so yummy! You can even transfer them to a pan of BBQ sauce to sit and simmer before serving if you like more BBQ flavor.
G’day One word? YUM! Great for my next party!
Cheers! Joanne #ibabloggers
I’m turning mine into mini-meatball subs.
G’day Your meatballs would be great on any day that end in Y!
Cheers! YUM! Joanne
Just twice, we couldn’t wait for a 3rd application lol – KC Masterpiece original.
I made these for dinner tonight – half w/cheese and half without – we loved both but the cheese makes them even yummier!! thanks for the recipe!
Hi Kristina & Millie! So glad to hear you tried it out and liked it 🙂 Did you use a lot of BBQ too?
I need to put these on the menu soon–I’ve been thinking about them!
Thanks for sharing with See Ya in the Gumbo. The party will resume tomorrow.
I’m heading over now. I have a new recipe to share. Thanks for coming over to visit.
These look AH-MAZING!! I must make these soon! Pinning!
Thanks for pinning Raquel. Let me know how you like them.
These looks so tasty 🙂
Thanks for linking up to Creative Mondays, featuring this week at the hop..
My oh My oh My! These meatballs look fabulous! I love this recipe so much I chose it as my personal favorite at this week’s Weekend Potluck party. Please be sure to stop by and share with us again. Hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend.
Thank you so much! I’m headed over right now 🙂
Oh my lord, talk about the hit of any party!
🙂 I think anything with bacon is a hit. Thanks for visiting.
I really love bacon and meatballs. 🙂 I’m featuring your recipe on Savoring Saturdays when it goes live at 7 pm Friday. Congrats and thanks for linking up with us!
Thanks so much Eva! Thanks for the party. I’ll be sure to stop by again.
Wow, these sound amazing! 🙂 I’m going to feature it at tomorrow’s Savoring Saturday’s linky party. Hope you’ll join us again! 🙂
So… my mouth is watering. Dripping. Oozing… I WILL be trying this at home! Thanks for sharing at the NEW #PinFest!
I hope you do try it and let me know how you like it.
Stopping by from the Do Tell Tuesday link party. I saw bacon and meatballs and thought hmmmm, then I saw that you put cheese inside and I fell in love. I love cheese, especially when it’s oozing out of something. Pinning, Diane @Mrs U Makes.
Thanks Diane for stopping by and pinning. If you make it with cheese, I would maybe do it with a cheese cube for a more cheesier meatball.
Thanks for sharing at the Teach Me Tuesday Linky Party! Hope to see you there again tonight:)
I’ll be there next week. Thanks for stopping by.
Pinning this for my next party!!! I love meatballs, BBQ, and bacon so this combo sounds amazing to me!!!! Thanks for stopping by and linking up at the Saturday Snickerdoodle Party!
Jessica
These would make a great party appetizer and you can use premade meatballs to speed things up and make it easier for a party prep. Thanks for stopping by pinning.
This looks incredible! Cassie loved it so much that we will be featuring it at our Monday party! Woo Hoo! Happy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls
Thanks Kimberly for letting me know and Cassie for choosing it. I love your party and I’ll be there again next week.
Erlene, I DO see your halo! However, I agree with you on BBQ sauce, not a huge fan, BUT, this recipe looks amazing ~ I can not tell you how much I want these right now! LOL! I will make them up for us after we get back from camping and let you know how much we love them ( because I know we will!!!) x Julia
Julia you’re so funny.Omg…I thought I was the only one that didn’t love BBQ sauce. My family LOVES the stuff and can eat BBQ everything. Hope you have fun on your camping trip 🙂
I have to try these. I will have to change it up to make it low carb but that’s simple. I love anything bacon!
You could omit the bread crumbs and make these using ground chicken to make it a bit lighter 🙂
OH WOW!!!! You had me at bacon wrapped+bbq+meatballs, but then I scrolled down and saw they were stuffed with CHEESE (my crack) and I just died!!!! I HAVE TO MAKE THESE!!! And the boyfriend is drooling over my shoulder, PINNING!!!!! Thanks so much for sharing, can’t wait to make ’em!
Stopping by from Hump Day Happenings….
B
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and pin.If you make these, use a cube of cheese since I think it would make for a cheesier meatball.
O my gosh! These look too good. My hubby will love these! Thank you for the inspiration xx
If he’s a bacon and BBQ lover like my family then I think he’ll enjoy these. Thanks for stopping by.
Ooh these look great for a party!
I think these would be great for a party, but I might make them a bit smaller to get more meatballs.
Bacon literally goes with everything! Thanks for sharing with Hump Day Happenings.
I agree with you Jenna. Bacon does go with practically everything. Thanks for hosting the link party and allowing me to share.
OMG these look sooooo good Erlene! Thank you for linking up to Creative K Kid’s Tasty Tuesdays. I have pinned your recipe to the Tasty Tuesdays Pinterest Board.
Thanks Keitha for stopping by and pinning. It’s always appreciated when I get a share 🙂
oh yeah, wrap about anything in Bacon and my boys will gobble it down. I don’t know if they will like the cheese so might have to do half and half to test. Will be making these meatballs this weekend! Thanks for sharing with us 🙂 Over from Wine’d Down Wed., but I bet you came to Snickerdoodle too and we appreciate that Erlene!!
Kristina, you don’t have to add cheese. You won’t really taste it unless you use a sharp cheese and I didn’t. I just added it because I had some cheese to use up. LMK how you like it.
Amazing!!! Thanks for linking up to Wonderful Wed. Blog Hop. I featured this amazing Bacon wrapped meatballs on my facebook page tonight.
Blessings,
Diane Roark
Thanks so much Diane. I’m headed over now 🙂
OMGosh, I’m gonna wrap my next meatball with bacon! YES!!!
Thanks for the best idea!!
Thanks to my hubby’s classmate 🙂 we can all enjoy bacon wrapped meatballs with BBQ sauce.
Great share! I would tweek it with switches on red meat or pork but a must try indeed 🙂
I think this would be great with ground chicken too.
Your bacon wrapped meatballs look delicious! I love anything wrapped in bacon! Never had meatballs like this before I need to try making them. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Kim “This Ole Mom’
Thanks Kim. I’ve never had bbq sauce on bacon wrapped meatballs either and even though I’m not a bbq lover, I actually liked it this way. Hope you give it a try.
Oh my gosh what a great recipe. Pinning!!!
Thanks Michelle for pinning 🙂