Smoked BBQ Meatballs
These smoked meatballs are wonderfully paired with the sweet, spicy, and tangy flavor of the BBQ sauce
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1/2 lb bacon chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground mild Italian sausage
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp canned chipotle pepper in adobo
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 3 oz grated Gouda cheese
- 1/2 diced red onion
- 1 diced bell pepper
- 1 cup fried onions
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 egg whisked
- 1 tbsp canola oil
Sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp adobo sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 oz bourbon
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225*F as you prepare sauce and meatballs. I Use a combination of hickory and mesquite wood for smoking, if possible
- Prepare the sauce. Add brown sugar, tomato paste, soy sauce, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, mustard, bourbon, and crushed garlic to a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine and cook for 5 minutes
- Grind fried onions and add to a large mixing bowl with all remaining ingredients for the meatballs and mix well, do not over mix
- Lower the heat for the sauce and whisk in the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add 1 tbsp canola oil to a cast-iron skillet and spread to cover the surface of the pan
- Scoop golf ball sized meatballs and place on the skillet
- Pour ½ of the bbq sauce over the meatballs. Place into the smoker and cook for 1 hour
- At the 1 hour mark, carefully remove as much grease as you can from the skillet. Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs. Smoke for 1 more hour before serving