Description
Tender, smoky meatballs glazed in sweet BBQ sauce perfect for Juneteenth celebrations. This crowd-pleasing recipe serves 12 and features an easy bake method.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1½ pounds ground beef (80/20 blend works best)
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 6½ fluid ounces evaporated milk
- ¾ cup chopped onion, divided
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease your baking dish with cooking spray or oil.
- Mix the meatball base: Combine ground beef, oats, evaporated milk, ½ cup chopped onion, beaten egg, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands until just combined.
- Form the meatballs: Roll the mixture into 1½ inch balls. You should get about 24-30 meatballs. Arrange them in a single layer in your prepared baking dish, leaving small spaces between each one.
- Prepare the glaze: In a separate bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, remaining ¼ cup onion, liquid smoke, and minced garlic until smooth. Pour this mixture evenly over all the meatballs.
- Bake to perfection: Place the dish in your preheated oven, uncovered. Bake for about 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball reads at least 160°F (72°C).
Notes
- Don’t overmix the meat mixture – gentle handling keeps meatballs tender instead of tough and dense
- Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop for uniformly sized meatballs that cook evenly
- Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes before rolling to allow oats to fully absorb the milk
- Baste meatballs with sauce halfway through cooking for extra flavor penetration and glossy finish
- Double the recipe and freeze half before adding sauce for quick weeknight dinners later
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course/Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2-3 meatballs
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: BBQ meatballs recipe, Juneteenth party food, homemade meatballs, sweet BBQ glaze, baked meatballs, ground beef appetizers, celebration recipes, make-ahead meatballs