Smoked meatballs work as a party snack, a sub filling or a spaghetti night upgrade. You smoke them on a rack until they are cooked through, then toss them in sauce. One batch makes plenty for a crowd.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, 80/20
- 1 lb ground pork (or use 2 lb ground beef in total)
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cups BBQ sauce or marinara sauce, for serving
- Smoking wood: hickory, cherry or apple (chunks, chips or pellets)
Steps
- Stir the panko and milk together in a large bowl and let it sit 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the eggs, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, and mix well.
- Add the beef and pork. Mix gently with your hands just until everything is combined. Overmixing makes tough meatballs.
- Roll the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls and set them on a wire rack or a perforated grill pan.
- Set up your smoker for 250°F with hickory, cherry or apple. Wait for thin, clean smoke.
- Smoke the meatballs until the center of a large one reads 160°F, the USDA safe temperature for ground beef and pork, usually 1–1 1/4 hours.
- Warm the sauce in a foil pan or pot. Add the meatballs and toss to coat.
- For BBQ meatballs, return the pan to the smoker for 15–20 minutes so the sauce gets sticky. For marinara, simmer 10 minutes on the stove.
Why this works
The panko soaked in milk keeps the meatballs soft and juicy. It holds moisture inside as they cook. Mixing beef and pork gives you more fat and a richer taste than beef alone.
Cooking on a rack lets smoke reach every side of each meatball. It also lets fat drip away, so the outside firms up and holds its shape in the sauce.
Food safety
Ground meat must reach 160°F all the way through. Check a few of the largest meatballs, not just one. If you swap in ground turkey or chicken, cook them to 165°F instead. A fast instant-read thermometer makes checking several meatballs quick.
Best wood
Hickory gives a strong, classic BBQ flavor. Cherry and apple are milder and sweeter, which works well if you are serving them in marinara.
Sauce ideas
- BBQ meatballs. Toss them in our Kansas City BBQ sauce for a sweet, sticky party snack.
- Sweet and tangy. Mix 1 cup BBQ sauce with 1 cup grape jelly and warm until smooth.
- Italian. Simmer in marinara and serve over pasta or in a sub roll with melted provolone.
Make ahead / storage
Smoke the meatballs a day ahead, chill them and warm them in sauce when you are ready. Cooked meatballs keep 3–4 days in the fridge. To freeze, spread them on a sheet pan until firm, then bag them. They keep about 3 months. Reheat from frozen in simmering sauce until hot in the center.
Variations
- BBQ rub meatballs. Replace the Italian seasoning with 1 tbsp all-purpose BBQ rub.
- Cheese-stuffed. Press a small cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball before smoking.
- One big loaf. Like this mix? Try our smoked meatloaf.
Keep reading
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