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Sticky BBQ Slow Cooker Meatballs

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This recipe for Sticky BBQ Slow Cooker Meatballs uses barbecue sauce to make a delicious homemade party appetizer! They are easy to make as the crockpot does most of the work for you.

Easy homemade meatballs cooked in a delicious BBQ Sauce in the crockpot. They are a great appetizer for your next holiday party and they are perfect for Football Sunday or the Super Bowl as mini sliders.

Serve them with mashed potatoes or rice as a simple dinner for families. Made with beef, breadcrumbs, seasoning and barbecue sauce. The best of comfort foods for fall and winter.

Everyone loved these slow cooker BBQ meatballs as an appetizer at our last party! If you're looking to impress your guests - try this easy crockpot recipe!

OK, a few things before we start off:

Thank you so much for all your lovely responses on my post on Monday! I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling the pressure at times and your nice words seriously made my day (and continue making my week!). You are awesome! ♡

I’m terribly tired and I’m not yet sure if this post is going to make any sense in the end. I hope it will. We will talk about appetizers in a minute and it’s going to be the best conversation ever (because – food).

I have a wiggly baby on my lap as I am writing this – please excuse a gazillion typos.

Easy homemade meatballs cooked in a delicious BBQ Sauce in the crockpot. They are a great appetizer for your next holiday party and they are perfect for Football Sunday or the Super Bowl as mini sliders. Serve them with mashed potatoes or rice as a simple dinner for families. Made with beef, breadcrumbs, seasoning and barbecue sauce. The best of comfort foods for fall and winter.

Fantastic, now I feel ready to talk party apps! See those gorgeous crockpot meatballs? They are the result of 4 hours of labor – from my crockpot!

Seriously, if you don’t have one yet, you need to hop on over to Amazon and order yourself one ASAP*.

It’s fine I’ll wait.

::

I’ve started using my beloved little slow cooker more and more lately, to make delicious things like slow cooker sausage pasta sauce, healthy slow cooker chili or even slow cooker cranberry walnut bread pudding with caramel sauce.

And now there’s these easy meatballs in crockpot land.

Really, they couldn’t be any more simple to make.

Start with making the meatballs, cook them in a skillet (or use ready-made ones, like I do in these 5 Ingredient Cranberry Glazed Turkey Slow Cooker Meatballs!) and then throw them into your crockpot with some barbecue sauce and a handful of other delicious things and wham!

3-4 hours later you’re ready to start partying with meatballs!

I wish I had made these lovely little guys when Branimir’s family visited on Sunday.

Since they only announced themselves on Saturday I really didn’t have much time to prepare a lot of food (and boy, can they eat!) so I needed some quick and easy stuff I could make in advance (because SPOTLESS HOUSE NEEDED when my in-laws are here).

Luckily I have a husband who knows how to cook – an amazing helping hand in moments like this!

Now of course they all went for the brownie cookies first before fighting over the peanuts on the table and later the shrimp.

Especially my sister-in-law can’t stop, won’t stop anymore because she is due in a few weeks and well, can we blame her?

Growing a little human is incredibly hungry work (and so is feeding one, I would stare down anyone trying to steal my food right now).

Easy homemade meatballs cooked in a delicious BBQ Sauce in the crockpot. They are a great appetizer for your next holiday party and they are perfect for Football Sunday or the Super Bowl as mini sliders. Serve them with mashed potatoes or rice as a simple dinner for families. Made with beef, breadcrumbs, seasoning and barbecue sauce. The best of comfort foods for fall and winter. Because winter is coming.

Anyways, I got insanely jealous of my brother-in-law who got himself an amazing camera (helloooo if you’re reading, I’m ready to swap!) but I just found out that there might possibly, possibly be a new model coming out early next year and wow, do I wish for a late Christmas present!

Because secret alert: I really hated photography when I started blogging.

No, not hated it but I naively assumed that a good camera would just snap amazing pictures without me actually doing anything.

As if the picture would just magically compose itself in front of me but no – there’s actually hard work involved.

And lately I’ve really started to enjoy using my camera more and more.

I’m actually wishing for some snow so I can go outside and practice beautiful wintery landscapes.

But I digress (told you I was tired).

The summary of my story: BIL, pass over your camera. SIL, I’ve got a million sweets stashed here and need someone to help me get through them.

You my lovely internet friend: Make yourself some slow cooker meatballs.

For your Christmas party next Saturday. For football on Sunday. For the kids on Friday as a nice start-of-the-holidays treat.

Whatever, just make them because oh my, are they awesome!

Watch the Sticky BBQ Slow Cooker Meatballs video:

Sticky BBQ Slow Cooker Meatballs in a white bowl with a green napkin.
5 from 10 votes
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Sticky BBQ Slow Cooker Meatballs Recipe

This recipe for Sticky BBQ Slow Cooker Meatballs uses barbecue sauce to make a delicious homemade party appetizer! They are easy to make as the slow cooker does most of the work for you. Serve them on their own or as mini subs - they are going to be a big hit either way!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 137 kcal
Author Nora

Ingredients

To Make the Meatballs

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1 small shallot chopped
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • OR use ready-made meatballs to make the recipe even easier!

To Make the Sauce

  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

  1. To make the meatballs, mix all ingredients in a large bowl and shape into small meatballs. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and add some oil. Cook the meatballs until browned on the outside and entirely cooked through.
  2. Once the meatballs are cooked, mix all sauce ingredients together. Add to the slow cooker with the meatballs and cook on low for 3-4 hours. The meatballs keep in the slow cooker for another 1-2 hours.

* I make a commission for purchases made through these links.

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Easy homemade meatballs cooked in a delicious BBQ Sauce in the crockpot. They are a great appetizer for your next holiday party and they are perfect for Football Sunday or the Super Bowl as mini sliders. Serve them with mashed potatoes or rice as a simple dinner for families. Made with beef, breadcrumbs, seasoning and barbecue sauce. The best of comfort foods for fall and winter. Because winter is coming.
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Comments

  10. When you say cook in slow cooker for 3-4 hours and meatballs for 1-2 what do you mean? Take the sauce out then continue the meatballs?

    Reply

    • Hi Amanda, no, I just meant you can keep everything in the slow cooker for 1-2 additional hours without the meatballs ending up mushy! It’s great if you’re having a party or a picnic – just lug the whole slow cooker with you 😉

      Reply

  11. What kind of buns did you get? They look smaller than even your typical slider bun, so I was just curious. Thanks! Also, these look delicious!!!

    Reply

    • Hi Bekky

      I just got some mini-buns I found at our local supermarket. I’m not sure if you’d be able to find something similar in the U.S. but for size comparison, they each weigh 1/2 oz. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  12. Can i just cook these in the slow cooker instead of pan-frying them first? If so, how long? Thank you so much! They look amazing and I’m in the midst of preparing!

    Reply

    • Hi Toni

      I have no idea if that would work, as I haven’t tried it myself. If the meatballs are ready-made/pre-cooked I’m sure you can just cook them in the slow cooker though. If they are homemade I would pan-fry them. Else I think they’d fall apart and you’d end up with sticky BBQ bolognese sauce!

      Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂

      Reply

  13. Omg! I just made these and they are amazing. I haven’t even put sauce on them yet. I was going to make the bbq sauce but then I saw there was a recipe for the cranberry glaze. I am having trouble finding it. Can you please help me? My meatballs await the glaze.
    Thank you

    Reply

  14. This meatball recipe is awesome! I made these meatballs for a potluck at work and they were a hit. I used 93/7 ground beef and they were still so moist and delicious. I was hoping there would be some left over to take home but I wasn’t so lucky 🙂
    I will definitely being making these again!

    Reply

    • That’s fantastic to read, Tiffany! I’m so happy you and your work colleagues liked the meatballs. And I truly appreciate your recipe review, thank you so much!

      Reply

  15. I made these for a Thanksgiving appetizer and everyone loved them! I doubled the recipe and used 1 lb of beef and 1 lb of pork. Perfect appetizer! And meal… Because I’m eating the leftovers right now for lunch 😉

    Reply

  16. Just made these yesterday but I didn’t have smoked paprika so I used regular. I did use a smokey flavoured barbecue sauce though. They were amazing! I used frozen meatballs from a a frozen food specialty shop. Your food photography is fantastic! I can’t wait to try some more of your recipes. I also shared your site with my best friend and my sister. Keep up the great work!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for your lovely recipe review, Connie! I really appreciate you taking the time to write it, and I’m glad you loved the meatballs. Thank you so much for sharing Savory Nothings! Have a wonderful New Year!

      Reply

  17. How do you think this would be with Trader Joes frozen Turkey Meatballs? Looking to cut-down on prep time. Thanks!

    Reply

    • That shouldn’t be a problem at all! If they are pre-cooked, you can just add them to the slow cooker with all the sauce ingredients and cook them as directed. If they aren’t pre-cooked, thaw and brown them before cooking in the slow cooker. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  18. Made these for Christmas Eve and they are fantastic. Followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. This is a keeper recipe!

    Reply

  20. Hi there, I tried this recipe with both turkey and beef. The turkey ones were harder to fry up as they had a higher water content than the beef for whatever reason. So needless to say they were “less than round” meatballs. I found that the beef tasted better and went with the bbq sauce. Ok. let me just stop and say the sauce was awesome and got nice and thick. The only thing I wonder is if anyone has tried to cook the meatballs in the oven. The fry method took a little long for my busy household. If I could throw them in an oven and not have to mind them for turning ever few minutes it would be a great help. Thoughts?
    Thanks again.

    Don

    Reply

    • Hi Don,

      I have never tried baking meatballs, but it sounds like a great idea! I’m pretty sure you can get away with greasing a cookie sheet well and then baking the meatballs at 400-425°F. I would even place the cookie sheet in the oven while it’s pre-heating and you’re shaping the meatballs. Pour some oil on right before adding the meatballs, place them on the hot cookie sheet and bake for around 10-15 minutes. Let us know if you try it 🙂

      Reply

    • It really depends on your taste and what kind of barbecue sauce you’re using. For some heat, you can try chili. And if you’re up for experimenting, you could even try some curry powder or turmeric. Just leaving it out will be fine as well, though. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  22. I can’t wait to try out this recipe for the kids literacy night. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes! Thank you for the recipe!!

    Reply

    • Hi Rachel, it makes around 30 appetizer-sized meatballs. If you’re planning on serving it as an entree, I’m guessing it feeds around 4 people (unless you have hungry teenage boys at home!). As an appetizer I’d gauge how many other things you’re going to be serving. If there’s plenty of food I’d say this is good for 8-10 people. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  24. These are good and I was sure hungry by the time I got to the actual recipe. You might shorten your blog a little….I almost went to another recipe because the ads and the pop ups were annoying.

    Reply

    • Hi Cher, thanks for your input. I’m glad you enjoyed the meatballs.

      Right now, the money I make from the ads is a substantial part of my family’s income. It’s what we use to buy food for our kids and keep a roof over their head. I’m working hard on getting my blog to a point where I can take down the ads though, because I know the ads are not great for user experience – sorry about that. But I hope you can also appreciate the fact that I’m not running a non-profit organisation and need to earn an income to support my family.

      Merry Christmas!

      Reply

    • Hi June, if you use them from frozen, you’ll have to add some extra cooking time. But it shouldn’t be an issue otherwise! Hope that helps.

      Reply

    • I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the meatballs, Ann! Great idea with the turkey. I actually have a cranberry turkey meatball recipe for the crockpot on the site, perfect for the upcoming holiday season 🙂 And I find it super hard to gauge meatball size! Somehow they always end up bigger than I intended, ha! Thank you so much for your feedback, I appreciate it!

      Reply

    • Hi! No, I don’t think so! If you prefer to omit it, I would do so. You can always check the seasoning once they’re done cooking and adjust if you feel like it. Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply

  28. Hi Nora – I’m making these as we speak – can’t wait to dig in!! (I’ve sampled already and they are delicious.) Having these for dinner over rice tonight – spiced it up a bit by adding garlic and Frank’s Red Hot.

    Reply

    • I’m excited you made the meatballs, Stephanie! They’re definitely a reader favorite here on Savory Nothings. And I’m a huge fan of your recipe tweaks – garlic and hot sauce sound like two amazing additions! Hope they were delicious – and thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and leave a comment, I very much appreciate it.

      Reply

  29. Hi, jist curious what brand of bbq sauce you used? I don’t ever buy it so I get lost standing in front of all the choices!

    Reply

    • Hi Kelsey, I love Stubb’s Hickory Bourbon and basically use it one anything and everything that requires BBQ sauce, haha! Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply

  31. My mouth is watering just from looking at these. I can’t believe how happy I will be trying these when I make this delicious dish – thanks to your recipe. Thanks so much for publishing it Nora!

    Reply

    • I really don’t know, Courtney! I have never used rice in meatballs before. The bread crumbs are really not incredibly important to make the recipe work (there’s the egg as the binder), but they do help the meatballs to stay in shape in the crock pot. If you want to avoid the gluten, you could do ground gluten free oats? Hope that helps!

      Reply

  33. Hi! These look delicious! My question is probably dumb but I see that one of the ingredients for the meatballs calls for mustard. Are you referring to dry ground mustard or actual mustard (like you would put on a sandwich)? Thanks!

    Reply

  36. Hi, is there any way to make these if I don’t have a slow cooker? I have large le cruiset pots as well as a large nonstick pot. Thanks

    Reply

    • Hi Yasmine, Sure! Prepare the meatballs as directed in the recipe. Then gently simmer the sauce separately in a pot without the lid. Once it has thickened (this should happen fairly quickly – 5 to 10 minutes, tops), add the meatballs and simmer for another 4-5 minutes or until they’re nicely glazed. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  38. I made these for a partyI attended tonight and I swear, they were gone after 5mins! I made them with a mixture of beef and pork and they turned out lovely!

    Reply

    • That is usually my experience with these, too 🙂 We make them for parties all the time and they barely ever last long enough for me to grab one. So glad they turned out well for you, too, Monique! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, too – I appreciate it so very much.

      Reply

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