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Oven Baked BBQ Meatballs

Oven baked BBQ meatballs with a sticky, caramelized BBQ glaze—dark, sweet, and smoky. Ground beef meatballs bake until browned, then get brushed and finished until shiny and tacky.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 580
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatballs
  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 0.67 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup whole milk
  • 3 garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
BBQ Glaze
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat & prep the pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Move the pan into position so the meatballs can go in right after shaping.
Mix & shape meatballs
  1. Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, whole milk, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper until just mixed.
  2. Roll the mixture into 1.5-inch balls and place them on the baking sheet with space between each one.
Bake & caramelize glaze
  1. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes until browned and cooked through.
  2. Mix the BBQ glaze ingredients (BBQ sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, and smoked paprika) until smooth.
  3. Brush generously with BBQ glaze over each meatball, making sure the surface is well coated.
  4. Return to the oven and bake 5 more minutes at 400°F until the glaze caramelizes and looks shiny on top.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.
  2. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve hot.

Notes

For tender meatballs, mix just until the ingredients come together—overmixing can make them tough. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days in an airtight container; reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through. Freeze yes: cool completely, freeze in a sealed container up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat. For a lighter option, use lean ground beef (90% or higher) and increase the glaze slightly to keep the sticky shine.