These simple sweet and spicy Cocktail Meatballs are made in the slow cooker and absolutely delicious! Tender ground beef meatballs are covered in a rich sauce, very similar to our Winger’s Sticky Finger recipe. In fact, the sauce recipe is EXACTLY the same, the only difference (obviously) is that you put the sauce over meatballs instead of wings. They are perfectly sweet and savory with just the right amount of kick. This is one of the easiest meatball recipes you’ll ever try; it’s sure to become an instant classic!
Ingredients in Cocktail Meatballs
These appetizer meatballs couldn’t be easier to make! Just throw it all in the Crockpot and let them simmer in the crock pot until you’re ready to serve. Here’s what you need:
Meatballs – You can use 2 pounds of pre-cooked, frozen meatballs OR make your own homemade meatballs using this easy recipe.Frank’s Original Hot Sauce – no substitutions on this. It’s by far the best sauce out there and gives these meatballs the perfect spicy flavor.Brown sugar – about one and a half cups packed, or more if you like it sweeter.Water
For Homemade Meatballs
If you want to substitute frozen meatballs for homemade, they’re really easy to make! Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, use a cookie scoop to make perfectly sized balls, place them on a prepared baking sheet and bake. Here’s what you need for homemade meatballs:
Ground Beef – Make sure to use lean ground beef. If the beef is too fatty, the sauce will turn out very oily. Not a huge fan of ground beef? Feel free to try ground pork meatballs, ground turkey meatballs or ground chicken meatballs too! We will often do a mixture of both ground beef and pork to make them more tender.Onion – In this recipe instead of dicing the onion, you grate it with a cheese grater. This creates small, thin pieces of onion that keep the meatball texture super smooth.Panko Breadcrumbs – Panko breadcrumbs help to bind the meatballs together. I like using panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs.Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan cheese adds flavor and helps to bind the meatballs together. Try to get grated parmesan instead of shredded for the best texture.Eggs – Eggs add moisture and help bind the meatballs.Milk – Milk helps the meatballs stick together and creates a juicy, soft texture.Garlic – Freshly crushed garlic cloves are the best, but you can used the minced garlic from the jar.Spices – I keep it simple with this recipe and just use kosher salt, black pepper, and oregano. If you want to go a little further, then you can and red pepper flakes.See full recipe here: Crockpot Meatballs
Optional Sauces for Cocktail Meatballs
If you have kids, you’ll know that ketchup is the only acceptable dipping sauce for most youngsters. But as adults, you can try some other ideas for meatballs:
Chili sauceCranberry sauceWorcestershire sauceGrape jellyBarbecue sauce
Make Meatballs a Meal
The first time we made these meatballs we just served them as an appetizer. The second time we added pineapple and red peppers served the meatballs over rice as a main dish (seriously, you have got to try it this way — SO good)! Either way its amazing. But if you’re trying to pin down your game day snacks, this is the perfect, quick appetizer for game day with family and friends. I don’t know about you, but if family and friends are over I want to BE with them, not be stuck in the kitchen the whole time. That is what makes these meatballs so awesome, it is literally 3 minutes of prep-time and you are done.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cocktail Meatballs
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More Tasty Meatball Recipes
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Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)
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