Potluck Barbecued Meatballs

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Potluck Barbecued Meatballs is a delicious recipe to make for your next church dinner or holiday party. Tender, juicy meatballs cooked in a homemade barbecue sauce. Perfect as a main dish or as an appetizer. I’ve been making these meatballs for many years and they always goes over well.
(Post modified with new photos on 2/24/23.)
If you happen to have venison in your freezer, this recipe works well for it, as I prefer using a very lean ground meat. If you don’t have venison, you may use a lean ground beef (90/10) or ground round. I’ve even combined turkey with ground burger, but I prefer venison. It just gives the meatballs a really nice flavor.
Need More Potluck Recipe Ideas?
- Potluck Enchilada Casserole
- Ranch Loaves
- Slow-Cooked Shredded Pork Roast
- Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients for Potluck Barbecued Meatballs
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- ground venison (or a lean ground beef – 90/10)
- evaporated milk
- old fashioned oats
- large eggs
- minced onion
- kosher salt
- chili powder
- garlic powder
- freshly ground black pepper
Barbecue Sauce
- ketchup
- dark brown sugar
- minced onion
- liquid smoke
- garlic powder
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand. Mince onion for both the meatballs and the sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
Prepare the Meatballs
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon (or your hands,) mix together the ground venison (or lean ground beef), evaporated milk, old fashioned oats, large eggs, minced onion, kosher salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and freshly ground black pepper.
Shape into walnut-sized balls. Place in a greased oblong pan.
Make the Sauce
In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, minced onion, liquid smoke, and garlic powder. Cover the meatballs with the sauce. Cover the dish with tinfoil, and bake in a preheated oven for one hour.
If using this recipe for a potluck or family dinner, you may transfer the meatballs to a slow cooker to keep warm until ready to serve. This recipe will serve 8-10 people.
See more Main Dishes Here. View more Potluck Recipe Ideas Here.
Potluck Barbecued Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds ground venison or a lean ground beef (90/10)
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup minced onion
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand.
- Mince onion for both the meatballs and the sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the Meatballs
- In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon (or your hands), mix together the ground venison (or lean ground beef), evaporated milk, old fashioned oats, large eggs, minced onion, kosher salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Shape into walnut-sized balls, using a spoon or large scoop. Place in greased oblong pan.
Prepare the Sauce
- In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, minced onion, liquid smoke, and garlic powder.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated oven for one hour, until meatballs are nicely browned and sauce is bubbly.
- Serve warm. Serves 8-10.
Nutrition
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Thank you for the "Click here for printable version" link. 🙂
You're very welcome!