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 12/18/23.)
These meatballs are a tried and true recipe that people always love. The meatballs are lean and flavorful and the sauce is sweet and tangy. Use long toothpicks for serving as appetizers, or in a pan as a main dish.
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
- dried 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. Use a medium to large scooper dish for uniform size, and shape them into balls with your hands.
Make the Sauce
In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, dried minced onion, liquid smoke, and garlic powder.
Cover the meatballs with the barbecue sauce.
Place a sheet of tinfoil over the dish, and bake in a preheated oven for one hour, or until meatballs are cooked and sauce is bubbly.
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 10-12 people.
See more Main Dishes Here. Browse more Potluck Recipe Ideas Here. View Meatball Recipes Here.
Potluck Barbecued Meatballs
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
Barbecue Sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried 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 the meatballs. 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 medium to large scoop. Place in greased oblong pan.
Prepare the Sauce
- In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, dried 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 10-12.
Thank you for the "Click here for printable version" link. 🙂
You're very welcome!