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    Home » Recent Posts » Appetizers & Snacks

    Easy 15 Minute Stove Top BBQ Meatballs

    Published: May 31, 2022 · Updated: Jan 31, 2023 by Katy McAvoy

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    Easy, Stove Top BBQ Meatballs

    Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I make a small commission.


    Let's skip the slow cooker and have these delicious sweet and savory stove top BBQ Meatballs ready in 15 minutes with no grape jelly! This is a great recipe for last minute dinners or an easy appetizer. 

    BBQ Meatballs
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Stove Top BBQ Meatballs
    • Recipe Tips
    • How to Make Homemade Frozen Meatballs
    • Side Dishes for Barbecue Meatballs
    • FAQs and Substitutions
    • Drink Pairings
    • More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love
    • Print The Recipe
    • Easy, Stove Top BBQ Meatballs

    Looking for a different (and delicious) recipe for tasty meatballs instead of the same one you have at every party? This is a great recipe to use for appetizer meatballs. It draws on the same sweet-savory concept but instead uses natural sugars and your favorite bbq sauce. It’s also easy to scale up for a large batch or use as written for a weeknight main dish.  

    Crockpot BBQ meatballs are a popular party appetizer and Super Bowl snack, but I don’t always like having my slow cooker out when I’m entertaining. A stove top BBQ meatballs recipe is much quicker and just as easy as using my slow cooker, but without the 2-3 hours of waiting.

    Many popular meatball recipes are made with a mixture of chili sauce and grape jelly. But I don’t keep sweet chili sauce in the house and I hate making a last minute run to the grocery store. Which means if I’m trying to pull together a BBQ meatball dinner or quick appetizer for last minute guests, I need to use ingredients that are always at hand. Like store-bought BBQ sauce, oranges, and maple syrup. I love this easy recipe for creating a quick dinner that's a family favorite.

    Frozen meatballs are one of my favorite things to keep stocked because they can go from freezer to stove and let me have dinner on the table super fast. There's no need to defrost or thaw frozen meatballs, making these BBQ Meatballs ideal for the nights when I forgot to plan ahead for dinner.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for BBQ Meatballs
    • Barbecue sauce
    • Real maple syrup
    • An orange
    • Frozen meatballs

    How To Make Stove Top BBQ Meatballs

    Place the BBQ sauce and maple syrup in a large pot. Juice the orange and add the fresh orange juice to the pot. Whisk everything together until combined.

    Juicing an orange over a pot of bbq sauce and maple syrup.

    Add 12-18 frozen meatballs to the pot and gently stir to coat with the BBQ mixture.

    A pot full of meatballs and sauce.

    Place the pot over medium-low heat, cover, and allow the meatballs to thaw as the sauce heats up. About 10-15 minutes. 

    A pot full of cooked meatballs and sauce

    Note: If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove the lid after the meatballs have mostly thawed and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate. 

    Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite side dishes or party snacks.

    BBQ Meatballs in a bowl, garnished with parsley.

    Recipe Tips

    • Turn these easy bbq meatballs into the perfect appetizer by making a double or triple batch of this recipe. Serve warm or at room temperature.
    • Leftover meatballs are delicious as a sandwich in a hoagie bun with some cheddar cheese and fresh lettuce.

    How to Make Homemade Frozen Meatballs

    My large batch meatballs recipe is perfect for making ahead and freezing so you’ll always have meatballs on hand for dinner or guests. This recipe for homemade meatballs is my go-to and what I use in these bbq meatballs. It combines ground beef with ground pork or ground turkey for super moist baked meatballs that freeze easily.

    Placing frozen meatballs into a zip top bag.

    Side Dishes for Barbecue Meatballs

    There are lots of good options to go along with barbecue meatballs and turn them into a delicious dinner. Mashed potatoes, cheesy polenta, or noodles are all delicious sides for BBQ meatballs. I often make these meatballs when I’m in a hurry, or forgot to thaw something out for dinner, so a quick frozen side like french fries along with the frozen veggie helps me get dinner on the table fast. When I have time, I make one (or both) of the recipes below:

    Parmesan Potato Rounds
    Parmesan Potato Rounds
    Chili and Garlic Roasted Carrots
    Chili and Garlic Roasted Carrots

    FAQs and Substitutions

    How do you cook frozen meatballs on the stove top?

    To cook frozen meatballs on the stove top, please 1 to 2 cups of your favorite sauce in a medium pot. Add your desired number of frozen meatballs, pasta meatballs in the sauce to cook them, and put a lid on the pot. Heat your sauce and meatball combination over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until The sauce is hot, the meatballs are thawed and pierce easily with a fork.

    How do you know when meatballs are done on the stove?

    Typically, frozen store-bought meatballs are fully cooked so then the only concern is that they are heated through. Which means you can use a fork to test it they're done. If the fork pierces the meatball easily, the meatballs are warmed through. If your meatballs are starting out raw, or you are concerned about the internal temperature, use an instant read the meat thermometer and make sure it reads 165° when inserted into the center of a meatball. 

    What is the best way to cook frozen meatballs?

    To help ensure that I always serve a juicy meatball, I reheat them in a pot of sauce on the stove top over medium low heat, with a lid on top. This helps the meatballs reheat evenly. I like this better than cooking them in the Crock Pot since I can watch them more carefully and make sure they don't get dried out and I end up with juicy meatballs.

    Can you cook frozen meatballs without defrosting?

    Yes! One of the best things about frozen meatballs is they are pre-cooked and can go from freezer to the stove without any defrosting time necessary. Simply add them to a pot of your favorite sauce and allow them to thaw as the sauce comes to temperature.

    Do you cook the meatballs before adding sauce?

    While you can cook meatballs in the sauce, I like to cook the meatballs in the oven first so that they get a good crust on them with minimal effort on my part. Then I place the cooked meatballs into a pot to warm up with sauce and served for dinner or snacking. 

    Drink Pairings

    Paloma Mocktail
    Paloma Grapefruit Mocktail
    White Wine Sangria
    White Wine Sangria

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    Print The Recipe

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    Easy, Stove Top BBQ Meatballs

    BBQ Meatballs in a bowl, garnished with parsley.
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Let's skip the slow cooker and have these delicious sweet and savory stove top BBQ Meatballs ready in 15 minutes with no grape jelly! This is a great recipe for last minute dinners or easy entertaining.

    • Author: Katy McAvoy
    • Prep Time: 5 min
    • Cook Time: 10 min
    • Total Time: 15 min
    • Yield: 18 meatballs 1x
    • Category: Appetizers
    • Method: Stove Top
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • ½ cup barbecue sauce
    • ¼ cup real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
    • 1 large orange
    • 12-18 frozen meatballs

    Instructions

    Place the BBQ sauce and maple syrup in a large pot. Juice the orange and add the fresh orange juice to the pot. Whisk everything together until combined.

    Add 12-18 frozen meatballs to the pot and gently stir to coat with the BBQ mixture.

    Place the pot over medium-low heat, cover, and allow the meatballs to thaw as the sauce heats up. About 10-15 minutes.

    Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Equipment

    Image of Medium Saucepan

    Medium Saucepan

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    Chef's Knife

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    Citrus Reamer

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    Notes

    If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove the lid after the meatballs have mostly thawed and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.

    Keywords: barbecue meatballs, bbq appetizer, meatball dinner, frozen meatballs, cooking frozen meatballs

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me @katymcavoy on Instagram! I can’t wait to see what you made!

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    I love when you share my recipes!

    About Katy McAvoy

    Katy is the author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, and Michigander behind MittenGirl.com. Since 2017, she's been crafting easy-to-make cocktails and delicious meals, along with sharing her love of all things Michigan (a.k.a. The Mitten)!

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    Katy McAvoy

    Hi! I’m Katy (she/her). I’m an author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, Michigander, and lover of all things food and drink. I never turn down a good happy hour and believe that a couple hours of meal prep pays off for days. Follow me on Instagram to check out what I’m working on next!

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