Baked Meatballs with Red Wine BBQ Sauce
It's easy to make delicious beef baked meatballs in the oven with this simple recipe. Serve them with a red wine BBQ sauce to create a flavorful appetizer, perfect for holiday parties, but scrumptious anytime of the year!
Video
Ingredients
Meatballs
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup shallots, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds ground beef, I recommend 80/20
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Red Wine BBQ Sauce
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup shallots, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 cup pinot noir, or another dry, light-bodied red wine
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup beef broth
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat the oven broiler to high.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat.
- Add the shallots and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, salt, smoked paprika, black pepper and cooked shallots and garlic.
- Form the meatballs into 1 ½ inch balls (should make approximately 40 meatballs).
- Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and into the oven on the middle rack.
- Broil for 5-7 minutes.
BBQ Sauce
- While the meatballs are in the oven, place the skillet that you cooked the shallots and garlic in, back on the stove over medium high heat.
- Add the olive oil.
- Add the ⅓ cup shallots for the bbq sauce and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the 3 minced garlic cloves and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add the smoked paprika, black pepper, salt and dry mustard, stirring all of the ingredients together.
- Pour the pinot noir into the skillet and turn the heat up to high.
- Bring the wine to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, brown sugar and beef broth. Whisk the ingredients together, then bring the sauce to a simmer again, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve.
Notes
- Shallots can be replaced by finely diced onions, if you prefer.
- Traditional breadcrumbs can be used in place of the panko breadcrumbs, if that's what you have on hand. Just make sure they're unseasoned.
- The red wine bbq sauce can be prepared after the meatballs are formed, but before they go into the oven. Or the sauce can be prepared first, followed by the meatballs. This way, the meatballs and sauce will be hot and ready at the same time.
- The meatballs can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and store them in the refrigerator until ready to bake. You can also make the bbq sauce in advance and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I recommend reheating the bbq sauce on the stove in a saucepan before serving over the meatballs.
- To keep the meatballs warm at a party, follow the recipe as instructed, then place the meatballs in a slow cooker when they come out of the oven. Cover them in the bbq sauce, then keep them in the slow cooker on warm for up to 4 hours.
- The meatballs can be baked in a 375°F oven for 15-18 minutes, instead of broiled.
- Meatballs should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Leftover meatballs will stay good for up to 5 days, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- These meatballs can be made and served on their own, without the BBQ sauce, or with another sauce like Marinara or Thai Peanut Sauce. If serving them with marinara sauce, I recommend swapping out the smoked paprika and dry mustard, for 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning.
- Fully-cooked meatballs can be frozen for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe bag or container. See post above for how to cook the frozen meatballs in the oven, on the stove, in the slow cooker or in an air fryer.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 93kcal (5%)Carbohydrates 5g (2%)Protein 5g (10%)Fat 5g (8%)Saturated Fat 2g (10%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 1gCholesterol 24mg (8%)Sodium 229mg (10%)Potassium 140mg (4%)Fiber 1g (4%)Sugar 2g (2%)Vitamin A 152mg (3%)Vitamin C 1mg (1%)Calcium 17mg (2%)Iron 1mg (6%)
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