If you’re looking for easy, delicious smoked meatballs you’re in the right place. I’m all about exerting minimum effort for maximum results. Let them have a little spa time in your smoker, and you’ll have the most flavorful meatballs of your life for any kind of party or as part of a tasty dinner.

You Need to Make These Smoked Meatballs

I feel like briskets and pork shoulders get all the attention in pellet smoker recipes. Pellet smokers magically turn any kind of meat (and things that aren’t meat!) into an eyes-rolling-back-into-the-head experience. And ground beef is no exception.

Meatballs are universally loved — if done well. This particular recipe uses two kinds of meat (if you prefer) and just a handful of ingredients letting the smoky, beefy flavor shine.

These are easy to make gluten free, too! Just use gluten free breadcrumbs or make some from that stale loaf of GF bread. (See recipe notes for instructions for this!)

Smoked Meatball Recipe Ingredients

• Ground beef – I use grass-fed 80/20 or 85/15 fat content for this.
• Ground pork – I like using two kinds of meat to add extra flavor. And if my beef is particularly lean, using some ground pork adds a little fat & flavor. This is optional, though. Feel free to use all beef for this recipe.
• Salt & Pepper
• Granulated Garlic
• Steak seasoning – I use my Homemade Steak Seasoning, but you can use any steak seasoning you like or your preferred all-purpose BBQ seasoning.
• Egg
• Breadcrumbs – Use either seasoned or unseasoned. And use gluten free if you like!
• Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or coconut aminos
• Finely grated Parmesan cheese – also optional, but adds a yummy flavor!
• BBQ Sauce – Use any kind! Trader Joe’s Kansas City BBQ Sauce is my favorite store-bought because it doesn’t contain HFCS. You could also use a homemade BBQ sauce! I linked to a few below.

How to Make Smoked BBQ Meatballs

1. Preheat your pellet smoker to 225F with a high smoke setting.
2. In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients (except the BBQ sauce). Use your hands to gently blend everything together.
3. Form them into 1 1/2 in balls using a spoon or a medium cookie scoop. Roll them tightly and put them on a sheet pan.

How to Smoke Meatballs

1. Transfer the meatballs to the pellet grill, putting them directly on the grill grates.
2. Smoke for 30-40 minutes or until they reach 145F inside.
3. Transfer the meatballs to a baking dish or a foil pan. Pour BBQ sauce over them.
4. Put the pan back into the smoker for another 20 minutes.

Smoked Meatballs Recipe Variations

There are a lot of ways you can change up this recipe! It’s intended to be a jumping off point. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Change up the meat: Feel free to use ground turkey or chicken, but be aware of them being too dry if the fat content of the meat is super low. You could add in some ground sausage or grated zucchini to counteract this.
• Make them spicy: throw in some crushed red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeño to add some heat.
• Change the cheese: Use grated sharp cheddar or another strong flavored cheese in place of the Parmesan. Or use nutritional yeast in place of cheese if you’re avoiding dairy but still want that “cheesy” flavor.
• Make your own BBQ sauce! If you’re wanting to control the sugar content better or use naturally sweetened BBQ sauce, I have a few recipes on my site. Any of these would work well here: Balsamic BBQ Sauce, Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce, or Honey Lime Ginger BBQ Sauce.

Smoked Meatball Recipe Tips

Don’t squeeze your meat. When you’re mixing the raw meat and seasonings don’t squeeze it hard in your fists. You may end up with mealy, mushy meatballs this way. Use your fingers and gently mix it instead.

Use a meat thermometer. Most pellet grills come with meat thermometers, but you can use an instant read thermometer stuck into a meatball to check the temp. You don’t want dry, overcooked meatballs.

What to Serve with Smoked Meatballs

These smoked meatballs can be served alone as hearty appetizer or as part of a full meal! Here are some tasty sides that would be delicious with these:

Roasted vegetables: Crispy Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Delicata Squash, Roasted Cabbage Steaks

Cozy Carbs: Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (No Drain), Herbed Rice

One day I wrapped a stray meatball in a slice of sourdough sandwich bread and decided they’d be a fabulous meatball sub with some smoky cheese. *drool*

Storing Smoked BBQ Meatballs

Store any leftover meatballs and sauce in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

More Delicious Pellet Smoker Recipes on Perry’s Plate

If you love these meatballs, try another one of my smoker recipes!

Bacon Hamburger

Smoked Cream Cheese

Smoked Chicken Wings

Smoking Salmon

Smoked Chicken

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If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

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