Sweet and Spicy Meatballs
Sweet and spicy meatballs are so easy to make and great for parties, game days, and holidays. They start with easy homemade meatballs and finish with a super simple 2-ingredient sweet and spicy sauce.
Gather ’round, friends, because today we have some sweet and spicy meatballs simmered in a two ingredients sauce! They’re savory little meatballs that take about 30 minutes from start to finish, they’re easy prep with no chopping, and you can make the sauce and meatballs ahead.
And, let’s face it. Cocktail meatballs are a staple this time of year – can you even call it the holidays without a bowl of saucy meatballs with toothpicks on the side for serving? Perhaps, but the season won’t be as delicious.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: I like 85% lean ground beef for the meatballs, but feel free to substitute ground turkey, pork, or chicken. Or skip the homemade ones, and use frozen meatballs.
- Pepper jelly: There are usually a few different kinds of pepper jelly at the store – some are spicier than others, so choose your favorite heat level. Not into pepper jelly? Try using apricot, strawberry, or even grape jelly with a spicier BBQ sauce.
- BBQ sauce: I like a tangy, sweet sauce but you can use your favorite kind.
- Dried breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Large egg
- Olive oil
How to Make Them
☑️ Mix
Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Scoop one tablespoon of the meat mixture to form each meatball.
☑️ Brown
Place the meatballs in a hot pan with oil and brown them all over until they are cooked through. Take them out of the pan while you make the sauce.
☑️ Make the Sauce
Combine the sauce ingredients in the same pan. Stir and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat them evenly.
☑️ Serve
You can serve them straight from the pan or pile them in a bowl with some toothpicks on the side.
More Easy Party Snacks
Sweet and Spicy Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound ground beef 85% lean
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (see note)
- 1/2 cup pepper jelly (see note)
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Make the Meatballs (see note)
- In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder and egg. Add the ground beef and mix the beef with the breadcrumb mixture until combined.
- Scoop one tablespoon of the meatball mixture and roll it between your hands to form a ball and set it on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Place about half of the meatballs in the pan, spacing them several inches apart. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Don’t worry if they’re not all the way cooked through because they will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Transfer the browned meatballs to a clean plate. Place the other half of the meatballs in the pan and repeat the browning process. Transfer them to the plate with the other meatballs.
Make the Sauce
- Once you’ve browned all of the meatballs, pour the water into the pan and, as it simmers, scrape up all of the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Pour the BBQ sauce into the pan, stir, and bring it to a simmer. Add the pepper jelly and whisk it into the BBQ sauce until smooth.
- Add the meatballs back to the pan and stir them around to coat them in the sauce. Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for five to ten minutes or until they are cooked through and hot.
- Garnish the meatballs with chopped parsley (if using) and serve. Serve the extra sauce on the side for dipping. Makes approximately 27 meatballs.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
More Meatball Recipes
Everyone will love the sweet and spicy flavors in these meatballs – the holidays aren’t complete without at least one batch. Enjoy!
Happy cooking,
This post was updated from the archives. It was first published in October 2018.
Yum!
These were a huge hit – Thanks!