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smoked sweet onion BBQ meatballs
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Smoked Sweet Onion BBQ Meatballs

Smoked beef meatballs in sweet onion BBQ sauce served with fresh pico de gallo, and chipotle aioli over rice.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dinner, meal prep, meatballs, smoked, sweet onion bbq sauce, weeknight dinner
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
  • 1/4 cup chives chopped
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 medium tomatoes diced
  • 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 lime juiced

additional

  • rice to serve
  • chipotle aioli
  • pico de gallo

Sweet onion BBQ sauce

  • 1/2 small yellow onion minced
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cup tomato passata
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat smoker to 350 degrees according to instructions. Allow to sit at the temperature for a few minutes before adding the meatballs to the grill.
  • To make the meatballs: in a large shallow bowl, combine ground beef, cilantro, chives, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic paste, mustard, and salt and pepper to season.
  • Shape into 2 oz meatballs and place directly on the grill. Cook for 35 minutes.
  • BBQ sauce: In a medium sized bowl, combine the dijon, sugar, vinegar, onion powder, garlic, paprika, celery seed, sesame oil, cornstarch and water. whisk until smooth. Heat a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and add the mixture. Stir in the minced onion and cook until slightly thickened about 6 minutes. Once the mixture has thickened a bit, stir in the tomato sauce, paste, ketchup, molasses, and Worcestershire. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 10 minutes and let cool. For a smoother sauce blend until smooth.
  • Once the meatballs have cooked, transfer to a deep baking dish with the BBQ sauce and return to the smoker to cook for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked through.
  • To serve: spoon meatballs overtop rice with some of the BBQ sauce, top with pico de gallo and finish with chipotle aioli.

Notes

Pico de gallo: combine diced tomato with minced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime juice and season with salt.