Oh, hello little morsels of sweet, tangy deliciousness.
The simplicity of this recipe will surprise you when you taste the end result! The extent of your prep work is throwing some onions and garlic into a couple pounds of ground meat, rolling them into balls, and popping them in a crock pot. It’s just about as easy as it gets!
If you want to be cool and fancy, unlike myself, and use homemade BBQ sauce, DO IT! I will be sitting over here, admiring you and wanting to join your family for dinner. Instead of being super legit, I took the easy way out and used pre-made BBQ sauce.
There is a brand of BBQ sauce called Sweet Baby Ray’s that I think is absolutely delicious, so I used that.
Let me walk you through the grueling process of these very complex meatballs:
- Place ground meat in bowl
- Grate onions and mince garlic
- Add the onions, garlic, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to your meat
- Roll into balls
- Pour BBQ sauce in bottom of crock-pot
- Add meatballs
- Brush more BBQ sauce on top
- Go and spend your day doing fun things, like playing with your dog, watching a Christmas movie, making Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate, but definitely not slaving away in the kitchen making a high maintenance BBQ meatball recipe ?.
I may or may not have had these meatballs for breakfast a few mornings last week. And my may or may not I mean I definitely did. And it was the best breakfast ever…
I think we should change the stereotypical breakfast from bacon and eggs to Crock-Pot BBQ Meatballs and eggs. Agreed? Agreed.
I hope you are all having the best Christmas Eve ever! I hope you are hanging out with your family, baking Christmas cookies, cuddling in front of the fire with a blanket, sitting around your Christmas tree, and making crazy easy and delicious recipes like these meatballs ??.
I’ve been in Alabama visiting my brother, sister-in-law, and there adorable daughter for the last several days. This visit has consisted of many different things, one of which has been me reading a particular book to my niece approximately 345 times. The book is titled “Toot.” I’ll give you three guesses to what the book is about.
Needless to say, it’s been an entertaining week!
Merry Christmas ?❄️⛄️?!!
PrintCrock-Pot BBQ Meatballs

- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 onion, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups BBQ sauce (we used Sweet Baby Ray’s)
- Basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the meat, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs
- Form into meatballs about the size of a ping-pong or golf ball
- Spread a cup of BBQ sauce across the bottom of a crock pot
- Add in your meatballs
- If you are piling your meatballs on top of each other, brush BBQ sauce over the meatballs before you start the second “layer”
- When all the meatballs are in the crock-pot, brush the remaining BBQ sauce all over the top
- Cook on low for 4 hours
- Top with sliced basil for optional garnish
If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!
Although they tasted great.. they were too soft when they were finished.. definitely can’t pick them up with a toothpick as an appetizer!
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I’m not sure why they turned out soft for you, Vas! Mine were firm just like a meatball you would bake in the oven. Maybe it’s a difference in Crock Pots? I can’t pinpoint why that would happen. I’m glad they tasted great, but I’m sorry they were too soft for you!
These meatballs look amazing. So going to have to make them.
Kristen @ The Endless Meal recently posted…Healthy Pumpkin Alfredo with Wilted Garlic Kale
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Thanks, Kristen! You will love them :).
These look and sound amazing! I am sure the combination of the pork and beef give them a nice flavor and textur
Thanks, Claira!
Happy new year, Annie! I hope the holidays treated you well!! These easy crockpot meatballs look delish, doll! I am all for taking the easy route from time to time and sweet baby rays bbq sauce is my go to as well!! I say gimme all the meatballs for breakfast, just throw an egg on top and call it a day! Cheers, my dear! Xo
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary recently posted…Top 15 Recipes of 2015
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Thanks, Cheyanne! Happy New Year :).
Happy New Year – I hope you had a nice break :)
We are using our slow cooker a lot at the moment, as it’s just so easy to throw everything in.
It really is so easy! Happy New Year, Dannii :).