It’s time to change up your cocktail meatballs. These meatballs are homemade and have a tasty apricot barbecue sauce that just can’t be beat.
This is the BEST Cocktail Meatballs Recipe!
Many cocktail meatball recipes start with frozen meatballs. That may be easy, but if you’re looking for the best, you’ll want to start with homemade meatballs. And guess what? They aren’t difficult to make!
These meatballs start with your choice of ground burger. Use ground beef, turkey, venison, or elk. Our freezers are stocked with wild game so I often go for the ground venison or elk.
Serve as an appetizer or as a main dish served over rice or noodles.
What are cocktail meatballs made of?
- Burger - Use your favorite type of ground beef, or use wild game meat. We use ground elk burger or ground venison.
- Dried Breadcrumbs - You want to use unseasoned finely ground breadcrumbs.
- Milk - Use whole milk or 2% milk. The milk helps soften the breadcrumbs and adds moisture to the meatballs.
- Seasoning - Freshly minced garlic, onion powder, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper flavor the meatballs.
- Barbecue Sauce - This is the basis for the sauce. Use your favorite homemade BBQ sauce or any store-bought sauce.
- Apricot Jam - Adds sweetness and fruitiness to the sauce. I like to use my homemade apricot jam.
- Red Pepper Flakes - Adds a bit of zest to the sauce. Feel free to adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your liking.
How to make Cocktail Meatballs
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Mix the ground meat with dried bread crumbs and milk
- Add all seasonings and combine
- Scoop into small balls and place on a greased baking sheet
- Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 10-12 minutes
- Make the sauce by combining bbq sauce, apricot jam and red pepper flakes
- Add the meatballs and coat well with sauce
- Serve on a serving dish with a cocktail toothpick
How to make Cocktail Meatballs in Crockpot
- Bake meatballs as directed
- Make the sauce in the crockpot and add cooked meatballs
- Heat over high heat for 1-2 hours or over low heat for 2-4 hours
- Serve in the crockpot
Best Cocktail Meatballs Tips
- To save time, use a scoop to shape the meatballs! When making these meatballs I used the smallest scoop I had, because I wanted small meatballs.
- My meatballs were about 1 tablespoon of meat. If yours are larger, increase baking time.
- Test to see if meatballs are cooked through by removing one meatball and slicing in half.
- Glazed meatballs can be kept warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve
What to serve with cocktail meatballs?
These meatballs are perfect served as an appetizer along with other tasty appetizers. Some delicious options include Garlic Parmesan Wings, an Onion Tart, Veggie Pinwheels, and Mini Pigs in a Blanket.
Cocktail Meatballs Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make these ahead of time. To make ahead of time you mix and shape the meatballs, cover and refrigerate. You could also bake, cool cover and freeze. You can add the sauce when you are ready to serve.
I find it best to freeze the meatballs prior to adding the sauce. Bake meatballs and allow meatballs to cool. Place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
The burger, and breadcrumbs are soaked with milk for about 5 minutes. This allows the breadcrumbs to soften and adds moisture to the meatballs. The milk also helps prevent the protein in the burger from becoming tough.
More delicious appetizers
- Coconut Shrimp
- Boursin Cheese
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Asian Style Meatballs
- Honey BBQ Wings
- White Bean Dip
- Olive Tapenade
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my delicious appetizer recipes!
Best Cocktail Meatballs Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 ½ pounds ground burger (ground beef, venison or elk)
- 2 cups dried breadcrumbs
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup apricot jam
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Meatballs
- Place meat, bread crumbs and milk into a large bowl. Combine together using your hands or a large spoon. Allow mixture to rest for 5 minutes.1 ½ pounds ground burger, 2 cups dried breadcrumbs, ½ cup milk
- Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Let mixture rest for an additional 5 minutes and mix again.2 cloves garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Use a small scoop to create meatballs. Place meatballs on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
- Allow meatballs to cool. Remove from pan. Use right away, cover and refrigerate or place in freezer safe containers and freeze.
Sauce
- Add barbecue sauce, apricot jam and red pepper flakes to a saucepan. Heat over medium low heat, stirring often.1 cup barbecue sauce, 1 cup apricot jam, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Simmer sauce until warm. Add a portion of the meatballs at a time. Heat until meatballs are heated through.
- Remove meatballs from sauce letting excess sauce fall off. Add a cocktail toothpick and place on serving tray.
- Repeat with remaining meatballs.
- Serve warm and garnish with chopped chives or parsley.
Notes
- Bake meatballs as directed
- Make the sauce in the crockpot and add cooked meatballs
- Heat over high heat for 1-2 hours or over low heat for 2-4 hours
- Serve in the crockpot
- To save time, use a scoop to shape the meatballs! When making these meatballs I used the smallest scoop I had, because I wanted small meatballs.
- My meatballs were about 1 tablespoon of meat. If yours are larger, increase baking time.
- Test to see if meatballs are cooked through by removing one meatball and slicing in half.
- Glazed meatballs can be kept warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Sabrina says
Made this yesterday using apricot marmelade (couldn't find jam) and Sweet Baby Ray's. I've never used ground moose before, and was worried that the meatballs would be on the dry side, but they came out great. I'll definitely make them again!
Kathy says
Thanks so much! Wild game can certainly be dry, but I'm glad these worked out perfectly for you!
Kathy 🙂
Peggy Lewis says
I used apricot, peach, mango preserves and Sweet Baby Rays in the sauce. Perfect. I never make a single recipe. If I did, I wouldn’t have any to serve if I’m putting them on an event menu!
Kathy says
Sounds like a good combination! I'm guessing you're making a lot of meatballs! 🙂
marvina Rose johnson says
I love following a cook who tries cooking from scratch. YES!!! I will be making recipes I find on your blog. Thank You
Kathy says
Wonderful! Happy Cooking! 🙂
Fred G says
Great party idea.
Stef says
I don't have any elk around, but I'm definitely going to try this ground meat. I love the idea of the apricot sauce. This sounds so perfect for parties!
Kathy says
You can use ground beef instead of the ground elk! Enjoy! 🙂
allie says
I'd love to try these cocktail meatballs with elk meat, Kathy! But alas, no elk meat in the freezer. I do however, have some ground moose. Go figure. Speaking of parties, I can't believe we are in that holiday season already. Here. We. Go! Thanks for a great holiday recipe!
Kathy says
You can definitely make these with ground moose meat! These meatballs are very versatile - you can use your favorite type of ground meat!
Dawn says
This is definitely a recipe to keep on hand for the holidays! Love sweet and savoury combos so that apricot addition is just perfect! I bet these would disappear in a flash 🙂
Kathy says
They do! They are also great because you can do most of the work ahead of time!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
My husband would eat each and every one and not feel one bit bad about not sharing! They look delicious Kathy!
Kathy says
Luckily this makes a huge batch of meatballs! 🙂
annie@ciaochowbambina says
I'm a huge fan of meatballs so you know I'm all over this one! So much flavor in one little bite! Love it, Kathy!! Pinned!
Kathy says
Thanks, Annie!!!
David @ Spiced says
You know, I remembered that your husband and sons are hunters, but I totally forgot that they hunted elk. I'm not sure I've ever tasted elk...I'm intrigued! Either way, this is a great recipe for the upcoming holiday season. I feel like I'm always hunting for an easy recipe idea to take to a party...and I'm going to have to keep this one in mind! The apricot-BBQ sauce sounds like a fun one!
Kathy says
My daughter hunts too! 🙂 They hunt for just about everything around here, elk is just our favorite. It is less gamey than some of the other meat. These meatballs can always be made with ground beef too! 🙂