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Smoked Stuffed BBQ Meatballs in a cast iron pan
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4.46 from 11 votes

Smoked Stuffed BBQ Meatballs Recipe

Smoked meatballs stuffed with mozzarella cheese, slowly smoked on the grill, and then finished with a BBQ sauce glaze. These are the ultimate game day food or appetizer for your next gathering. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, gluten free, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bbq meatballs, party meatballs, smoked meatballs, stuffed meatballs
Servings: 12 -15 meatballs
Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge
Cost: $16

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
  • ⅓ lb ground pork
  • ¼ cup pork panko (if gluten-free), otherwise regular panko breadcrumbs are fine
  • 1 tablespoon dry rub (we used the one in the notes below)
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ⅓ red onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 4 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut into roughly 1" pieces (adjust to the size of your meatballs)
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions

  • Preparation: Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F. We used apple wood chunks with lump charcoal on our Big Green Egg.
  • Make Meatballs: While the smoker is warming, prepare the meatballs by combining all ingredients (less the BBQ sauce and mozzarella cheese) and combine with your hands. Be gentle just mix enough so it's all together.
  • Roll: Prepare meatballs by rolling a little over a tablespoon in size and then using your thumb, press a small indent and place cheese in the fold. Then work the meatball again around the cheese so you have the meat surrounding the cheese. That's why we go with larger meatballs.
  • Smoke: Place meatballs in the smoker until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees (about 45 minutes) when checking the internal temperature of the meat. Then place the meatballs in a heat proof dish (or cast iron skillet) with the BBQ sauce and return to your smoker and close lid.
  • Serve: When the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees (or about 15 more minutes) they are done. Serve warm!!!

Notes

*The Dry Rub we use for these meatballs. 

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 409mg | Potassium: 233mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 91IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg