These Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs are bursting with flavor! From game nights to summer cookouts to weeknights, they are the tastiest addition to any occasion. Mix them up from scratch and savor the sweet and smoky deliciousness.

blue plate of mashed potatoes topped with three meatballs drizzled with bbq sauce

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What’s To Love About This Recipe

These meatballs are a true crowd-pleaser! With the sweetness of the sauce, kids will devour them (Okay, the grown-ups do, too!).
The complex flavors make these anything but ordinary meatballs. This recipe includes a unique combination of blueberry preserves, goat cheese, and BBQ seasoning that will practically melt in your mouth.
I love a good recipe that checks all the boxes for flavor and quality and can be completely homemade from scratch. With these BBQ meatballs, you can control the ingredients to leave out any additives or preservatives and choose a BBQ sauce that includes what you love!
It’s easy to adjust the taste by choosing different BBQ sauces or adding extra portions of cheese, onion, garlic, or seasonings.

Ingredients Needed

Panko bread crumbs – Panko bread crumbs are a simple way to help the meatballs stick together. With a bit of added milk, the bread crumbs help the meatballs keep their shape and prevent dryness.
Milk – Use your preferred milk to soak the panko bread crumbs.
Lean ground pork and lean ground beef – Use a combination of the two types of meat for a juicy flavor. Using lean meat will also prevent the meatballs from being too greasy.
Egg – An egg will help bind the ingredients together into the meatball form.
Crumbled goat cheese – This is a fun addition and provides a creamy tanginess to the meatball.
Diced shallots – Shallots are slightly sweet and are very tender when cooked. They add an extra element of flavor and texture to the meatballs.
BBQ seasoning – Choose a BBQ seasoning blend to add plenty of flavor to the meat.
BBQ sauce – This is the best way to customize the recipe – choose a bottled sauce or make your own at home. You can choose a sauce with more or less sugar, flavored with honey, mild or spicy, or extra smoky!
Blueberry preserves – Jarred blueberry preserves bring an extra layer of sweetness and a smooth and syrupy texture to the sauce.
Olive oil – Use olive oil as an option if you choose to brown the meatballs in a skillet (instead of the oven).

bowl of ground beef and ground pork, oil, breadcrumbs, jam, bbq sauce, seasoning, goat cheese, onion, egg and milk

How To Make BBQ Meatballs In The Slow Cooker

Add milk to the panko bread crumbs in a small bowl and let them soak for 5 minutes or until softened.

glass bowl with breadcrumbs mixed with milk

Add the panko mixture to the ground pork and beef, along with the egg, cheese, shallots, and BBQ seasoning.

ground beef, ground pork, egg, seasoning, onions, breadcrumbs and cheese in glass bowl ready to mix

Mix using your hands until well combined, but be careful not to overwork the mixture.
Using your hands or an ice cream scoop, measure out 12 servings and roll gently into balls (a little larger than golf balls).

ground beef and pork mixture in glass bowl

meatballs dished into skillet ready to cook

For the next step, you have two options for browning the meatballs:

Option 1: Place the meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet and place them in the oven. Turn on the broiler and broil for 5-8 minutes, watching closely until the meatballs are browned on top.
Option 2: Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs on each side for 2-3 minutes.

After browning, transfer the meatballs to the slow cooker.

browned and ready to cook meatballs in white slow cooker

Whisk together BBQ sauce and blueberry preserves.
Pour half of the mixture over the meatballs.

bbq sauce mixture with whisk in glass bowl

meatballs ready to cook topped with bbq mixture sauce in white slow cooker

Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours until the meatballs are fully cooked through.
Remove from the slow cooker and toss with the remaining sauce (discard any cooking liquid from the slow cooker).

bbq meatballs and sauce in white slow cooker next to blue plate and gold forks

Pro Tips

You can also skip the browning step and just cook the meatballs in the slow cooker.
Be sure to be gentle when mixing the meat since overmixing can lead to toughness.

Meatballs should reach a minimum of 165 ℉ to be fully cooked.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Try out a couple of options to customize the meatballs just how you like them!

Gluten-free meatballs – Swap the regular panko for gluten-free panko breadcrumbs. Reduce the measurements to 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup milk. Gluten-free bread crumbs may also need an extra 5 minutes or so to soak in the milk.
Dairy-free meatballs – Swap out regular milk for unflavored, unsweetened dairy-free milk such as almond or cashew milk.
You can use all beef or swap out the beef for ground turkey. Leaner meats work better for making meatballs in the slow cooker.
Another variation for this recipe is to choose premade frozen meatballs. You could use my recipe for Make-Ahead Italian Meatballs for the freezer or a store-bought option. Some of my favorite premade meatballs are:
- Rosina Gluten-Free Italian Style Meatballs
- Cooked Perfect HomeStyle Meatballs – These are usually found at Walmart stores.
- Amylu Meatballs – This brand includes many flavors of chicken meatballs. They aren’t sold frozen, but I buy the large packs from Costco and freeze them for later meals.
Feel free to add extra goat cheese, diced onion, minced garlic, or other additions as desired for extra flavor.

How To Serve BBQ Meatballs

BBQ meatballs are a fantastic dish for slow cooker appetizers or as a main meal.

For a tasty party spread, serve the meatballs with a veggie tray and hearty dips like Slow Cooker Spinach Bacon Dip or Slow Cooker Jalapeno Corn Dip.

You’ll have no problem with picky eaters if you offer BBQ meatballs for dinner! Serve the meatballs with Mashed Potatoes or Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes. Add a veggie on the side and enjoy a sweet and savory meal.

white slow cooker filled with bbq meatballs garnished with green onion slivers

Storing and Reheating

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container. If the meatballs have not been previously frozen, freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. Defrost and reheat in the microwave in short intervals.