These luscious little bourbon meatballs are going to be the hit of your next cocktail party ~ people will flock to the meatballs, but they’ll hang around for the sauce!!
bourbon meatballs ~ appetizers or dinner?
I have to confess, although these bourbon meatballs are clearly meant to be appetizers, in our family we just as often make a meal out of them. Last night we had them with mashed potatoes and peas ~ so good! The meatballs themselves are moist and tender because I use a combination of ground beef and ground pork. The pork gives the meatballs great flavor, but also keeps them from being dense. I lighten them up even more with my favorite secret ingredient, Ritz cracker crumbs!
The bourbon sauce is worth the price of admission
It’s thick and glossy, with a hefty dose of bourbon. It’s also got that classic cocktail meatball combo of sweet and tangy, thanks to apricot jam and barbecue sauce. Oh, and there’s a hint of heat from sriracha. Just typing out those ingredients has got my mouth watering.
which bourbon is best for spiked meatballs?
Since Grant drinks Manhattans we always have bourbon and rye whiskey around, and you can use either for the sauce in this recipe. But even if you don’t drink on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to keep certain spirits in your pantry. Makers Mark is the brand we use, but any bourbon you like will work in this recipe.
I’ve probably made a gazillion meatballs in my career
I’ve spiked them, super-sized them, and even made them with zucchini. I’ve drawn inspiration from all over the globe, too, with my Swedish Cocktail Meatballs, my Greek Meatballs in Lemon Sauce, and my Moroccan Cardamom and Lemon Meatballs. But it seems to me there’s something uniquely American about these mini cocktail meatballs slathered in a thick bourbon sauce, I’m going to claim these bourbon meatballs for the homeland.
tips for making bourbon meatballs
- Consider using your stand mixer to mix meatballs and meatloaf. It saves dirtying your hands, and the machine does an efficient but gentle job blending the ingredients.
- This recipe makes approximately 60 meatballs, so enough for a crowd. But they also freeze well, so you can use half the batch and freeze the rest if you’re not in party mode.
- The meatballs can be frozen either cooked, or uncooked. Freeze them on a tray in a single layer until solid, and then transfer to a thick freezer bag or container.
- If you don’t normally stock a full bar, I like to collect mini airline sized bottles of various spirits so they’re on hand when the need arises. Who knows when a stew might need a shot of cognac, or a frosting could use a touch of Kahlua?
Featured comment:
These have got to be the best meatballs I have ever tasted. It is an awesome recipe. Made these for a Kentucky Derby party and they didn’t last to see the race!!! I made mine and then placed them in a crockpot on low, to keep them warm for the party. Absolutely a 5 star recipe. Used the extra meat for the bourbon glazed meatloaf!!!!! Will use this throughout the year. ~Lynn
craving more classic appetizers?
- How to Make a Relish Tray
- Hot Crab Dip
- Crispy Crab Balls
- Boursin Stuffed Mushrooms
- Easy Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe
Bourbon Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- ½ cup (1 sleeve,) finely crushed Ritz Cracker crumbs (you can use plain bread crumbs)
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ teaspoon salt
- lots of fresh cracked pepper
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, for browning the meatballs
Bourbon Sauce
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp hot chili sauce, use mild chili sauce if you can’t take the heat
- ½ cup bourbon
- ½ cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
- 1 Tbsp molasses
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Put the meatball ingredients, except the olive oil, in a large mixing bowl, breaking up the meat as you put it in. Mix together, using the tips of your fingers to gently combine everything without compacting the meat. I like to do this in my stand mixer.
- Form into small 1″ balls, I use a small scoop to make them nice and uniform.
- Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs, working in batches. Transfer the meatballs to a baking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes, until cooked through. (Check with a thermometer, it should read 160 degrees)
- To make the sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in a skillet and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes until thick.
- Place cooked meatballs into the sauce, and let heat through until ready to serve. Serve on a plate with toothpicks, a drizzle of sauce, and lots of napkins. Serve a bowl of sauce on the side for extra dipping.
Notes
- If you need to reheat these meatballs, do it gently. I put the meatballs in their sauce, cover with foil, and heat in a 350F oven until bubbling. If you do it on the stove, do it over medium heat, and just bring them to a simmer.
Nutrition
As a bourbon drinker myself, I am excited to try this recipe. They look awesome!
I love the idea of using a bourbon sauce on these. The meatballs are, indeed, a great starter. Your pictures are getting better and better. Have a wonderful weekend. Blessings…Mary
Thanks Mary!
That’s a nice amount of bourbon and with the pork in the mix I bet these are divine. Think I’ll make them large!
I did get a lovely whiff of bourbon as I was setting these out to eat. I couldn’t think of a way to serve these as regular meatballs, but I’m sure there’s a way. Let me know if you try them!
I love these and the bourbon must make them taste fantastic. I’ll save this for our cocktail hour get-together at the pool at the condo this winter. Thanks!
It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere. Can’t wait until next Friday.
Sam
Ok, I’ll be envisioning you poolside when I devise my future Friday recipes!
oh, my, heaven, not only did you leave me craving meatballs once again, but you managed to include all those fantastic flavors! I’ll start collecting the mini bottles with you, Sue. I LOVE having them around for holiday baking!
Between us we could corner the meatball market!! I’m so nuts about my mini liquor bottle collection that I hate it when anyone wants to use one up…I want to have as many varieties as possible…I think I have a problem…
what an excellent excellent recipe, so perfect and quite fruity tasting I imagine? and you know it’s always ‘gin-o’clock’ somewhere….
The taste is fruity, sweet, hot and smokey. I forgot to mention that lots of different jams would work, including marmalade, peach, blackberry, etc.
Bet they are good:)
They are—hope you give them a try!
Just showed them to hubs, he swooned and asked if we could meet you next time we’re in LA!
It’s a date.
I need to do this with tofu! Bourbon, brown sugar, apricot, chili….this is like my savory mecca, right there! Love it!!
Hmmmmm, not so sure about the tofu, but I’ll reserve judgement. If anyone can pull that off, you can!
I die! I’m drinking bourbon right now, it’s 7pm here, I have to make these!
Oh I made your brownies two hours ago – complete disaster, my fault I guestimated the butter and chocolate and they are so oily and wet, still the hubs will eat them, but I like my brownies dry, chewy and cakey.
Too bad about the brownies— at least you saved yourself some calories! I thought of you when I was making these meatballs 🙂