Some old school meatball recipes don’t do anything for us. Grape jelly, no thank you. But apple butter? Ok, that got out attention. This ain’t grandmas crock pot meatballs – this season, you’re bringing apple butter BBQ meatballs, and the people who swore they we’re skeptics keep coming back with a fresh toothpick.
Even better, you can make the whole batch in one skillet in under an hour. And every browned bit the meatballs leave behind gets scraped right into the glaze. This one’s so good somebody’s going to ask for the recipe before the tray is half empty. You’ll be texting it to them – sticky fingers and all.
🔪 Ingredients for Apple Butter BBQ Meatballs
For the meatballs
- Ground beef and ground pork: equal parts. The pork keeps the beef from setting up firm. Find more ways to use both in our ground beef and ground pork recipes.
- Panko breadcrumbs: they soak in the egg and sauces for a few minutes before the meat goes in, which is a milk-free take on a panade. Here’s why a panade keeps meatballs juicy.
- Egg
- BBQ sauce: a little goes into the meat to season it from the inside and wet the crumbs.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Sweet onion: grated on the small holes of a box grater so it disappears into the mix.
- Garlic: minced.
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Avocado oil: a high smoke point for browning at medium high heat.
For the apple butter BBQ glaze
- Apple butter: store-bought is what this recipe is built on. Thickness and sweetness vary by brand, so the glaze may need a splash of water.
- BBQ sauce: the glaze is only two ingredients, so the sauce you pick sets the flavor. A tangier sauce balances the sweetness of the apple butter.
Equipment
- Large skillet with a lid: the meatballs brown, glaze and finish in the same pan, and the lid does the cooking through.
- Large mixing bowl: room to mix the meat gently with your hands.
- Box grater: for grating the onion fine.
- Instant read thermometer: the only real way to know the centers hit temperature.
- Tongs: for turning the meatballs without tearing the crust.
📝 How to Make Apple Butter BBQ Meatballs
- Soak the panko. Add the egg, breadcrumbs, BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce to a large bowl. Stir until the breadcrumbs are moistened, then let the mixture sit 3 to 5 minutes, until the panko has absorbed the liquid and softened.
- Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly combined.
- Add the ground beef and ground pork. Mix gently with clean hands just until the breadcrumb mixture is evenly distributed, then stop. Overmixing makes dense meatballs.
- Form the mixture into about 24 meatballs, roughly 1 ½ inches each. Keep them close to the same size so they cook evenly.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the meatballs in one layer without crowding the pan. Brown 7 to 9 minutes, turning as needed, until several sides have a brown crust. Work in batches if needed, then transfer the meatballs to a plate. They don’t need to be cooked through yet.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the apple butter and BBQ sauce to the skillet and stir until smooth, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan and into the glaze.
- Bring the glaze to a gentle simmer and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Return the meatballs and any juices on the plate to the skillet. Turn the meatballs until they’re coated in glaze.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 7 to 9 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway through, until the centers reach 155°F. Start checking toward the end of the covered time.
- Uncover and cook 1 to 2 minutes, gently turning the meatballs in the glaze. The temperature keeps climbing here. Confirm the centers read 160°F, the USDA safe minimum for ground beef and pork, before serving.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let the meatballs rest in the glaze for a few minutes.
🔄 Substitutions
- All pork or all beef for the blend: both work. All beef eats a little firmer, all pork a little softer.
- Regular breadcrumbs for panko: same soak, same 3 to 5 minutes.
- A smoky, spicy or honey BBQ sauce for your usual: any style works. With only two ingredients in the glaze, the sauce you pick is the flavor you get, so use the brand you’d put on the table anyway.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Stop mixing sooner than feels right. Once the beef and pork are in, mix only until the breadcrumb mixture is evenly distributed. Every extra turn tightens the meat and you lose the tender texture.
- Give them room to brown. A crowded skillet traps steam and the meatballs gray instead of crusting. If they aren’t browning, take some out and work in two batches.
- Pull the lid at 155°F. Taking them off the covered heat there keeps them from drying out, because the uncovered minute or two in the glaze carries the centers the rest of the way to 160°F.
- Adjust the glaze to the jar you bought. If it’s too thick, drop the heat and stir in a small splash of water. If it’s too thin, let it simmer uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes after the meatballs reach temperature. If it reads too sweet, reach for a tangier BBQ sauce next time instead of adding anything else.
🍽️ What to Serve with Apple Butter BBQ Meatballs
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes: spoon the meatballs and every drop of extra glaze over the top and let it run down into the potatoes.
- Stick of Butter Rice: the buttery rice soaks up the glaze the mash can’t hold.
- Lemon Garlic Broccolini: the lemon cuts right through the sweetness of the apple butter.
- Turkey Apple Chili: for a fall game day spread, put the meatballs out on toothpicks first and keep the chili on the stove for later.
Want meatballs in gravy instead? Our Salisbury Steak Meatballs simmer in mushroom gravy, and our French Onion Meatballs go under melted cheese. These are the sweet, sticky, tangy ones, and they belong on the appetizer table as much as at dinner.
If apple butter and BBQ together is your new fall thing, put it on our Apple Butter BBQ Wings next, or make a jar of our homemade Apple Butter BBQ Sauce for the fridge.
🧊 Leftovers and Storage
- Fridge: cool the meatballs and glaze, then store them together in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: warm them gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat. Add a little water if the glaze has thickened in the fridge.
- Keep the heat low: high heat scorches the sugars in the apple butter and BBQ sauce before the meatballs are hot through.
Apple Butter BBQ Meatballs
Recommended Equipment
- Large skillet with lid
- Large mixing bowl
- Plate
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup grated sweet onion
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
For the Apple Butter BBQ Glaze
- 1 cup apple butter
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
Soak the Panko
- Add the egg, breadcrumbs, BBQ sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to a large bowl. Stir until the breadcrumbs are moistened, then let the mixture sit for 3 to 5 minutes so the panko can absorb the liquid and soften.
Season
- Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly combined.
Add the Meat
- Add the ground beef and ground pork. Gently mix with clean hands just until evenly distributed.
Shape
- Form the mixture into about 24 meatballs, roughly 1 1/2 inches each. Keep them similar in size so they cook evenly.
Brown
- Heat the avocado oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add the meatballs in one layer without crowding the skillet. Brown for 7 to 9 minutes, turning as needed, until several sides have developed a brown crust. Work in batches if necessary. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate. They don’t need to be fully cooked through at this point.
Make the Glaze
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the apple butter and BBQ sauce to the skillet. Stir until smooth while scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan into the glaze. Bring the glaze to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Coat
- Return the meatballs and any juices to the skillet. Turn the meatballs to coat them in the glaze.
Cook Through
- Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway through, until the centers reach 155°F.
Finish and Rest
- Uncover the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, gently turning the meatballs in the glaze, until the centers read 160°F. Remove from the heat and let the meatballs rest in the glaze for a few minutes.
Notes
– Start checking the internal temperature toward the end of the covered cooking time and remove the lid once they reach 155°F so they don’t become dry. The temp will continue to rise during the uncovered cook to 160°F.
– If the meatballs are not browning, give them enough room in the skillet. Crowding traps steam and prevents a crust.
– Glaze too thick: reduce heat and stir in a small splash of water. Glaze too thin: simmer briefly uncovered after the meatballs reach temperature, 1 to 2 minutes.
– Sweetness depends on the apple butter and BBQ sauce you use. A tangier, less sweet BBQ sauce balances the glaze.
– All pork or all beef works. Regular breadcrumbs can replace panko.
– Store cooled meatballs and glaze together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium low heat with a splash of water. Avoid high heat, which scorches the sugars.
Save this Recipe
Would You Like to Send This Recipe to Yourself?
Nutrition
Bookmark this recipe now!
Quick Summary
Apple butter BBQ meatballs are a beef and pork blend browned in one skillet, then finished covered in a two-ingredient glaze of apple butter and BBQ sauce. The moment that matters is temperature: cover them until the centers hit 155°F, then let the uncovered finish in the glaze carry them to 160°F so they stay juicy. Pick a tangy BBQ sauce, because the apple butter already brings the sweet.
❓ FAQs
The USDA safe minimum for ground beef and ground pork is 160°F. This recipe covers the meatballs until the centers reach 155°F, then finishes them uncovered in the glaze, where they climb the rest of the way. Check the center of the largest meatball with an instant read thermometer before serving.
That short rest gives the panko time to absorb the liquid before the meat is added. The crumbs hold that moisture inside the meatballs and give you a softer texture without using any milk.
The BBQ sauce in the meat seasons the meatballs from the inside. It also adds moisture to the breadcrumb mixture.
A sauce with some tang works especially well, because the apple butter already brings the sweetness. A very sweet BBQ sauce makes a sweeter finished glaze, and since the glaze is only two ingredients, the sauce has a big effect on the final flavor.
Yes. Store the cooled meatballs and glaze together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, then reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium low heat with a splash of water. Avoid high heat, which scorches the sugars before the meatballs heat through.
Save this Recipe
Enter your email address to send this right to your inbox.
