Easy Smoked Meatballs

Name: Easy Smoked Meatballs Recipe (Using frozen meatballs)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 lbs Frozen meatballs (beef or pork meatballs work); 1 tbsp Oil; 1 tspn GirlCarnivore Over Easy Spice Blend; 14 oz marinara sauce (use your favorite sauce. We use Roa’s for our limited ingredient diet.)

These delicious smoked meatballs are packed with smoky flavor, seasoned with fresh herbs, and complemented by your favorite marinara sauce. Not only do they work beautifully as a main course, but they’re also the perfect addition to any meatball sandwich or to a spread at your next party. Juicy meatballs, Italian seasoning, and tomato sauce–it seems simple enough, but it’s one of our personal favorite easy smoker recipes and is sure to become a household staple.

Cooked meatballs rolled in red sauce with burrata in the center sprinkled with herbs.

When it comes to savory simple recipes (much like our sausage balls appetizer), smoking meatballs couldn’t be easier. You can start with homemade beef, pork, and lamb meatballs or use pre-made frozen meatballs in this simple four-ingredient recipe. You simply pop everything into a cast iron skillet and onto a pellet grill to cook.

The cooked meatballs pick up just enough smoky flavor in their quick cook time to have that signature barbecue flavor without being overpowering. It’s a perfect appetizer or main course. Heck, these meatballs are also great over pasta or in hoagies too!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is one of the easiest, most delicious Traeger appetizer recipes out there. These smoked meatballs Traeger style, in savory red sauce, are incredibly versatile and a hit with any crowd. The pepper and herbs spice blend and marinara sauce provide a classic, nostalgic Italian taste. Go big and try smoking our classic homemade polpette recipe too for even more flavor!

Smoked Meatballs Ingredients

Frozen meatballs – ground beef, ground pork, or any homemade meatballs work great.
Oil – use your favorite neutral cooking oil. We use avocado oil for this recipe.
GirlCarnivore Over Easy Spice Blend – or your favorite Italian spice blend. We love Over Easy as it has a pop of perfectly balanced pepper and herbs.
1 jar marinara sauce – use your favorite sauce. We use Roa’s for our limited-ingredient diet.

How to Make Smoked Meatballs

To start these meatballs, simply prep your smoker to 375 F. If you’re starting with premade, as seen in the pictures, you only need to heat through and pick up a little smoke, so this will be a quick cook. If you’re making your own meatball mixture, make sure they are about 1 inch round. Bigger meatballs will take a longer cook time.
Then, prep the meatballs by placing them in an oiled cast iron skillet in a single layer with a little space between each one. Sprinkle the seasoning over top and pour on the marinara.

Frozen meatballs placed in a pan. — Add the meatballs to the pan.

Frozen meatballs in a skillet covered in red sauce and spices. — Add the meatballs to the pan.

Next, place the skillet on the grill grates of the preheated smoker, close the lid and let them smoke.
Because we used previously frozen meatballs, they just need to heat all the way through, so cook them for about 45 minutes, flipping once as needed to make sure they brown evenly. If you’re making homemade pork, beef, or turkey meatballs, make sure the ground meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F with an instant-read digital thermometer.
Finally, carefully remove the skillet from the grill and allow it to cool for a few minutes before spooning the meatballs into a serving bowl or serving right from the warm skillet.
If you’re feeling fancy, finish these off with a sprinkle of minced parsley, salt, and pepper.

Pro tip! Want to make it a little extra classy? Add these Marinated Mozzarella Balls over top when ready to serve.

Cast iron skillet filled with meatballs coated in marinara sauce on grill grates. — Smoked the meatballs.

Meatballs in a cast iron skillet bubbling on a smoker. — Smoked the meatballs.

EXPERT RECIPE TIPS

If using a pellet smoker, consider adding a smoker box filled with wood chips or a wood chunk to the grill grates to infuse more smoke flavor. We love hickory wood for this smoker recipe.
We served this smoked meatball recipe with burrata cheese nestled into the center for a fun appetizer. You could do this with feta or even brie.
You can serve with a serving spoon or individual toothpicks.

What to Serve with Smoked Meatballs?

One of the best parts about this smoked meatballs recipe is their versatility. They’re delicious on their own, or can be added to spaghetti noodles for a classic easy meal or zoodles if you’re keeping it keto. They’re perfect for meatball subs, or paired with a side like mashed potatoes or mac and cheese. These tender meatballs work as a protein for almost any dish that incorporates Italian flavors.

Leftovers & reheating

Store these smoked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Reheat these Traeger smoked meatballs in a cast iron pan, in the oven, or in the microwave when you’re ready to enjoy them. Just make sure they are heated through by rotating them as needed.

Hand slicing into cheese on a platter of Traeger smoked meatballs.

FAQs

HOW LONG TO SMOKE MEATBALLS?

Typically, when using a Traeger pellet grill, you should smoke meatballs anywhere from 30-45 minutes. This recipe calls for 45 minutes–because we’re going straight from frozen. This just helps them heat all the way through for the best results.
Because these are small, they don’t need to pick up too much smoke flavor to prevent them from tasting acrid and bitter.

CAN YOU SMOKE FROZEN MEATBALLS?

Yes! This recipe calls for frozen meatballs. They work just as well as fresh meatballs and keep your time in the kitchen quick and easy.

Overheat shot of meatballs in red sauce in white bowl with burrata in the center sprinkled with herbs.

MORE DELICIOUS MEATBALL RECIPES

Beef Recipes

Easy Meatball Stroganoff

Recipes With Pork

Easy Pork Meatballs

Dinner Recipes

Cumin Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Chimichurri Drizzle

Dinner Recipes

Maple Meatballs Breakfast Mac and Cheese

We hope you enjoyed this smoked meatball recipe! This is one of our favorite ways to cook meatballs. If you enjoyed it too, rate the recipe and let us know in the comments! How did you serve your meatballs? What marinara sauce did you use?