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Home / Recipes
1 hour 20 minutes
4.67 from 24 votes
19 Comments

Stout Meatballs with BBQ Sauce

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  • 497
by: Joanna Cismaru
10.03.20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These Stout Meatballs with BBQ Sauce are everything you’ve ever dreamed of and more! They’re juicy, a bit spicy, not to mention they’re baked and then drowned in a homemade stout BBQ sauce that is to die for.

a bowl full of meatballs over mashed potatoes covered in sauce

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you because this literally is one of my all time favorite meatball recipes ever! The stout for this dish is in both the meatballs and in the BBQ sauce, so you will definitely taste it. The BBQ sauce is very simple to make but the end result is incredible. The stout is what makes the sauce look super glossy and loads it with flavor.

Don’t be afraid that it will taste boozy because it won’t. The alcohol evaporates during the cooking process, leaving you with a rich and tasty sauce. Adding the stout to the meatballs themselves tenderizes the meat a bit and makes them juicier, plus adds a lot of flavor.

What Is Stout?

Stout is a dark beer, a super dark beer. You get tons of flavor from cooking with stouts as they’re chock full of coffee, caramel, and chocolate notes. So they’re a perfect addition to dark and rich sauces like the one we’re creating today! My favorite stout is the classic, Guinness, but feel free to use whichever you prefer!

a braiser filled with meatballs and tons of bbq sauce

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Meatballs

  • Meat – We’re using both ground beef and pork today for juicy meatballs with lots of depth of flavor. You can use only beef or only pork. Ground lamb can also be used.
  • Breadcrumbs – I used panko but you can substitute it for any breadcrumbs you have on hand.
  • Egg – The binder in our meatballs. If you’re egg free you can use 1/4 cup of ricotta per egg.
  • Beer – I used stout today, trust me you want to look for something dark, no lagers allowed.
  • Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
  • Spices – Cumin and cayenne pepper.
  • Aromatics – Fresh garlic and onion.

BBQ sauce

  • Olive oil – We want a nice neutral tasting oil to be the liquid base of our homemade sauce.
  • Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
  • Sauces – Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sriracha to add depth, heat and lots of flavor.
  • Sugar – You’ll need brown sugar to add rich molasses notes to our dish.
  • Smoked paprika – This spice will add sweetness and a great smoky note to our dish, be sure to look for something high quality.
  • Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Parsley – Chopped up fresh and sprinkled liberally on top.
a bowl of meatballs over mashed potatoes with tons of sauce

How To Make Stout Meatballs

  1. Preheat your oven: To 400 F degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. Combine the meatballs: In a large bowl add all the meatball ingredients and mix well using your clean hands. Shape the meat mixture into balls around the size of a golf ball. You should get around 40 meatballs.
  3. Bake the meatballs: Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. Start the sauce: Start making the sauce while the meatballs are baking. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until aromatic.
  5. Finish the sauce: Add all of the remaining sauce ingredients, except for the parsley, and whisk well. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about half.
  6. Finish the dish: Add the meatballs to the sauce and toss them around making sure they are fully covered in sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over mashed potatoes.

What Can I Serve With Stout Meatballs

You want something that soaks up all that rich, hearty sauce. You will love the final outcome, no matter how you slice it!

  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Creamy Polenta
  • Fluffy white rice
  • Spaghetti, to twirl around in your beautiful rich sauce!
a spoon scooping 3 meatballs out of a braiser filled with sauce and meatballs

Baked Or Fried?

If you’d like to fry these meatballs, more power to you! Believe me these bad boys taste just as good baked or fried. Just follow these steps below after forming your meatballs to fry them up.

  1. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium to high heat. Add meatballs and cook.
  2. If you’re using a large skillet all meatballs should fit in one batch otherwise, you might have to fry them in a couple batches.
  3. Cook the meatballs on all sides, add more oil if needed. Remove meatballs from skillet and set aside.

Other Ways To Cook

Slow cooker

Follow the instructions for forming the meatballs but place in your slow cooker instead. Make the sauce before hand and cover the meatballs with the sauce and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.

Pressure cooker

Add your sauce to the pot first, followed by the meatballs. Cook on the manual setting on high for 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally before removing the lid, this step takes about 10 minutes.

Can I Use Other Kinds Of Meat In My Meatballs?

You definitely can, that’s the great thing about meatballs – they’re a blank canvas! Today I blended ground pork and beef but you can use any kind of ground meat you would like. Chicken, turkey, veal, or even sausage removed from its casing are all perfectly delicious substitutes.

closeup of a bowl of meatballs over mashed potatoes covered in sauce

Some Tips

  1. If you find your meatballs are a bit dry, try cubing up some bread nice and small and soaking in a bit of milk before incorporating into the meatballs. This is a traditionally Italian way of ensuring moisture.
  2. Don’t crowd your pan when frying these up, this is to ensure that meatballs brown properly.
  3. Before making your meatballs, you can place the meatball mixture in the fridge for 1 hour to up to a day. This will help the meatballs hold their shape while cooking especially if frying.
  4. If you’re still having trouble with your meatballs, try referencing this page to trouble shoot what exactly is going wrong.

Leftovers

These meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. This recipe also freezes quite well so just be sure to separate the balls from the sauce in airtight containers and store. Each should last around 3 months frozen just allow to thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove top when ready to eat!

More Must Try Meatballs:

  • Salisbury Steak Meatballs
  • Moroccan Meatballs
  • Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce
  • Porcupine Meatballs
  • Thai Meatball Lettuce Wraps
  • Cheesy Chicken Meatball Rolls
  • Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
  • Turkey Meatballs
  • Easy Meatballs

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side view shot of a bowl of mashed potatoes topped with stout meatballs with beer and bbq sauce

Stout Meatballs with BBQ Sauce

4.67 from 24 votes
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 20 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 8
Print Pin Rate
These Stout Meatballs with BBQ Sauce are everything you've ever dreamed of and more! They're juicy, a bit spicy, not to mention they're baked and then drowned in a homemade stout BBQ sauce that is to die for.

Equipment

  • 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet
  • Aluminum Baking Sheet (2 pack)

Ingredients

For Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
  • 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup stout beer (I used Guinness)

For BBQ Sauce

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
  • 2 cups stout beer
  • 4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 6 ounce tomato paste (1 can)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  • In a large bowl add all the meatball ingredients and mix well using your clean hands. Shape the meat mixture into balls around the size of a golf ball. You should get around 40 meatballs. 
  • Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Start making the sauce while the meatballs are baking. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until aromatic. 
  • Add all of the remaining sauce ingredients, except for the parsley, and whisk well. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about half.
  • Add the meatballs to the sauce and toss them around making sure they are fully covered in sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over mashed potatoes.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. Before making your meatballs, you can place the meatball mixture in the fridge for 1 hour to up to a day. This will help the meatballs hold their shape while cooking. Since I baked these, I wasn’t afraid of them losing shape, but if you choose to fry them instead, you might want to refrigerate the meat first for about an hour.
  2. Meatballs with sauce/gravy tend to freeze really well, use an airtight container or ziploc bag. When ready to serve, thaw them out slowly and reheat in a saucepan, or in a microwave.
  3. Nutritional information assumes about 5 meatballs and sauce per serving with sauce, no mashed potatoes.
  4. These meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. This recipe also freezes quite well so just be sure to separate the balls from the sauce in airtight containers and store. Each should last around 3 months frozen just allow to thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove top when ready to eat!
  5. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 5meatballsCalories: 451kcal (23%)Carbohydrates: 33g (11%)Protein: 25g (50%)Fat: 23g (35%)Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)Cholesterol: 119mg (40%)Sodium: 1132mg (49%)Potassium: 757mg (22%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 23g (26%)Vitamin A: 970IU (19%)Vitamin C: 10mg (12%)Calcium: 74mg (7%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Course:Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine:American
Keyword:bbq sauce, meatballs, stout meatballs
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 497

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. TGlow says

    October 8, 2021 at 11:29 am

    4 stars
    Meatballs were great! Sauce was too smoky for us. Will definitely make again but drop to 2tsp of the smoked paprika. Served with mashed potato’s and green beans but this would also make an awesome appetizer!

    Reply
  2. Franca says

    July 1, 2020 at 8:13 am

    Jo,
    I love your website and your recipes, in particular because it is a CANADIAN site!
    I was so disappointed when I opened up your email this morning to find 4th of July recipes (on Canada Day!).

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      July 2, 2020 at 10:01 am

      We are so proud to be Canadian! A big number of our readers are from the USA, so we posted a nice and big 4th of July round-up 🙂 The emails will send out our most recent post. You can absolutely use that post for Canada Day inspiration! I definitely did.

      Reply
  3. Mary says

    June 2, 2020 at 9:45 am

    5 stars
    This is one of our regular recipes, I’ve made it so many times, and it’s really spot on. Typically I do all beef for the meatballs since that’s what we always have, and it works great. We usually bake them as written, but I’ve also done a crockpot variation for parties that works super well– I bump up the temp to 425, and cook until just browned on the outside, then pop them in the slow cooker smothered in the sauce on Low for an hour or two and they’re good to go, or put the crock in the fridge and reheat at party. And don’t get me started on this sauce. DYNAMITE! I use it for everything, meatballs, ribs, brisket, pulled pork, it’s my go-to BBQ sauce, seriously such a great recipe and everyone we’ve made it for raves over it. <3

    Reply
  4. Tammy says

    September 13, 2019 at 11:11 pm

    5 stars
    Heaven help me! This was delicious! I made this recipe for the first time this week, and we loved it. This will absolutely be going on the regular rotation. Even on a weeknight, it’s a quick meal that will stick to your ribs.

    Reply
  5. Drooling Foodies says

    April 12, 2018 at 3:15 pm

    5 stars
    Hey! Lovely Recipe. How about we add a bit of peri peri sauce to this?

    Reply
  6. Raksha Kamat says

    June 28, 2017 at 4:02 am

    5 stars
    nice pictures. looks good

    Reply
  7. Raksha Kamat says

    June 28, 2017 at 3:57 am

    5 stars
    Looks delicious. Loved the clicks.

    Reply
  8. Priya Shiva says

    May 4, 2017 at 1:12 am

    Dish looks yummy and excellent presentation!

    Reply
  9. Sherre says

    May 3, 2017 at 9:28 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Very flavorful sauce for the meatballs. This recipe is one I will make more often. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  10. Slaveya says

    April 25, 2017 at 8:39 am

    5 stars
    These meatballs look absolutely delicious! I’d love to give this recipe a try!

    Reply
  11. Sara @ Last Night's Feast says

    April 24, 2017 at 5:36 pm

    These look amazing!

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      April 24, 2017 at 7:17 pm

      Thank you! Hope you give them a try!

      Reply
  12. Nagi says

    April 24, 2017 at 2:52 pm

    5 stars
    I’m not a beer drinker but I’ll still be your best bud if you make these for me!!! ? HAIL to the Meatball Queen! ?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      April 24, 2017 at 4:31 pm

      LOL You are quickly becoming one too, my friend!

      Reply
  13. Deborah says

    April 24, 2017 at 1:25 pm

    Funny your post shows meatballs today, I was just asking mt brother if he knew / had any good recipes for meatballs as I want to make some and keep in the freezer.
    What recipe would you suggest as an all around versatile meatball. I want one that I can use for a meatball sandwich with a tomato sauce?
    Thanks,

    Reply
    • Fenne Kieken says

      April 24, 2017 at 1:37 pm

      Oh that’s a tough one..so many meatball recipes to choose from but the godfather meatball sub one should work for you.
      http://www.jocooks.com/sandwiches/godfather-meatball-sub/

      Reply
  14. Cindy says

    April 24, 2017 at 8:57 am

    Can these be made in the crockpot? They sound delicious.

    Reply
    • Fenne Kieken says

      April 24, 2017 at 11:21 am

      Yes you could make these in a crock pot and they are soooo good

      Reply

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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