I had never actually measured any of the ingredients for these Secret Ingredient Meatballs until I decided that I would include the recipe on the site. That’s probably a pretty common thing with meatballs and things of this nature. Or with grandmas. Have you ever asked your grandma for a recipe? “A little bit of this, a pinch of that.” But in order to save really fantastic recipes for more than your lifetime, you gotta eventually measure. So that’s what I did. Because these meatballs are worth keeping around for a long, long time.

These Secret Ingredient Meatballs are so delicious. I’ve been asked to make them as gifts for Christmas. Isn’t that funny? Not that gifts as food are funny because I think that food actually makes a fantastic gift. But funny because someone has enjoyed something that you’ve cooked so much that they request it as their gift. I’m more than willing to comply. These meatballs freeze so well. They really are the perfect gift. Be it for a holiday or just to let someone know that you care. I mean, they’re also great for dinner too! Haha!

The Secret Ingredient.

So what’s the secret ingredient? I’m sure that’s probably half of why you came here. Well, it’s BBQ sauce. That’s right, BBQ sauce. It might not be all that shocking, I know. But think about all of the spices and flavor that are in a good BBQ sauce. It gives the meatballs a deep and smokey flavor. I don’t ever put in so much to totally change the meatballs to a ”BBQ” meatball. You don’t want a BBQ sauce that is flavored too much with something or so smoky that it distracts from the meatball itself. These meatballs are still served in a marinara sauce. So let’s make some meatballs!

Let me show you how I made these Secret Ingredient Meatballs 👇🏻

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Building the Meatballs.

To a large bowl, add 2 LBS ground beef. You could use any ground beef that you like. I have made it with all kinds, 80-20, 90-10, even a mix of pork.

And to the beef, add 2 large eggs, 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, I cup bbq sauce, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, and 1 tsp onion powder . Use a silicone spatula… let’s be real… use your hands to mix this all up. 

Now roll your meatballs. You can make them as big or as small as you like. These meatballs get pan-seared though, so I wouldn’t make them too small (because it could take a while). I make them medium-large in size, about 2.5 oz. This recipe made generally makes about 20-24 medium-large meatballs for me, depending on how heavy-handed I get.

Gently pile the rolled meatballs on a large plate or baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil, and spray non-stick spray.

Pan-Searing the Meatballs.

Now, you’re going to pan-sear the meatballs. You could skip this step, but I’d highly recommend that you don’t skip it.

Grab a large skillet and add heat olive oil over medium-high heat. I would use a few tablespoons of olive oil and add more as needed. Sear the meatballs . Cook the meatballs in batches, be sure not to overcrowd the skillet so they can get a nice sear.

You want to get a good crust on the meatballs. That will give the meatballs such a nice texture after they have sat in the marinara for a while. 

Place the seared meatballs on your prepared baking sheet and finish searing the rest of the meatballs, adding more olive oil as needed.

Baking the Meatballs.

Now you’re going to bake the meatballs to ensure that they’re cooked all of the way through. You could actually skip this step, if you have enough time (and willpower) to let the meatballs finish cooking through in the marinara. Me, I bake them for about 15 minutes at 350, just in case I get the urge to sample a few as they’re cooking in the sauce.

Adding the Meatballs to the Slow Cooker.

While the meatballs are cooking, pour half of your marinara into a slow cooker and turn it on low. After the meatballs are done cooking, gently place them into the slow cooker and top them with the remaining marinara. Let them cook in the marinara for 1-2 hours on low. Cooking them in the sauce will soften the crust and give the marinara some incredible flavor.

Top the meatballs with some fresh chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan. Serve with pasta, if desired.

Enjoy!!

These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe! These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.

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Have you tried this recipe? Thinking about it? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave me your thoughts below in the comment section.