If there’s one appetizer I can always count on to disappear fast, it’s these Bacon Wrapped Meatballs. They’re made with just 3 ingredients and one of them is frozen meatballs! These meatballs wrapped in bacon look way fancier than the effort involved.
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Bacon Wrapped Meatballs baked in the oven are exactly what they sound like: juicy meatballs wrapped in smoky, irresistible bacon. Psst.. I also tell you how to make them in the air fryer!
They fall into my favorite categories: easy appetizers, game day snacks (hello, SEC football), holiday party food, and potluck recipes that never, ever fail.
And I think we can all agree, bacon just makes everything better! I already love a good meatball, but wrapping them in bacon takes things to a whole new level. If you’re serving these for a game day get-together, they’re amazing alongside Mini Chicken and Waffles or Mini Twice Baked Potatoes for a seriously good appetizer spread!
Shortcuts
- Frozen meatballs do all the heavy lifting, saving you from mixing, shaping, and cooking from scratch. I always use frozen meatballs here!
- Partially cooking the meatballs in the microwave cuts down on oven time and makes wrapping the bacon much easier.
- Bottled barbecue sauce keeps things quick and consistent while still delivering wonderful flavor. Just use your favorite brand!
These little time-savers are what make this recipe perfect for parties, especially when you’re juggling a dozen other things!
Ingredients
You only need 3 ingredients and 20 minutes prep to make these bacon wrapped BBQ meatballs happen:
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Frozen meatballs: Any standard frozen meatball works here. Fully cooked varieties work best.
- Thin-cut bacon: Thin bacon wraps more easily and crisps up without overcooking the meatballs.
- Barbecue sauce: Use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce. You can use one with a little sweetness for extra caramelization!
Substitutions & Variations
- Feel free to use turkey or chicken meatballs for a slightly lighter option. If you have a favorite frozen meatball brand, I would go with those!
- For a slightly sweeter glaze, you can add a dash of maple syrup to the BBQ sauce before brushing the meatballs!
- Sweet and spicy bacon wrapped meatballs. Choose a spicy barbecue sauce or a sweet and spicy dipping sauce.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Meatballs
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Thaw and partially cook the frozen meatballs in the microwave. I microwaved them in a large microwave safe bowl (1100 watts) for 3 minutes on HIGH.
- Transfer the meatballs onto a large plate, covered with a paper towel to drain. Let them cool to the touch.
- Cut bacon in half or thirds, depending on the size of you meatball.
- When the meatballs are cool enough to handle and working with a few pieces of bacon at a time, wrap one cut section of a bacon slice around one meatball. Keep the rest of the bacon in the fridge until ready to wrap a few more.
- Secure the bacon with a small wooden pick (toothpick) and place on the prepared pans. Repeat the process with the remaining meatballs and bacon.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and carefully turn each meatball over. Bake for an additional 2 minutes. This will crisp up the bacon on the other side.
- Brush the meatballs with the barbecue sauce and return to the oven for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- For a potluck or party, you can also place them in a slow cooker set to WARM and serve them that way. If you remove the picks, you could even add more BBQ sauce and serve with a spoon.
You can remove the wooden picks before serving, if you like. But, the picks keep the bacon wrapped around the meatball while baking.
Kathleen's tip: Removing them from the pan right away prevents the bacon from sitting in grease and helps keep them crisp!
How to Make Them in the Air Fryer
This bacon wrapped meatballs recipe also works great in the air fryer!
Thaw and partially cook the meatballs in the microwave as directed above. Let cool, wrap with bacon, and secure with toothpicks. Air fry in batches at 390 to 400°F for 3 minutes, carefully flip, brush with barbecue sauce, and cook for another 2 minutes or until done.
Make sure toothpicks aren’t sticking straight up in the air fryer, or the exposed ends may burn!
Pro Tips
- Both meatballs and bacon vary in size depending on the brand, so always test-wrap one piece of bacon first before cutting the rest. This saves time and frustration later.
- Keep the bacon in the fridge while working in batches. Cold bacon is easier to wrap, safer to handle, and less likely to stretch or tear.
- Turning the meatballs halfway through baking is key! This ensures even browning and helps the bacon crisp on all sides.
- Partially cooking the meatballs first is non-negotiable. If you wrap bacon around fully frozen meatballs, the bacon can burn before the center is heated through, and it tends to shrink too much as the meatballs cook.
What to Serve with Meatballs Wrapped in Bacon
These bacon wrapped meatballs are great as-is, but I definitely recommend setting out some extra barbecue sauce on the side for dipping! They’re perfect as part of a larger appetizer spread and pair especially well with some Air Fryer Spicy Sweet Potato Fries or Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings to keep the barbecue theme going!
How to Store
- To Store: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Cover tightly and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat: Reheat in the oven or air fryer until warmed through!
- To Make Ahead: You can stop after wrapping the meatballs in bacon, then place them in a container with a lid and refrigerate up to 2 days before baking them right before serving them.
FAQs
No, you don’t need to precook the bacon. Using thin-cut bacon and partially cooking the meatballs first allows the bacon to crisp up perfectly in the oven without overcooking or burning.
Yes, this keeps the bacon secure while cooking! Otherwise it might just fall right off the meatball. You can remove them before serving or swap for decorative picks.
Definitely. Just plan to cook in batches and use multiple sheet pans!
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Bacon Wrapped Meatballs Recipe
SAVE THIS RECIPE
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (20 to 22 ounce package) frozen meatballs
- 14 slices thin bacon, uncooked (about 12 ounces)
- ¾ cup barbecue Sauce
- Small toothpicks wooden picks without decoration that can withstand oven temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper or aluminum foil. (If you only have one pan, just add the second batch to the pan, with a clean piece parchment or aluminum foil, after removing the cooked BBQ meatballs.)
- Thaw and partially cook the frozen meatballs in the microwave. I microwaved them in a large microwave safe bowl (1100 watts) for 3 minutes on HIGH.Tip: This step reduces the size of the meatball, so the bacon more easily wraps around it. Plus, partially cooking them not only reduces the baking time, but release some of the drippings (grease) in the first step.
- Transfer the meatballs onto a large plate, covered with a paper towel to drain. Let them cool to the touch.
- Meanwhile, cut the bacon slices into halves or thirds, cutting crosswise and place back in the fridge. I cut mine in thirds. The toothpick helps hold the bacon on to the meatball. Remember, the meatball will shrink slightly after microwaving.
- When the meatballs are cool enough to handle and working with a few pieces of bacon at a time, wrap one cut section of a bacon slice around one meatball. Keep the rest of the bacon in the fridge until ready to wrap a few more.
- Secure the bacon with a small wooden pick (toothpick) and place on the prepared pans. Repeat the process with the remaining meatballs and bacon.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and carefully turn each meatball over. Bake for an additional 2 minutes. This will crisp up the bacon on the other side.
- Brush the meatballs with the barbecue sauce and return to the oven for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- Immediately remove the meatballs from the pans and place on a serving platter or bowl. You can either leave the toothpicks in so guests can grab the meatball by the pick or remove the picks and serve with decorative appetizer picks or tongs.
- For a potluck or party, you can also place them in a slow cooker set to WARM and serve them that way. If you remove the picks, you could even add more BBQ sauce and serve with a spoon.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
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