Get ready for some serious flavor! Smoked Meatballs are going to rock your world! These meatballs are so delicious and versatile and everybody loves them. When you’re ready for big-time flavor from your smoker, check out this easy peasy and oh-so delish Smoked Meatball recipe!
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Smoked Meatballs are little orbs of smoky and beefy goodness. But, they’re easy to overcook and dry out. I’ll share with you my tips and tricks for making these insanely good Traeger Smoked Meatballs. Hungry? Let’s get started!
What You Need To Make Smoked Meatballs Traeger Style
- A Traeger Pellet Smoker – or your favorite smoker
- Hardwood pellets – or your favorite flavor
- Meatball griller or basket – see my notes below
- Digital meat thermometer
- Ground beef
- Ground pork
- Sliced white bread
- Milk
- Worcestershire sauce
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt and pepper
How To Smoke Meatballs
- Preheat your Traeger pellet smoker (or other smoker) as per the manufacturer’s directions. Start the meatballs at 180-F to give them a good dose of smoke.
- Make the meatballs and load them into the meatball griller or basket.
- Smoke the meatballs at 180-F for 30 minutes then turn up the heat to 225-F and cook for an additional hour or until they have an internal temperature of 165-F.
- Let them rest for 15 minutes lightly covered with foil, then serve and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Use a meatball griller, otherwise you won’t have meatBALLS. The low and slow cooking time will cause the meatballs to settle and become flat on the bottom. They’ll still taste great, but they won’t be meatballs.
- A mixture of pork and beef makes nice fatty meatballs. I use lean beef and regular ground pork – you can use fattier blends but they’ll ooze off a lot of fat.
- Don’t overwork the meatballs – only mix the meat enough to combine it all thoroughly
- Bigger meatballs will take longer to cook, so adjust your time accordingly.
- Use a digital meat thermometer and pull the meatballs out to rest when they hit 165-F.
What To Serve with Smoked Meatballs
Traeger smoked meatballs can be served with your favorite BBQ sauce or even smoked marinara sauce. My favorite way, however, is to top them with cheese and green onion and a spicy Chipotle Sour Cream (see below for the recipe.)
This full-color ebook cookbook features more than 50 of Chef Jenn’s tried, tested, and favorite smoker recipes! Enjoy:
- Smoked Beef Kabobs
- Smoked Chicken Thighs
- Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Pork Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
- Smoked Spaghetti Squash with Herbs
and so much more!
I’ve served smoked meatballs with pasta and a fresh tomato sauce (just cook down some fresh, chopped tomatoes with a bit of garlic), and we also love them plain with tasty sides like this Creamy Cucumber Sala or Texas Corn Succotash.
They’re also great as a snack topped with your favorite salsa. Let me know in the comments below your favorite ways to enjoy Smoked Meatballs!
Are Smoked Meatballs Freezer Friendly?
Yes! You can freeze these meatballs made in the smoker. Simply cook them (make a double batch!) as per my instructions, then chill them thoroughly and freeze them in air-tight containers or plastic zipper-top bags for up to 3 months.
To serve, thaw them overnight in the fridge then heat them in a low (250-F) oven covered with foil, until they’re heated through.
How To Make Chipotle Sour Cream
Combine 1/2 cup of sour cream with chipotle powder and mix well. Add a squirt of lime juice if you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
That’s the million dollar question! It all depends on how big your meatballs are, the temperature of your smoker, and the temperature of the meat when it went into the smoker. If you make them ping pong ball size and smoke them for 30 minutes at 180-F and the rest of the time at 225-F, you should allow about 90 minutes for them to be on the smoker. Give or take a few minutes.
Yes, this is a fairly easy recipe. The hardest part is getting the internal temp right – and not overcooking them. The best way to ensure this is to use a digital meat thermometer and to follow my other tips to keep the meatballs moist.
I use ground beef and pork in this standard recipe, but you can also use ground chicken, turkey, lamb, bison, and more. Just ensure that the ground beef has enough fat so that the meatballs don’t dry out.
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Step By Step Process
Smoked Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 lb lean ground beef 80/20
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- Tear the bread into pieces and put it into a small bowl. Pour the milk over the bread and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients by putting everything into a large bowl.
- Add the soaked bread and any residual milk.
- Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together but don't overmix. Just mix until it is all combined.
- Form the mixture into 36 ping pong ball sized meatballs. Pop them into a meatball griller and smoke at 180-F for 30 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to 225-F and continue to smoke for an additional hour or until the internal temperature reaches 165-F.
- Rest the meatballs lightly covered with foil for 15 minutes then serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
