Bacon-wrapped BBQ Meatballs

Savory beef meatballs wrapped in crispy bacon and smothered in rich Rufus Teague BBQ sauce make these appetizers (or main dish!) irresistible. Perfect for parties, game days, or family dinners.

Prep & Total Time

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs ground beef

• ¾ cup oats

• 1 cup milk

• 3 tbsp onion, very finely minced

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• Ground pepper, to taste

• 1 lb thick-sliced bacon, cut in half

For Cooking Meatballs:

• Paducah Olive Oil’s Olive Wood Smoked Olive Oil

• 1 bottle Rufus Teague BBQ Sauce (Whiskey & Maple, Honey Sweet, or Touch O’Heat)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, oats, milk, minced onion, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

3. Roll mixture into medium-small meatballs and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes.

4. Remove meatballs from freezer and immediately wrap each with half a slice of bacon.

5. Brown meatballs in Olive Wood Smoked Olive Oil until just golden. Transfer to a baking dish.

6. Cover meatballs with BBQ sauce.

7. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes on a cookie sheet, glass dish, or cookie rack to drain bacon grease.

8. Remove from oven, drain excess bacon fat if necessary, brush with more BBQ sauce, and bake another 15 minutes.

9. Brush on additional BBQ sauce and bake for a final 10 minutes until golden brown.

10. Serve with toothpicks as appetizers, or alongside egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty French bread.