Tangy BBQ Meatball Sliders
Description
Why buy frozen meatballs and bottled BBQ sauce, when you can make them from scratch? Try these tangy BBQ meatball sliders as a great Game Day snack or appetizer.
Ingredients
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cooking spray
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1/2 cup finely chopped onion
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1 clove garlic, minced
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2 cups ketchup
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2/3 cup molasses (such as Grandma's®)
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2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
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2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
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2 tablespoons brown sugar
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1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
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1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard powder (such as Colman's®)
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1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
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1/2 pound ground beef
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1/2 pound ground pork
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3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
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1/4 cup milk
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1 large egg, lightly beaten
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1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
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1 teaspoon grill seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning®)
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1 clove garlic, minced
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12 slider-size burger buns
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place a baking rack sprayed with nonstick cooking spray onto a foil-lined baking pan.
2
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ketchup, molasses, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper; mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add a bit of water if sauce gets too thick.
3
Meanwhile, combine beef, pork, bread crumbs, milk, egg, mustard, steak seasoning, and garlic in a bowl. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to form meat mixture into balls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place meatballs on the rack, leaving enough space between them so they'll brown on all sides.
4
Bake meatballs in the preheated oven until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 25 to 30 minutes.
5
Gently stir meatballs into the BBQ sauce. Simmer until meatballs are heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Divide saucy meatballs among the slider buns.