Bourbon Meatballs (Cocktail finger food)

4.91 from 11 votes

Bourbon Meatballs (Cocktail finger food)

Cocktail Meatballs with Bourbon and jelly preserves are a perfect appetizer to bring some sweet heat to your party. Easy to make homemade or substitute with frozen, these meatballs will be gone from your tray in minutes with people begging for seconds.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Appetizer Recipes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef

Servings: meatballs

Calories: 323kcal

Author: Trisha Haas - Salty Side Dish

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup diced red onions
1/4 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper

Sauce:

1/2 cup peach preserves
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup whiskey or bourbon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
splash of hot sauce

Instructions

To Make Meatballs:

Heat the Pan: Place 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and heat until hot.
Mix Ingredients: In a bowl, combine 1 lb of ground beef, 1/4 cup diced red onions, and 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Tip: Mixing with your hands gets the best results!
Form Meatballs: Use a tablespoon or your hands to shape the mixture into balls.
Cook Meatballs: Add meatballs to the hot oil in the skillet. Cook, turning them to brown all sides evenly, for about 8-10 minutes.
Drain: Remove the meatballs and let them drain on a paper towel. Then, remove excess grease from the pan.

For the Sauce:

Combine Sauce Ingredients: In the same pan, add 1/2 cup peach preserves, 1/2 cup orange marmalade, 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, 1/2 cup whiskey or bourbon, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon molasses, and a splash of hot sauce. Stir well.
Cook Sauce: Heat over medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble and boil. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly.
Add Meatballs to Sauce: Lower the heat to medium-low, return the meatballs to the pan, and use tongs to coat them evenly in the sauce. Heat until the meatballs are hot throughout.
Serve: Serve the meatballs hot, ideally with toothpicks for easy sharing. This recipe makes about 24 meatballs.

Child-Friendly Variation:

For a version without alcohol that's a bit sweeter and more kid-friendly, substitute the 1/2 cup of whiskey or bourbon with orange juice and the 1 tablespoon of molasses with honey.

Video

Notes

NOTE ON THE EGG: In my original recipe, you will note there is an egg in the image. That is because I had used an egg and breadcrumbs to bind the meatball, but in later renditions (see video) decided to leave that out. If you were taught to use an egg to help mold meatballs, you can still move forward with that - or you can leave it out. Its really a preference thing.

Nutrition