Slow Cooker Chipotle BBQ Meatballs with Garlic Toast
User Reviews
5
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Total Time
8 hrs
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Slow Cooker Chipotle BBQ Meatballs with Garlic Toast
Description
Slow Cooker Chipotle BBQ Meatballs are formed from ground turkey or beef mixed with garlic, green onions, panko breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. The meatballs can be browned in a skillet or added directly into a slow cooker along with a sauce made from ketchup, maple syrup, chipotle peppers and their adobo, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Cooking low and slow over several hours tenderizes the meat and allows the sauce to infuse the meatballs.
Garlic baguettes are prepared by toasting baguette rounds brushed with melted butter mixed with minced garlic, offering a crunchy and flavorful accompaniment to the meatballs. The smoky, slightly sweet, and mildly spicy sauce highlights the chipotle flavor, balanced with maple syrup’s sweetness and acidic vinegar notes.
The meatballs freeze well when preformed and flash-frozen before storing in a bag, maintaining quality for up to six months. When ready to eat, frozen meatballs can go straight into the slow cooker with sauce and cook thoroughly. Garnishing with extra green onions adds freshness and color before serving.
Ingredients
meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey or beef!
- 1 egg lightly beaten, large
- 3 garlic minced, cloves
- 2 green onions thinly sliced, plus extra for serving
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
maple chipotle BBQ sauce
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 2/3 cup water or beer!
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 garlic minced, cloves
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can of chipotles
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
garlic baguettes
- 1 baguette sliced into rounds
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the turkey, beaten egg, garlic, onions, bread crumbs, paprika, salt and pepper until just combined. Do not overmix! For the mixture into meatballs about 1-inch in size and place them on a sheet of parchment paper.
- At this point, you can throw the meatballs directly in the BBQ sauce in the slow cooker, you can brown them first (my favorite) or you can freeze them (see below)!
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat (or use a slow cooker that does this for you!) and add the olive oil. Add the meatballs in batches and cook just until golden on the outsides. Place the meatballs and the BBQ sauce in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (long is okay too, but they will be done in 4 hours if they are browned).
- Serve with extra sliced green onions on top!
maple chipotle BBQ sauce
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan and stir together until combined. Heat oven medium heat and bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and cook for 30 to 60 minutes, until thickened. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and let sit at room temperature until it cools and thickens even more. This stays great in the fridge for a week or so when sealed in a container.
garlic baguettes
- To make the garlic baguettes, slice the bread into rounds and place it on a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix together the melted butter and garlic cloves. Brush or drizzle it on the baguettes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until slightly toasted.
Notes
- To freeze meatballs, shape and place on parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze 1 hour before transferring to bags for up to 6 months.
- Cook frozen meatballs in slow cooker with BBQ sauce for 8 to 10 hours on low to ensure they are fully cooked.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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