Bourbon Whiskey Barbecue Meatballs

Whiskey gives these meatballs a punch but don’t worry, most of the alcohol will be cooked off by the time you serve them!

The Meatballs

When you have plenty of time and feel like really diving into making this recipe you can use our meatball recipe or your own. When you're in a hurry or just don't feel like making fresh take a shortcut and use some store-bought ones. You can find them in the freezer section or at the meat counter. I suggest plain instead of those preseasoned Italian ones.

Cook the meatballs following the instructions in the recipe or on the packaging if using store-bought ones.

The BBQ Sauce

Again, you could make a sauce from scratch but let's be real, there are some really great bbq sauces on the shelves at most stores. In our test kitchen, we use Stubs or KC Masterpiece.

Whiskey Vs Bourbon

For a whiskey to call itself bourbon, its mash, the mixture of grains from which the product is distilled, must contain at least 51% corn. (The rest of the mash is usually filled out with malted barley and either rye or wheat.) ... The distillate must be aged in a new charred oak barrel. In this recipe, we use bourbon whiskey but you could use regular whiskey.

Slow-Cooker

This recipe lends itself well to the crockpot/slow-cooker especially if you're using frozen meatballs.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of traditional style meatballs
• ¾ cup bourbon whiskey
• 1 Cup BBQ sauce
• 1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Cook the meatballs according to the recipe or package directions. If using a crockpot or slow-cooker you do not need to pre-cook.
2. Warm the barbeque sauce in a small saucepan. Add in the bourbon and mix.
3. Pour the warm sauce into a serving dish and add in the cooked meatballs. Serve immediately

Pairings

These meatballs are great as appetizers or for tailgating. Corn on the cob is one of our favorites to serve with these tasty little gems.