Crispy Game-Day Meatballs for Crowd-Pleasing Appetizers

These smoky, homemade BBQ meatballs get a fun twist: a crunchy chip coating. Rolled in crushed potato chips of your choice, they make a great appetizer or snack for game day. Which chips will you pick for your flavor face-off?

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Table of Contents

  • Step 1: How to make homemade meatballs
  • Frequently Asked Questions:
  • Similar Recipe Ideas:
  • Game Day Crunchy Meatballs Recipe

Step 1: How to make homemade meatballs

Game Day Crunchy Meatball ingredients

For the best balance of flavor and texture, use a mix of two-thirds ground beef and one-third ground pork. In a large bowl combine the ground meats with salt, Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning, minced garlic, one raw egg, breadcrumbs, half a grated white onion, chopped parsley and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Work the mixture with your hands until everything is evenly distributed and the loose ingredients are incorporated into the meat.

Use a small cookie scooper to portion out cocktail-sized meatballs. The scooper helps you make uniform balls so they cook evenly. Arrange the rolled meatballs on a wire rack so they’re ready for the grill.

Cookie Scooper for meatballs

Preheat the grill to around 250°F and set it for indirect heat. Place the wire rack with the meatballs on the grill and smoke or low-grill them for about one hour, until cooked through and lightly charred.

Meatballs on grill
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Step 2: Game Day Crunchy Meatball challenge?

After the meatballs rest, toss them in your favorite BBQ sauce. A classic sweet-and-smoky sauce works well here. Pour a few handfuls of chips into a resealable bag and crush them by hand or with a mallet until they’re broken down into fine crumbs. Choose two different chip flavors for a fun contrast — for example, a cheesy and a tangy option — but any combination will work.

Skewer a meatball with a toothpick and roll it in the crushed chips so the coating sticks to the sauce. The result is a crunchy, flavorful bite with each meatball offering a mix of textures and tastes. Serve hot and enjoy.

Crunchy meatballs

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I make this in the oven or on the stovetop?

Yes. These meatballs can be adapted for the oven or stovetop if you don’t have a grill. The flavors translate well across cooking methods.

Similar Recipe Ideas:

Beef

Chuck Roast Burnt Ends

Beef

Over the Top Beef Chili

Pork

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Beef

Over the Top Beer Chili

Printer-friendly recipe below:

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Game Day Crunchy Meatballs

By: Maciek Zurawski
Smoky BBQ meatballs rolled in your favorite crushed chips create a crunchy, flavorful snack that’s perfect for sharing.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 People

Ingredients 

  • 1.5 lbs Ground Beef (2/3) Ground Pork (1/3)
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 1/2 White onion
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup Chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp Herbs of Provence or Italian seasoning
  • 2 bags Different flavored potato chips
  • 1 tbsp Minced garlic

Instructions 

  • Combine ground meats, salt, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, grated onion, chopped parsley and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl.
  • Mix thoroughly with your hands until well combined.
  • Portion cocktail-sized meatballs using a cookie scooper and place them on a wire rack.
  • Preheat the grill to 250°F and cook the meatballs on indirect heat for about 1 hour.
  • Place chips in a resealable bag and crush them into fine crumbs by hand or with a mallet.
  • Toss the rested meatballs in BBQ sauce to coat.
  • Roll each sauced meatball in the crushed chips and serve on toothpicks.

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 18g

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