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Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs

May 12, 2017 by Morgan 49 Comments

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Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs. These easy-to-make meatballs are smoky, sweet, and perfect for a party. | hostthetoast.com

Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs. These easy-to-make meatballs are smoky, sweet, and perfect for a party. | hostthetoast.com

When I was reading my list of upcoming recipes aloud for James, he stopped me at this one. “That sounds like a great snack for poker night with the guys,” he hinted. (He is so subtle, isn’t he?) 

But I had big, estrogen-packed plans for these Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs: I was going to make them for a reunion of some of my old sorority sisters– a get-together full of whiskey and bacon-loving ladies. Clearly that’s what people mean when they say to surround yourself with like-minded individuals, right?

Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs. These easy-to-make meatballs are smoky, sweet, and perfect for a party. | hostthetoast.com

I make some form of slow cooker mini meatballs for the majority of events I attend or host these days because they really are one of the most enjoyed appetizers I can think of for the least amount of stress. They’re bite-sized, they’re easy to throw together, they can pack in a ton of flavor because you can get really creative with your ingredients, they keep warm in the slow cooker all day and travel easily, and they require very little clean-up. Not to mention that they go over incredibly well with guests. To this day, I’ve never had a party meatball go to waste. Never ever.

And while I sometimes fall back on frozen meatballs and just focus on making an imaginative sauce, when I have a few extra minutes, I like to make my meatballs from scratch– especially when those meatballs include ground up bacon in the meat! The addition of bacon to the meatballs ensures that every bite is extra rich and savory, which makes them a hit with crowds, to say the least.

 

Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs. These easy-to-make meatballs are smoky, sweet, and perfect for a party. | hostthetoast.com

And though the bacon flavor is enough to make these meatballs mouthwatering on their own, I like to amp up the smokiness from the bacon with some smoked paprika. Not only does it make the meatballs taste even better, but it makes the smell coming from the slow cooker hypnotizing. Seriously, one waft will to draw everyone over– in fact, there might be an actual stampede toward your Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs. I’m just telling you so that you can be prepared.

Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs. These easy-to-make meatballs are smoky, sweet, and perfect for a party. | hostthetoast.com

As I mentioned before, I made these meatballs for a sorority get-together knowing that my friends would love them, but I don’t think I expected them to go as quickly as they did.

Despite the fact that I arrived a little (okay, very) late, and everyone had already been grabbing at a buffet full of finger foods for an hour, and the fact that I plugged my slow cooker into a pretty hidden spot by the bar, people found a way to devour them. Some people were leaving conversations to refill on meatballs. Others were entirely moving their conversations over to the slow cooker so they could stand around it while they socialized. Everyone was rioting when they realized that the meatballs were all gone halfway through the day.

Okay maybe the last part is a mild exaggeration, but the point is that people wanted more meatballs. And they were vocal about it. Next time, I’m making a double batch. 

And I promise that one of these days, I’ll make them for poker night.

Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs. These easy-to-make meatballs are smoky, sweet, and perfect for a party. | hostthetoast.com

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Slow Cooker Sticky Bacon & Whiskey Meatballs


★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Morgan
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: about 26 meatballs 1x
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Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Meatballs:

  • 8 ounces uncooked bacon
  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

For the Sauce:

  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1/4 cup whiskey
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons hot chili flakes
  • Chopped chives, to top

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the bacon, onion, and garlic. Process the bacon is entirely ground and no large chunks remain.
  2. Preheat the broiler. Transfer the bacon mixture to a large bowl and mix in the ground beef, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, and seasonings. Roll the meat mixture into golf ball-sized balls and place on a baking sheet.
  3. Broil the meatballs until browned on top, about 7 minutes. (Browning times will vary.)
  4. Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients in the slow cooker. Add the meatballs and cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 3-4 hours. Switch the slow cooker to warm and serve.
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour

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Filed Under: Appetizers, Beef + Veal, Crockpot, Food Tagged With: Appetizer, Bacon, Beef, Cocktail, Crock pot, Easy, make ahead, Meatballs, Party, Pot luck, Slow Cooker, Snack, Super Bowl

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Comments

  1. Andrew says

    May 28, 2017 at 11:21 am

    What style of whiskey though? Bourbon I assume?

    Reply
  2. Lauren says

    June 26, 2017 at 7:51 am

    Hello! I plan on doubling this recipe for a party. Will double the amount of meatballs fit in my standard-sized slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      June 27, 2017 at 5:21 pm

      Hi Lauren! Assuming your slow cooker is about 6 quarts, you should be able to fit doubling the recipe, but it will likely be a tight fit!

      Reply
    • Rhonda says

      March 2, 2018 at 12:07 pm

      These were absolutely gorgeous. I also used a whiskey bbq sauce! I added a bit more onion and garlic. I will def make these again thanks for sharing!!!!!! DELISH!!!!!!

      Reply
  3. Dominika says

    August 22, 2017 at 1:50 am

    Hi! If i double the recipe will i have to double the time as well??

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      August 22, 2017 at 12:33 pm

      No, keep the cook time the same =)

      Reply
  4. Elaine says

    September 22, 2017 at 10:52 am

    Hi Morgan, love the name, love the recipe,love the photos! Thank you so much for sharing it!

    Reply
  5. Jennifer Eminger says

    October 17, 2017 at 3:16 pm

    I am assuming that with the cook time that all the whisky/bourbon cooks out? I am wanting to serve these at a Halloween party, but there will be children.

    Reply
  6. Morgan says

    December 31, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    what kind of bbq sauce my favorite is sweet baby rays is that too sweet? Thank you!

    Reply
  7. Susan says

    January 3, 2018 at 6:55 am

    In the ingredients you list uncooked bacon. Are you cooking it before putting in the food processor?

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      January 3, 2018 at 10:22 pm

      No, it goes into the processor uncooked.

      Reply
  8. Michael says

    February 9, 2018 at 2:18 pm

    Just made these for the superbowl and I wish I made a double batch! They were such a hit!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. Ashley says

    July 6, 2018 at 8:09 pm

    Do you think any adjustments should be made if I use pork/turkey mix instead of beef?

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      July 7, 2018 at 11:01 am

      No, I think switching out the meat will be fine as-is! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Mark says

    August 4, 2018 at 9:28 am

    I love this recipe, have made it a few times! Just curious if I were to make it in a Dutch oven instead of crockpot do you know how long/what temp I would put in the oven for? Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Jason says

    December 12, 2018 at 10:02 am

    Do you use smoked or unsmoked bacon?

    Reply
  12. Ashley Brook Oneth says

    May 18, 2019 at 6:49 pm

    Family fav

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  13. Lauren L says

    December 30, 2019 at 10:35 pm

    These went like hot cakes for my husband’s poker night! Somehow, I am pretty sure I followed the recipe as is, but I ended up with almost double the number of meatballs… and they were good size!! Love when funny math happens like that 😉 but they all fit in my standard size slow cooker great. Lots of compliments on the sauce and my kitchen smelled amazing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  14. Erin S says

    February 3, 2020 at 2:43 pm

    Do you have any sort of nutritional information on these meatballs?

    Reply
  15. Cari says

    May 22, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    I am making these now. I hope they are delicious…I could barely stomach processing the bacon.

    Reply
  16. Cathy says

    September 29, 2021 at 2:12 pm

    If I don’t have a good processor how do you recommend grinding the bacon?
    Thanks!!

    Reply

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MEET MORGAN

Morgan is a full-time food blogger, pizza-related sleep talker, and self-described hobby hoarder.
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