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–+ servings
smoked ground beef meatballs
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5 from 1 vote

Smoked Meatballs

Delicious homemade smoked meatballs bursting with rich flavor, cooked to perfection on your backyard grill or smoker! From meatball preparation to smoker setup, discover how to smoke meatballs today.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, European
Servings: 4
Author: Ben Isham-Smith

Equipment

  • oak smoking wood

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tbsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tbsp chili powder

Instructions

  • Fire up your smoker to 250℉ (120℃). If using a charcoal grill, ensure you are set up for 2-zone indirect cooking.
  • In a large bowl, add the ground beef, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and chili powder
  • Mix the ingredients by hand until they are well combined. Try not to squeeze or mash the ingredients - You want to be able to see defined pieces of ground beef still.
  • When combined, pinch off a small piece of the mixture and roll it between your hands to form your meatball, aiming for a size of around 1 inch in diameter. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the mixture, keeping the size uniform throughout.
  • Line an aluminum tray with parchment paper. Set your meatballs on the tray spaced equally apart.
  • Transfer tray to the smoker. Smoke the meatballs until the internal temperature reaches 160℉ (70℃), about 45-60 minutes.
  • Remove from smoker and serve immediately

Notes

  1. Try to use ground beef that is 80:20 meat-to-fat ratio, like beef chuck
  2. Use a cold bowl for combining the meatball mixture. Cool it in your freezer or refrigerator for 1 hour before use.