Bacon Meatball appetizers made with just 3 ingredients and unbelievably good flavor! Quick and easy appetizer recipes perfect for parties.
Bacon and meatballs are perfect on their own but when you pair them together, every bite is mind-blowingly good. These little bites of meaty balls are juicy, flavorful, and so dang tasty you can’t help but reach for another.
Easy Appetizer Idea
These sweet maple flavored bacon wrapped meatballs are just about one of the most perfect appetizers to serve. They can be good at almost any event or served for any occasion. Anything from a weekend BBQ to your child’s graduation is a perfect setting. Even tailgating and baby showers work wonderfully for meatball appetizers.
What makes this recipe even better is that it requires very little effort and can be made in no time so you can stop hovering around an oven and start mingling and enjoying time with friends and family. It’s no wonder why we can’t stop raving about these bacon covered meatballs.
Bacon Wrapped Meatballs Ingredients
-Bacon: You will need 16 slices of bacon to make sure that there is enough to cover every meatball.
-Meatballs: You will need 16 frozen homestyle meatballs. Use beef or turkey depending on your preferences.
-Maple syrup: We need ¼ cup of maple syrup to make sure that there is enough sweetness for every meatball.
-Toothpicks: While not actually a food item, you will need toothpicks. These will help to hold the bacon onto every round sphere as well as serve as a handle for serving.
How to make Bacon Wrapped Meatballs
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and spray a square glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Place a paper towel on a microwave safe plate and lay your bacon on top. Add another paper towel over the top of the bacon and then microwave them for 4 minutes. Let the bacon cool for a few minutes before handling it as they will be hot.
Take one slice of bacon and wrap it around a meatball. Right where the bacon ends meet and overlap, fold it over so that the bacon wraps around the other side, covering it like a cross. Stab it through with a toothpick to hold it in place. Place wrapped meatball in the baking dish.
Repeat the process with the remaining bacon and meatballs until all have been wrapped and secured with a toothpick.
Drizzle a little over half of the maple syrup over the uncooked meatballs.
Bake in your 400F degree oven for 15-25 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of our bacon and how done you like it.
Drizzle the remaining maple syrup over the top of the cooked meatballs just before serving.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 16 slices bacon
- 16 frozen homestyle meatballs
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 16 toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a square glass pan with non-stick spray.
- Place a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate and lay out bacon on top. Place a paper towel over the top and microwave bacon for 4 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, until you can handle it easily.
- Take 1 slice of semi-cooked bacon and wrap it around a meatball. Right when the bacon begins to overlap, fold it over so that you can wrap it around the other side of the meatball. Secure the end with a toothpick and place in prepared pan.
- Repeat process with remaining bacon & meatballs. Drizzle a little over half the maple syrup over the uncooked bacon meatballs.
- Bake in a 400-degree oven for 15-25 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your bacon and how well done you’d like it. My bacon was thick and I like it well done, so I cooked them for the full 25 minutes.
- Drizzle meatballs with remaining maple syrup just prior to serving. (I transferred them to a serving dish, then drizzled them.)
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Can bacon covered meatballs be made in advance?
Yes, you can prep these meatballs in advance! Simply make the meatballs all the way up to the baking portion and then instead of baking, cover, and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. If using a glass baking dish allow it to rest at room temperature on the counter as you preheat the oven so that it doesn’t shatter from the extreme heat change. Using a non-glass baking dish or even a disposable aluminum pan would be a great choice to prevent this risk as well.
Can I heat the bacon without a microwave?
Yes, if you don’t have a microwave or do not wish to use it you can warm your bacon on the stovetop as you would normally cook it. Simply cook until it’s warmed and easier to work with. You want it partially cooked, but not crispy. After, drain it on paper towels to remove excess grease before using as directed.
Need more appetizer recipes? You’ve got to try these:
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These bacon wrapped meatballs are a perfect easy appetizer recipe for any occasion. Made with just 3 ingredients you going to love this simple recipe.
Kara Cook says
I can’t believe I have never thought of doing this, we love bacon at our house. These look so yummy!
John Smith says
I did not microwave the bacon because I find that leaves it bland and rubbery so instead I suggest to anyone else who feels this way, just put it on the stove top for a few.