What’s one of the simplest but most versatile and delicious appetizers you can make? Meatballs. There are so many different ways to prepare appetizer meatballs. In fact, I have 25 amazing recipes for you to try for your next party.
25 Easy Appetizer Meatballs to Make for Your Next Party
1. Slow Cooker Sweet Hawaiian Teriyaki Meatballs
Slow cooker meatballs are always delicious, and the recipes are never fussy. Just toss all of your ingredients into the slow cooker and let it simmer for 6-8 hours.
This recipe uses frozen meatballs to save time and make your life even easier. As for the sauce, it’s a delicious mix of ketchup, teriyaki sauce, pineapple preserves, brown sugar and minced garlic.
The combination creates sweet and tangy meatballs that are divine. Use toothpicks to serve these as appetizers.
2. Meatball Skewers with Tahini Yogurt and Red Chimichurri
This is an amazing recipe that comes with two sauces that work perfectly together, tahini yogurt and red chimichurri. You can skip one, but the combo of both is what really makes this dish stand out and gives it that Mediterranean vibe. The meatballs come out super soft thanks to the baking soda trick (definitely check the full recipe), and serving them on skewers makes this such a fun and easy appetizer for guests.
3. Honey Buffalo Meatballs Appetizer
Sweet and a little spicy. That’s what makes these meatballs so memorable. For this recipe, you’ll use frozen meatballs to save time.
The sauce is a mix of hot sauce (like Frank’s), honey, brown sugar and yellow mustard. You’ll simmer the sauce for a while before adding your meatballs.
Before you serve, sprinkle some chopped parsley on top of the meatballs.
Related: 15+ French Appetizers to Make for a Romantic Dinner
4. Whiskey Peach BBQ Meatballs
These appetizer meatballs are an explosion of flavor. The sauce is simple but uses such a tasty combination of ingredients, including: peach preserves, whiskey, BBQ sauce, peach preserves, worcestershire sauce, chili sauce and spices.
You can use frozen meatballs to save time or make your own. If you’re making your own, you’ll want to cook them first.
Then toss all of your ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours.
5. Sweet and Tangy Asian Meatballs
The sticky teriyaki sauce is what makes these meatballs so special. The sauce is a simple mix of Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, spices and sriracha sauce.
Use frozen meatballs to save time. Once they’ve browned and cooked through in the oven, toss them with your sauce and let them simmer for 10-15 minutes to soak up all the flavor.
Then, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top before serving.
6. Slow Cooker Bourbon Meatballs
Your guests will love the irresistible flavor of these meatballs. The sauce is a blend of ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, bourbon and spices.
When simmered for hours, the flavor is rich and savory with a hint of sweetness.
Use frozen meatballs to save time, and toss all of your ingredients in a slow cooker for 4-5 hours.
7. Meatball Marinara Poppers
Here’s a recipe that everyone will love, and it’s not like the usual tangy meatball recipes. This one has all of the flavors of a meatball sub without the bread.
Grab your favorite frozen meatballs and lay them out on a baking sheet. Bake them. Then, spoon a little marinara sauce on top of each one, followed by some shredded mozzarella cheese.
Broil for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Garnish with fresh parsley and insert a toothpick into each meatball for easy snacking.
8. Easy Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
These tasty meatballs are made in the air fryer to make them extra crispy. You’ll make the meatballs yourself from either ground chicken or turkey.
Mix your meat with spices, eggs, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Scoop meat and form meatballs. Cook them in the air fryer while you make the firecracker sauce made with hot sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, brown sugar and spices.
Toss with the sauce and serve.
9. Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
These appetizer meatballs are a little spicy – perfect as an appetizer. The meatballs mix ground chicken with breadcrumbs, eggs, carrot, celery, onion and spices.
Bake your meatballs and then toss with buffalo sauce. Serve with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.
10. Spaghetti and Meatball Bites
Spaghetti and meatballs in a tasty bite-sized package. Just bake cooked spaghetti (tossed with marinara, eggs and mozzarella cheese) in a muffin tin to make little cups.
Then, spoon cooked meatballs into your cups. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
11. Healthy Mini Cheeseburger Meatballs
This appetizer is so easy to make. You can use frozen meatballs or make your own. But the concept is simple: cook your meatballs first, then top with American cheese, and broil for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Then, add a pickle on top and insert a toothpick for easy serving.
12. Easy Cheesy Meatball Bites
A simple but tasty and unique appetizer you can serve at your next party. You’ll take crescent roll dough and add it to a muffin tin to create cups. Add marinara sauce to the bottom, follow with a scoop of mozzarella cheese and place one pre-made, frozen meatball on top.
Bake for around 17 minutes until the crescent dough is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
13. Mini Greek Meatball Bites with Tzatziki on a Pita
Shake things up with this Mediterranean-inspired meatball recipe. You can use ground beef or lamb for this recipe.
You’ll make your own meatballs for this recipe as well as your Tzatziki sauce. Just bake your meatballs and make your sauce. Then warm the pita bread.
Top each pita with the meatball, drizzle with Tzatziki sauce and garnish with fresh herbs.
14. 3-Ingredient Meatball Appetizer
These meatballs are made with just three ingredients: frozen meatballs, BBQ sauce and grape jelly.
Just toss all of these ingredients in a slow cooker (you’ll need to use the full jar of jelly and BBQ sauce), and let it simmer for 4 hours.
Insert toothpicks into each meatball and serve.
15. Pizza Balls
Who says appetizer meatballs have to be made with beef or turkey? These pizza balls use Italian sausage and mix it with mozzarella cheese, baking mix, green peppers, onion, pizza sauce and spices.
Mix all of your ingredients together, and form meatballs. Bake for about 25 minutes and serve with pizza sauce for dipping.
16. Swedish Meatball Bites with Creamy Dill Sauce
These Swedish meatballs are cooked in the oven and made with care by mixing ground beef and pork, breadcrumbs, milk, onion, egg and spices.
It only takes 18-20 minutes for these meatballs to cook.
Serve with a homemade dill sauce made from sour cream, mayo, fresh dill, mustard, lemon juice and spices.
Related: 21+ Easy Pinwheel Appetizers to Make The Perfect Dinner
17. Easy Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Traditional meatballs come together with an amazing sauce that’s made from red wine, olive oil, yellow onions, garlic, crushed tomatoes, basil, parsley and kosher salt. Prep your meatballs, make an indent with your thumb, and add cheese to the center of your ball.
Reroll the ball and bake for 18-20minutes.
In the meantime, prep your sauce and then add in your baked meatballs. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve over pasta.
18. Bowtie Pasta and Cocktail Meatball Skewers
Meatball skewers with bowtie pasta are absolutely delicious. You’ll need frozen meatballs, grape jelly, ketchup, bowtie pasta pieces, olive oil and fresh basil leaves for this recipe. And don’t forget your wooden skewers.
19. Easy Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders
Hawaiian sweet rolls and meatballs (frozen for this recipe) come together so well. You’ll need marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, butter, garlic powder, grated Parmesan cheese and dried parsley flakes for this one.
Scoop out the middle of your rolls, add your cheese and meatballs, top with sauce and more cheese and bake.
20. Meatball Stuffed Garlic Bread
Garlic bread stuffed with meatballs? You’ll need about 30 minutes to prep this recipe, but it’s worth it. You’ll use homemade or store-bought pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, tons of seasoning and spices for the bread.
You’ll then make Italian-seasoned meatballs and make a sinful stuffed bread.
21. Easy Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
BBQ sauce slathered on top of meatballs made with lean ground turkey, eggs, mustard, breadcrumbs and a load of spices always hits the spot. Mix your ingredients well, form into a ball and line on your baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, remove and check to make sure that they’re 160 degrees F on the inside.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes, pour your BBQ sauce on top, toss and then slow cook for 2-3 hours.
22. Spicy Jalapeño Popper Sausage Balls
Spicy appetizer meatballs add an extra kick to every party. Chopped jalapenos, baking mix, shredded cheese, cream cheese and breakfast sausage are all you need for this recipe.
Combine all of your ingredients, knead, shape into balls, bake and serve.
23. Crockpot Orange Meatballs
For this recipe, we’re cheating a little bit and buying frozen meatballs (any type you like). Add your meatballs in a slow cooker with your:
- Rice vinegar
- Orange marmalade
- Yellow mustard
- Sriracha sauce
Cook for an hour, or until it bubbles, and serve warm.
24. Sweet and Sour Meatballs
You’ll break this recipe into two parts:
- Meatballs made with ground beef, bread crumbs, chopped onion, egg, salt and pepper.
- Sweet and Sour sauce made with brown sugar, water, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch.
Mix your meatball ingredients in a large bowl until they’re combined well. Shape into 1.5-inch meatballs and then place on a large, nonstick skillet on medium heat. Cook until browned and cooked through.
Whisk your sauce ingredients together, top your meatballs and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Related: The 20+ Best Salad Appetizers for Parties, Holidays, and Potlucks
25. Garlic Butter Meatball Subs on a Stick
What an interesting way to make meatballs. You’ll make delish garlic meatballs and then wrap crescent dough around them. Skewer, bake and serve with sauce. It’s a fun way to eat meatballs that I never thought of in the past.
26. Cocktail Meatballs
These meatballs are simple but satisfying, so they’re perfect for parties. Sweet. Tangy. Cheese. What’s not to love?
For this recipe, you’ll make the meatballs yourself by mixing ground beef (or turkey) with breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, egg and spices.
Bake them for about 20-25 minutes. I top these with more Parmesan cheese and freshly diced herbs before adding toothpicks and serving.
