SHEET PAN BARBECUE MEATBALLS

Sheet Pan Barbecue Meatballs image

Provided by Kelly Senyei

Time 30m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

Cooking spray
2 slices white bread
1/2 cup dairy or non-dairy milk
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 large egg
1/4 cup minced scallions (2 scallions)
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup orange soda
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Steps:

Make the meatballs. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil, then grease the foil with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the bread and milk and let sit until the bread has absorbed the milk, about 5 minutes. Mash it all together with a fork. Add the ground beef, ground pork, egg, scallions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, mix together just until combined.
Scoop out 2-tablespoon portions of the mixture and roll into balls. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. (Larger meatballs will require longer cooking times.) While the meatballs are baking, make the barbecue sauce.
Make the barbecue sauce. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the orange soda, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water.
When the soda mixture comes to a boil, whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Boil the sauce, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to the consistency of syrup, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set the sauce aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Remove the meatballs from the oven, then transfer to a large bowl. Pour in the barbecue sauce, toss to combine, and serve.